Wordia--Online Visual Dictionary

What is this?

This is an online visual dictionary which aims to redefine the dictionary and asks members of the public and celebrity 'orators' to upload videos explaining what words mean to them. You can enter a word in the bar and click 'search'

 

 Then the following is the video about the definition of the word. Play it.

 The right side shows the definition on the dictionary

Also you can see some associated words

Why is the content good for language learning? 

• The video per se is an authentic listening material that can decrease the distance between language learners and native speakers.
• The speakers in the video are funny, hansome, attractive, they are at different ages and have different social background. The definition given by them is much more practical and functional in real-life use.
• It covers a large number of technical items and vocabularies that could be used in real world and the definition is easy to understand. It helps learners to increase their vocabulary volume and language comprehension.
• The definition showen in the right side can give students more detailed and specific explanation.
• The associated vocabularies provide a resouce to extend their understanding.
• Learners can record their own video and definite a word, then upload and share with others.

How might you use it in a language teaching context?

• Teacher collects some new vocabularies first, and searches relevant videos before class. Then show the video to students and asks them to discuss the exact meaning of each word with their peers. Then they need to give their own definition about the words.
• After learning some new vocabularies, teacher can play some videos about some words as a supplement of teacher's explanation.
• Teacher sellects some useful words and distribute them to different students groups. Every student in a group is in charge of a particular word. Teacher asks every students to search relevant video about the definition of that word and then explain it in his/her word to the other group members.

Limitation

• Too advanced to young learners and language learning beginners.
• Some definitions are too narrow and subjective.
• Not all often-used words accompanied with a video.
• Some vacabularies are rarely used.

Useful Word Cloud Tools

What is this?

This is a useful website for creating word clouds. The word cloud can be created by entering whole sentences, whole documents, web addresses or tables. According to the frequency of key words in the text, the site will generates a word cloud. The most frequent or important words are bigger than the others. Click 'creat'

and then enter the text,

a word cloud can be created automatically in such an easy way.

Why is the content good for language learning? 

• It's easy to operate, only 2 steps: enter text and work it out! Both teacher and students can understand and apply it into real class easily.
• Free to use and no sign up required.
• No text length limited, text can be from coursebook, website, oral materials, even exam papers.
• The word clouds can be designed randomly according to personal preference, which increase students' interest and practicial ability.
• It's flexible for teacher to change the original text(add or delete some sentences or words) to a text that much more suitable for students' language proficiency.
• To present words by a visual picture is much more attractive and can stimulate students' visual capacity.

How might you use it in a language teaching context?

• Teacher can creat a word cloud of a text and show it to students, then asks them to predict or guess the content or meaning of the text based on the word cloud. If they come across any new words in the word cloud, they can work in pair to check them , or teacher can explain the new words.
• Another way is opposite to the first one. After completing a unit, teacher creates word clouds based on some texts that they learned, and asks students to retell the texts.
• Teacher creats a word cloud of a text and teaches students some important and frequent vocabularies in details.
•  Teahcer asks students to creat a word cloud about themselves or anyone they are interested in. Then share the word clouds with their peers and see if they can identify the person in each other's cloud.

Limitation

• There isn't any word cloud games or quizes online.
• Not many examples or topics are available.
• Can't see others' word coulds on homepage.
• Simple website design and too many Google ads.

Other useful word cloud tools:

 Tagxedo http://www.tagxedo.com/

 Wordle  http://www.wordle.net/

 Wordsift http://www.wordsift.com/


Russell's training videos
http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/wordCloud/index.html
http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/wordSift/index.html
http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/wordle/index.html

Wonderful Quizzes ~~Come on

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/quizzes/ 

What is this?

 

This is an online quizz website from BBC learning English. It contains a lot of interesting quizzes on various hot topics.

Why is the content good for language learning?

 

• Some questions in quizzes cover a lot of language points and daily use language that are easily confusable. For example:  The word pairs below

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• Learners can distinguish them through exercising and will be able to use it into real communication.
• Every question is followed by a relevant picture which can indicate the context of the question or give some clues. It is easy to understand and enables learners to make quick decision.
• Learners can take self-test and self-correction, in order to increase their autonomy and achieve self-improvement in language learning. After finishing the quizzes, just 'check the answer', you will get the feedback.
• Every feedback, both correct and wrong, will give learners an explanation or Synonyms of the answer, which motivates learners to learn more.
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• The topics are various and almost cover a lot of subjects in the world. Topic-based quizzes will give learners more  choice to do the quizzes according to their interests.
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• There are several types of quizzes, learners may never feel boring.
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• The quizzes are short (six questions per quizz) and it takes learners only few minutes to do it.
• The cloze test pattern is expecially good for those test-centered learners to do self-test.
• All the quizzes can be downloaded as PDF file.
• The resources will be updated weekly. Learners can do the latest quizzes and know the hottest topics as they want.

