Vocabulary flash cards

I'm not a teacher. Please, forgive me if I violate some rules and intrude into the specific teachers' forum. But I just didn't find any forum about studying English, that is mnemonics, technical appliances, web sites, skype and so on.

The problem is vocabulary flash cards. Usually they suggest you to make
flash cards by cutting along the dotted lines and folding in two (foreign language being in the front, native language being in the back). Examples:
http://year12bio.wikispaces.com/file...flashcards.pdf
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010253078.aspx

The advantage of such scheme is as follows: you use ordinary printer paper.
The disadvantages are:
1. Wear and tear (minor problem because of the easiness of replacement).
2. How to shuffle the cards? How to solve this problem is a mystery to me.

As for myself, I would rather make the cards of cardboard and shuffle them like playing cards. But there is a problem of printer. Modern office printers are not for printing on such thick cardboard.

Of course, all the manufacturers of printers announce that printers can print on cardstock. But usually it is merely two times thicker than ordinary paper, which is not enough. For example
HP LASERJET PROFESSIONAL M1130/M1210. It can print on the paper with density of 131–175 g/m2, whereas usual paper is 80 g/m2. I have visited a shop and touched samples. No, this is not what I want.

Anyway, the possibility of using ordinary printer is a huge advantage.

But how to shuffle such cards?

Personally I dislike the idea of having another language on the back of the cards. I'm all for English Only in my classroom. I'd suggest instead that you can print them (or paste pictures) on slightly thicker paper and then laminate them. This makes them longer lasting of course.

As for shuffling, well you can try the traditional way but often I'll pour them into a cardboard box and mix them around a bit before handing them out (or having the students come and pick with their eyes shut).

Flashcards - TEFL World Wiki

Thank you for your ansver, ICAL_Pete.

This way of shuffling works perfectly in the classroom.
But what can you suggest to a student who wants to have some cards on him or her in public transport or in a line.

Plus laminating makes the process more difficult. And of course more expensive. I - personally - don't have a laminator. Plus cards become obsolete, and you need new ones. No, no. A teacher can make even plastic cards, but a student needs the simplest ones.

Hi,

photo copy your flash cards on ordinay A4 paper as directed. Then laminate them. This will give the cards body. Protective covering. long life. easy to suffle.