Hot Potatoes

What is this?

• This is a website that enables you to create interactive Web-based teaching exercises which can be delivered to any Internet-connected computer equipped with a browser.
• The exercises use HTML and JavaScript to implement their interactivity. 

Why is the content good for language learning?

• You(teachers) need to enter the data for your exercises and press a button, then the program will create the Web pages for you, and you can upload them to your server.
• Hot Potatoes can create five different types of Web-based exercises which can stand alone or be linked to other exercises to form a sequence of tasks.
• Students can correct their own work based on the clues and feedback set up in advance by the teacher.
• It can increase the amount of exposure to English outside of the classroom setting.
• The exercises can be shared with teachers worldwide, as long as they have access to the Web.
• Make all different types of activites coherent by using 'Masher' to form a unit.

* There are five basic programs in the Hot Potatoes suite: JCloze, JQuiz, JCross, JMatch, JMix - The first uncolourful screen in each program below is where teachers enter their data and each second colourful web screen is where students work.

How might you use it to foster language learning?

1. JCloze :

• Get students to do gap-fill exercises.  
• Unlimited correct answers can be specified for each gap but the teacher can make the answer limited if the text is already learned.
• Let students check automatic scoring included and explain any difficult parts.



2. JQuiz :

• Create some different types of questions for warp-up quiz as an after reading activity : multiple-choice, short-answer, hybrid (a short-answer question that turns into a multiple-choice question after several attempts), and multi-select (in which the student has to choose several of a set of options, then check the choices).
• Get students read carefully both for right answers and predicted wrong answers or distractors.

* Here is an example of multiple choice question type.

3. JCross :

• Make crossword puzzles which can be completed online as a vocabulary activity at the warm-up stage.
• You can use a grid of virtually any size.
• As in JQuiz and JCloze, a hint button allows the students to request a free letter if help is needed.
• When students click on the number in the crossword puzzle where the word begins, they can see the clue for a word.
• Get students to predict what the text will be from the words and ask them to say the word definition in English if possible.

4. JMatch :

• Create matching and ordering exercises for lexical cohesion to practice synonym, antonym, hyponym.
• Let students match a list of fixed items appearing on the left (these can be pictures or text), with jumbled items on the right.
• This can be used for matching vocabulary to pictures or translations, or for ordering sentences to form a sequence or a conversation as well.

5. JMix :

• Create jumbled-sentence exercises for practicing ordering words or phrases.
• You can specify as many different correct answers as you want, based on the words and punctuation in the base sentence.
• Get students to drag and drop the sentence fragments to put them in order, or click on the fragments sequentially to put the text together.
• The teacher may add some additional acceptable sentences.



What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Can be easily used to create form-focused activities rather than meaning-focused.
• Looks a bit complecated for teachers to create activities until they get used to it. 
• Needs to install the program to start.

Slideshare

Happy Easter!!

View more presentations from rrodrimer

http://www.slideshare.net/rrodrimer/happy-easter-3614153

What is this?

• Slideshare is a website that provides you with presentations, documents and professional videos.
• You can email, download or embed a file and use it in the classroom. 

Why is the content good for language learning?

• Teachers can find ready-to-use powerpoint file that is relevant for the class.
• Students can get a chance to prepare for their own presentation by using the material here.
• Both teachers and students can have access to useful information easily.

How might you use it to foster language learning?     

• Share the information about Easter with students together
• Prepare some more quizzes on the slide about Easter and do it as a group game
• Study the vocabulary on the slide and make more slides with only English definitions on them. Use them for 'say the word fast' game.
• Let students search an Easter card on the internet and send it to a friend 
• Read the rhyme together and get students to find rhyme words

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Some activities are not fully ready to use
• Might be better to provide more real pictures on Easter day for EFL young learners
• Needs some related websites links for learners to find Easter cards more easily
  

British Council for Young Learners

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/

What is this?

