Charts are a collection of pictures on large sheets of heavy paper or cloth, used like large maps. Charts can include diagrams, graphs, chronological tables, list of words, substitution tables, scientific facts, etc.

Charts are very useful to give oral practice. These enhance students’ attention in class and stimulate their mental activity. Charts can be easily prepared with the help of students. Students can be asked to make charts on various topics and thus encourage them “do-and-learn”.

Charts are used effectively to teach dialogues containing key examples in English learning. These dialogues are sufficiently illustrated by a picture or a series of picture on the chart. The students are encouraged to memorise the dialogues, sentence by sentence using   the chart and later on asked to recall the sentence in the dialogues by looking at the pictures in the chart. This type of chart is called ‘mimicry-memorization-conversation charts’.

Some charts provide substitution within a given structure pattern in order to practice the same pattern again and again. Substitution table chart are used to give practice in sentence patterns. There are charts which associate words with pictures. These types of charts are known as ‘pattern-practice charts’.