Let’s talk trading cards. Did you love to collect and trade them when you were a kid? Maybe you still do as an adult. They tend to draw in students who are fans of sports. But did you know you can use the idea of trading cards to entice students who love art, who are creative, and who like a bit of a change?
Character trading cards give students an alternative way to show their understanding of content and demonstrate their language skills differently.
Why should I use character trading cards?
In the ever-evolving landscape of language education, educators are constantly seeking innovative methods to engage and motivate students. Character trading cards are an exciting and effective tool to incorporate in the world language classroom. These cards not only make language learning enjoyable but also provide a versatile platform for incorporating various language skills.
What are trading cards?
Trading cards is an activity that can work with various modes of communication. When students view content it can be interpretive. When students share about the card they create, the activity becomes a presentational activity.
Trading cards are when students create an image of a character from a story to show what they understood about them. However, it can be so much more than that. You can use this for several character categories.
- Famous Deaf people
- Classmates
- Teachers in a school unit
- Presidents of the United States
- Athletes (Deaf Olympics)
- Characters in a story
What goes on the card?
A picture of the character and their physical makeup. What else you want to go on the trading card depends on what is being discussed in the content students are viewing.
- Background of a character
- Personality traits
- Occupation
- School history
- Hearing status
- Nationality
- Conflict within the story
- Something the character had to overcome
- The character’s perspective or viewpoint
- A pivotal moment
- A quote
- QR code for a recorded feature
Remember, the goal is to make the character trading card a comprehensive tool for language practice while keeping it enjoyable and visually appealing. Encourage creativity within the framework to make the learning experience more engaging for your students.
What are the benefits of character trading cards?
- Increased Engagement:
- Trading cards tap into the natural human inclination for collecting and exchanging items. Students find the process of collecting and trading character cards both enjoyable and motivating.
- The visual appeal of the cards can also capture students’ interest, making language learning a more immersive experience.
- Vocabulary Expansion:
- Each trading card typically includes key information about a character, such as name, age, nationality, and hobbies. This provides an excellent opportunity for students to expand their vocabulary related to these topics.
- Grammar Practice:
- Sharing descriptions for the characters on the cards helps students practice sentence structure, grammar, and the correct use of vocabulary in context.
- Teachers can create specific tasks or challenges that require students to use certain grammatical structures in their card descriptions.
- Cultural Understanding:
- Characters on the trading cards can represent different cultures and regions, allowing students to gain insights into the diversity of the people they are learning about.
- Educators can design activities that encourage students to research and present cultural aspects related to the characters.
How can I use the cards in class?
- Card Creation Activity:
- Have students create their own character trading cards. This activity not only promotes creativity but also reinforces vocabulary and grammar concepts.
- Encourage students to present their cards to the class, describing the character in the target language.
- Trading Sessions:
- Organize regular trading sessions where students can exchange cards with their classmates. This fosters communication in the target language as students negotiate trades and discuss the characteristics of the cards.
- Storytelling Challenge:
- Use the trading cards as prompts for storytelling. Students can work in pairs or small groups to create short stories featuring the characters on their cards. This activity enhances expressive and receptive skills.
- Cultural Exchange Fair:
- Host a cultural exchange fair where students set up booths representing the countries or regions of their assigned characters. This activity encourages research, collaboration, and presentation skills.
Integrating character trading cards into the world language classroom adds an exciting dimension to language learning. By combining the joy of collecting with the necessity of language practice, educators can create a dynamic and engaging learning environment. The versatility of this tool allows for endless possibilities, making it an excellent addition to any language teacher’s toolkit. Embrace the power of character trading cards to inspire your students and elevate their language learning experience.
How will use them in your classroom? Join the conversation on our Facebook group.
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