• This is a Baritish council website for kids to learn English.
• There are a variety of language learning contents such as language games, songs, short stories and jokes. 

Why is the content good for language learning?

• The layout of this site is very colourful and there are many pictures to attract children's attention.
• This site is easy to navigate for young learners and good to improve learner autonomy.
• It provides printable stories, scripts and worksheets.

How might you use it to foster language learning?     

• Choose a song that is related to the class topic and sing together.
• Do the vocabulary activity before listening to the short story.
• Whenever the story stops, point out some pictures and ask students some comprehension questions. Explain any difficult parts.
• Do the second listening and talk about the story with children.
• Print out the story and do 'shared reading' with students.
• Let them answer the questions below the story box and check answers together.
• Print the activity sheet and get them to complete it.

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• The speed of songs and short stories is uncontrollable with no pause button.
• There is a big gap between kids on this website and EFL young learners.
• The narrators in the short stories say a bit fast for EFL children.

ESL Kids World

http://www.eslkidsworld.com/

What is this?

• ESL Kids World is an ESL children's resources site.
• It provides worksheets, flashcards, games, songs, and powerpoint. 

Why is the content good for language learning?

• High quality printable PDF worksheets for teaching young learners are available.
• Teachers can be offered a rich variety of online grammar games.
• Teachers can find printables, interactive materials. 

How might you use it to foster language learning?     

• Print out the colourful flashcards corresponding to the class topic and use them to introduce new vocabulary before listening or reading activities.
• For interactive activities, use topic-based worksheets to practice the new language 
• Do the vocabulary or grammar game in groups as a follow-up activity in a class.
• Let students do the corresponding games at home improving their autonomy.
• Use powerpoint slides to practice target structures for speaking activities.

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Some animation after completing a game is a bit violent, for example shooting a person tied with a rope in a barrel.
• Might be better to update some pictures to make them more children-friendly.

Recording Tools

mailVU

http://www.mailvu.com/index.htm

What is this?

• MailVU is a website that allows you to make a video recording of yourself using your webcam and send it to anyone.
• It provides fast and easy recorded video mail to a specific person or a group of people. There is no need for the sender and the recipient to be online at the same time.
• There are only three easy steps for students to use this tool: click, record, send.

Why is the content good for language learning?

• Second or foreign language learners can record themselves and check their speaking ability.
• Students can get a chance to watch their teacher's video to revise their wrong pronunciation.

How might you use it to foster language learning?     

    1. Use this tool for speaking homework

• Get the students to describe their holidays or typical day
• Get them to talk about their family, friends
• Let them introduce their house, school, town or country

    2. Use this tool for checking students' homework

• If there's any reading homework, get the students to read the text after finishing it
• Get them to say difficult words to pronounce from the homework 
• Let them summarize the story briefly if there's any story reading homework

    3. Use this tool for giving teacher's feedback

• Help the students with right pronunciation from their homework recording
• Give some comments or advice to the students about their speaking preparation
• Show the students any good model for their project or homework if necessary

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Limited recording time: for 10 minutes
• Webcam and microphone are needed

* If you want to record only your voice, then you can try 'Vocaroo'. The features are similar to 'mailVU'. When I was teaching Korean to Warwick university students, I recorded myself reading Korean words and dialogues by using this web tool, Vocaroo and send the recording to the students via email. I thought it was really useful for students to review what they learned.

Vocaroo

http://vocaroo.com/

Storybird

http://storybird.com/

What is this?

• Storybird is a collaborative storytelling website.
• You can make short and art-inspired stories.
• You can share, read, and print your own stories.

Why is the content good for language learning?

• Reading fun storybooks is the best way to learn English for EFL young learners.
• It is easy to read with wonderful pictures.
• After reading, learners can read the story again or create a new storybird.
• It is good to improve learner autonomy when they make their own storybook and publish it.

How might you use it to foster language learning?     

