Should I Use Word Clouds?

Word-clouds look really cool. Here’s one in Spanish:

Somebody asked, should I use word clouds in Spanish? My answer: it depends.

On the upside: they look great and Adminz like them.

On the, uh…well…what do you want to do with word clouds?

If you are using them as “writing support,” the problem– as with word-walls– is twofold. First, unless the words include translations, kids will be guessing at meanings = inaccuracies. Second, if you are using them during a test (or something you want to assess), you won’t really know whether they have acquired (ie, can automatically and correctly use) the word.

If they are “reminders,” again, we have a problem with non-translated target language. So yeah. My two cents.