 How might you use it in a language teaching context?

 

• Teacher pre-select a topic-based quizz which is relevant to today's lesson and hand it out as a warm-up activity before the class.
• Or after the class, the quizz can be used as a review material.
• For oral English class,
• The quizz can be used as an oral material. Because some of the quizzes have a strong association with daily life communication.
• For example:
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• Teacher can ask students to do a role play or make up a story or practice a dialogue according to the quizzes.
• 'Beat the keeper' is a flash game combined with language practice. Teacher can apply it into class and encourages students to work in pair or group to play it.

 

 Limitation

 

• The quizzes are not classified based on learners' different level. Some quizzes are not very suitable for young learners or beginners.
• No matched audio materials.
• No topic search bar.

 

 

How do you think the technology might change teaching and learning

 

Classroom Discussion:

 

Topic: How do you think the technology might change teaching and learning

Positive:

• Learning will be more autonomous
• It can be free life-long learning achieve distance language teaching or on-line learning
• offer more or less equal opportunities for education
• Modernizing language learning (up-to date)
• Much greater potential for a 'connected classroom' ie the learning doesn't stop at the classroom door enrich the learning style
• Learning for multiple intelligences applies to learners' different styles
• It can motivate the students by offering the update information.
• easier access to other learner or teaching communities
• We think it will be the basis and drive for changing pedagogical approaches and sprucing them up!
• Broadens the field of opportunities for language learning and its application
• Make the learning process more motivating
• No more boring lessons!!
• It enables students to communicate in English within the whole world.
• really learner-centered language teaching
• will enhance interdisciplinary studies
• Development of technology awareness and skills becomes available through language learning
• Ss are more exposed to authentic language environment.
• Technology helps language learners develop more efficient learning strategies.
• Learners can have access to any materials. Also, learners can listen to an English story while watching 3 dimentional play just in front of

Neutural:

• Learning might not take any in any one place
• May increase divide between haves and have nots
• No text books are needed There might not be traditional classrooms anymore as anyone would have access in the resources any time.
•  handouts and coursebooks may no longer be used
• If technology reaches the level of AI, maybe we won't have to learn any foreign languages anymore. For example, we can talk in any language

Negative:

• distract the students
• students may rely on the technologies too much
• Less face-to-face communication
• There might be the danger of how to utilise all this knowledge.
• Danger of adapting lesson to technologies than the other way round.
• harmful to physical heath eg. eyes, muscle
• too much overloaded input will add pressure on students' mind which distract students' selection of the valuable information
• Multi-tasking might not be appropriate for variable learning styles. The beginning of another digital gap?
• overload psycho- cognitive processes- might be too much
• Less teamwork

CNN Student News

What is this?
This is a news website that contains news videos, transcripts, discussions, newsquiz and daily podcast. All the videoes and relevant PDF files can be downloaded and be regularly updated. It is really a good learning source that can be widely used in language learning context.
Why is the content good for language learning?

• It provides latest news and reports as authentic listening materials.
• The news topics are diverse and have a strong association with learners' daily life and concerned issues.
• The speakers in the videoes from different parts of the world and speak different accents which provides learners a 'pure' English  world.
• The news are categorised by topics, some by areas. Learners can choose what they are interested in easily.
• The transcript can help students understand the news much better.
• The newsquiz allows learners to review what they watched and understood by doing some relevant quizzes. It can be also used as a homework or post-task to do, which will probably foster learners' autonomy.
• Podcast can be downloaded into personal itune or iphone. Learners can get the updated news without accessing computer.

How might you use it in a language teaching context?
 
For example,

•  Firstly, teacher may ask students to search and choose a piece of latest news related to a same topic , say Janpan earthquake.
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• Then watch the news video individually, and then retell the news or describe the main meaning of the news to their parterner.
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• If students hardly understand the news, they are allowed to refer to the transcript.
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• Based on the same topic news:  1.Teacher can arrange a group discuss , for example, ask students to make suggestion about how to help the people in Japan, how to donate money, goods and materials, what will you say to the people in earthquake area. 2.Students can comment on the video and give their feedback. 3.Teacher can ask students to write a reflection passage about earthquake or natural disaster.4.Teacher can ask students to recall what they did and thoughts when Sichuan province suffered earthquake. 5.Teacher can divide students into different groups and ask them to prepare a short news and report it in class. 6.Teacher can ask students to brainstorm how to protect yourself during earthquake.
• Finally, students can do the newsquiz to review the news and relevant topic.