• Read published storybirds with students and let them talk about their opinion about them.
• To make their own storybird, let students choose their favorite topic and ask what kind of story they want to make.
• Get them to choose pictures they like and drag them into the story board. 
• Give them opportunities to say about the picture first and to type the words.
• Publish the storybird if they like it. 
• Give students the website address and let them send the storybird to the student's friends or parents to share it at home.

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Might be a bit difficult to make a storybird as a whole class because the students' preference can be different.
• Some spelling mistakes can be found published ones.
• Some pictures are too scary for young learners.

Using Podcasts #2

http://www.eslpod.com/website/index_new.html

What is this?

• 'ESLPOD' is the home of many podcasts for ESL or EFL learners and teachers.
• It provides theme-based conversations.
• Subscription is free. You can download the listening files through 'iTunes'. It is delivered to you automatically each day.

Why is the content good for language learning?

• For intermediate and advanced levels of young learners, teachers might choose dialogues from 'English cafe, Daily life, Travel, or Dining' catagories.
• Students can get a chance to listen to English conversation in order to improve their functional skills.
• Students can learn spoken English features such as pronunciation, intonation, speed, pause and tone.

How might you use it to foster language learning?     

• Listen to a dialogue together and ask students what it is about.
• Explain any difficult words or parts that they cannot catch.
• Hand out the script to students and let them practice the conversation in groups or in pairs.
• Practice the key structures of questions and answers by replacing some words.
• Let students in a pair make their own dialogue by using the same topic and the similar structures from the conversation.
• Present their own dialgue as a whole class and choose the best ones.
• For the higher level, while listening to a historical story, pause sometimes and share the main ideas with students.

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Some episodes with adult topics are not relevant for young learners.
• Might be better to provide children's daily conversations.
• The same comment is repeated in every episode.
• Rather long for children

Using Podcasts #1

Podcast = iPod + broadcast

• A podcast is an audio and/or video file that is 'broadcast' via the Internet and can be downloaded to a computer or mobile device such as an MP3 player for listening/viewing.
• The word podcast comes from combining iPod and broadcast, iPod being the brand name for the Apple portable MP3 player
• Can be set up and used by teachers and/or learners
• Can be used to connect learners to other communities of learners, for example to a class in another country
• The ideas and content can be generated and created by learners, either individually or collaboratively

Using Webquests

Webquests are mini-projects in which a large percentage of the input and material is supplied from the Internet. Webquests can be teacher-made or learner-made, depending on the learning activity the teacher decides on.

http://chalk.richmond.edu/education/projects/webquests/goldenticket/

What is this?

• It is an educational webquest that English teachers and the learners can use.
• It is based on the children's storybook, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' written by Roald Dahl. 

Why is the content good for language learning?

• All the tasks are related to the story
• Students can get an achievement by doing tasks and get motivated to read the story improving their autonomy

How might you use it to foster language learning?

• Put students in groups of five and let them choose one of the characters(Veruca, Violet, Mike, Augustus, Charlie) and complete his/her character traits
• Report: Students tell the others in their own group what is good and bad about their character
• 'Hot seat' game: The students pretend to be their characters and one of them come to the front and sit on the chair called hot seat. The others ask any questions and the character answers and explains why he/she thinks or behaves like that
• Task: As a group work, make rules about being a good person and make a poster about it in order to get the prize, golden ticket later
• Share the list on their poster with the class and display each group's poster on the wall
• Evaluate and conclude which group should get the 'golden ticket'
• Watch the movie, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and compare the similarities and differences

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Some websites in this webquest are not accessible 
• Computer room is needed to do the group work
• Might be better if there are some other tasks to check students' reading comprehension

Using Word Clouds and Word Tools

http://www.wordle.net/

What is this?

• This is a website for creating word clouds, which are made by entering either a text, URL or del.icio.us user name into a field.
• When the text is inserted, this site generates a word cloud based on the frequency of key words in the text or webpage. 

Why is the content good for language learning?

