I’ve never given a single presentation that required Powerpoint since graduating college. As such, it remains one of the unused programs in my Microsoft Office Suite. Until, that is, I discovered how well it could serve as a language study aid.
Don’t worry, there’s nothing that requires an unusually deep knowledge of Powerpoint here. Simply put, I use the slides and the presentation system to create my own vocabulary tests similar to flash cards.
Powerpoint slides actually work better than flash cards, at least for me. Why? Because I don’t have to put answers to the card on the back. I can just have it on the next slide or keep it hidden in the same slide until I hit a key to reveal the answer. Plus, with the ability to insert graphics, clip art, animations, sounds and other multimedia elements, you can come up with some downright creative slides.
If you’re looking for Powerpoint games to base what you’re going to do from, you can try searching for some online. A lot of websites actually offer educational Powerpoint games for download, especially for vocabulary learning. While there’s the usual flash card sets, I’ve also come across more creative ones like Jeopardy, Hollywood Square and Bingo, all tweaked for vocabulary learning. Most of what you’ll see will likely be for English words, so just copy the slides and replace them with vocabulary items for your target language.