Limitation

• The transcripts are too long and  key words or topic-related words are not highlighted.
• Some videoes are lacking of transcript.
• No subtitle in the video. Only suitable for advanced learners.

Audioboo Creat your podcast

What is this?

This is an useful online tool which can be used to record sound, as well as a fabulous website that  allows users to post and share sound files. It is a great way to creat and share one's podcast on Internet.

Why is the content good for language learning?

For students:

• The sound files or recordings in this website is a collection of all aspects of our life and society from all over the world. From economy, science,culture and education to sport, entertainment, travel and daily life, students can choose various topics in which they are interested to listen.
• All the recordings are authentic listening materials and listening input, which enables students to get in touch with a real English world and practice listening ability.
• Free to sign up an account,  listen to other's podcast, make and post students' own recording will motivate students to learn both on class and after class and increase their autonomy.
• Be consuming for language learning. Students can use this tool to do group discussion or presentation.
• Be producing for language production. When students record their own sound, they may find their speaking problem and self-correct.
• Comparing their own recordings of different periods, they may find the improvement in speaking and be encouraged.
• From teacher's podcast, students may have another chance to learn what they missed or unknown on class.
• This website enables students to pur forward any question and express the idea what they want to say withour worrying about some restricted factors of class.

For teacher:

• A good tool to post teacher's lecture and instruction and share with students.
• Teacher can download or record some listening materials as a warm-up activities or a preview material for students before class, or a homework and after-class activities.
• Giving more opportunities for teacher to interact with students.
• A good resouce for teacher to apply some listening materials on class and after class.
• Teacher can check students' homework, speaking proficiency, specific pronunciation and improvement, etc. through their recording.
• Easy to be embeded in teacher's blog.

 How might you use it in a language teaching context?

For example,

1. Teacher embeds a podcast (can be self-recorded or online materials) in her blog, and asks students to listen to it and complete the task (might be a integrative listening and speaking task based on a specific topic) before next class.
2. The way students to do this task is to record what they think and talk on audioboo, then post their recordings and share with their classmates.
3. Teacher check students' homework and their speaking accuracy and fluency according to their recordings. Then give comments, suggestion, and feedback to students, also by sending teacher's recording.

Limitations

• A huge workload for teacher to respond to every student by recording one by one.
• Might be difficult to search a suitable listening material due to different levels of students.
• A rich resources of podcasts might distract students.

Listen and Write

http://www.listen-and-write.com/

What is this?
This is a website that can be used to practice listening and writing ability. It contains a lot of video and audio files based on various topics, news, stories, passages, etc. that enables language learners to play and do the following dictation. Three modes(Full mode; Quick mode;blank modes) allow learners to choose flexibly according to their abilities and levels.

Why is the content good for language learning?

• The website provides a range of authentic materials, such as the lastest news, the hottest topics, popular speeches, sharing stories,etc. Students can choose to listen and watch, and do exercice flexibly as much as they want.
• The website collects and gathers various resources from a number of other different websites, which provides students 'one-stop service' and saves them a lot of time and energy.
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• The website enable learners with different levels to find the most suitable materials to use. Learners can firstly choose the levels of difficulty of each item, then choose the mode they like.
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• The website allows students to make their own learning plan and schedule, which will foster students' motivation and autonomy. During the 'listen and write' process, students can control 'autocomplete' or 'autorepeat' as well as the progress bar.
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• The website provides students a relaxed environment to learn. No time limited, no any monitors. Anxiety and others' disturbance will not affect students' learning process.
• Students can keep their own learning record and process as long as they login.
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• Dictionary lookup are available for students to check their spelling error and get an improvement in vocabulary accuracy.

How might you use it in a language teaching context?

• Teacher pre-select a video or audio and choose a certain mode for students.
• Before listening the materials, teacher asks students to have a free discussion about the relevant topic or news.
• Then play the video on class, and asks them to complete the following dictation in pairs.

OR

• Teacher is only responsible for setting the level of difficulties and asks students to complete three dictations in different modes every week.
• The choice of topic and title is random.
• On the last class of the week, teacher asks several students to introduce or retell what they have heared or watched to their classmates.

 

Limitation

 

• The speed in the audio files can not be regulated.
• Every computer should be equiped with earphone.
• It is difficult for students to learn and practice collaboratively.
• High requirement of Internet speed.
• Too many advertisements on the homepage.