• Word clouds are very easy to create and they can be for English vocabulary activities in the classroom.
• Making students' own word clouds can encourage them to be more interested in reading texts or listening scripts.

How might you use it to foster language learning?     

• Create word clouds of texts before reading or listening and ask them to make predictions about the content of the text based on the word cloud.
• Let them check any new words from the word cloud that they are not familiar.
• For an after reading activity, get students to do oral summary or rewrite a summary of a story from their memory using the words from the cloud.
• Make word clouds from different texts that students have learned and let them match the words clouds with the corresponding texts.
• Get students to generate a dialogue or a short poem with the words from word cloud.

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Might be nice to make it easier to embed the word cloud for blogs.
• More various layouts would be more helpful.
• Needs to supply an easier way to change word colours.

* I created this word cloud below with 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' text from LoudLit.org. Students can do meaningful activities described above with this.

Using on-line Quizzes

a4esl.org

http://a4esl.org/

What is this?

• It is a website where you can find loads of free pre-made on-line quizzes.
• Learners can practice 'Grammar & Vocabulary' exercises from esay to difficult levels. 
• Many different languages are provides with English for better understanding.

How might you use it to foster language learning?

• Use grammar quizzes as a game after studying some basic grammar rules and sentences
• Let students do the quiz one more time as homework to reinforce
• Elicit the words from vocabulary quizzes and deal with them in class first and check students' comprehension with on-line quizzes
• Encourage them complete online quizzes at home until they get all right

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Might be too simple exercise 
• Some students might get bored with the same patterns of quizzes 
• Students might forget the contents because the exercises do not provide any context

Using Videos #3

   

What is this?

• This is an educational video from youTube that English teachers can use in class.
• It shows the different meanings and usages between 'fun' and 'funny'. 

How might you use it to foster language learning?

• During the first watching, let the students notice the differences between the two words
• After watching, get the students in pairs and make them talk about the differences
• Encourage them to watch the video one more time and to say the examples from the video 
• Ask them to make their own dialogues in pairs using 'fun' and 'funny'
• Let any pairs do the dialogue presention in front of the class and choose good ones 
• Use it in English grammar class as well when teaching 'noun' and 'adjective'

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• A bit fast explanation to finish within one minute
• English sentences are not seen clearly sometimes because of the overlapping colors with the background 
• Some countries might not acess to 'youTube'
• Might be better if a dialogue in an animation or between people will be followed

Using Videos #2

                       

What is this?

• It is an educational video from youTube that English teachers can use in class.
• It shows children's daily routine according to specific time. 

How might you use it to foster language learning?

• Study three areas with this video: reading time, describing what you do at certain time, practicing answering different questions properly
• While watching, pause the video to make them predict what the speaker will say
• Encourage students to listen and repeat carefully to practice pronunciation and intonation
• On the next watching, make the video mute and pause sometimes. Ask students to say the proper expressions about the scene
• After watching, practice reading the time with a big toy clock
• Let them draw about their own routine and say about that
• Record students performance and show the videos to the class or send each student's video to their parents through e-mail

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Difficult to record everyone's saying in a large class
• Some students might want to keep watching this kind of video 
• Should consider a poor play depending on the internet speed

Using Videos #1

What is a Video in ELT?

• A form of cummunication where English learning can be achieved with the help of language, gesture and facial expression to convey a message
• Allows the learners to see body rhythm and speech rhythmn in second language discourse through the use of authentic language and speed of speech in various situations
• Allows contextual clues to be offered

Why is a Video good for language learning?

• Can stimulate and motivate student interest
• Helps learners to predict information, infer ideas and analyse the world that is brought into the classroom via the use of video instruction
• Helps enhance clarity and gives meaning to an auditory text in a teaching or testing situation
• Can create a solid link between the materials being learned and the practical application of it through watching a video

Using Blogs #2

1.  A Class Blog  (http://mrcsclassblog.blogspot.com/)

How might you use it to foster language learning?

• Uses for reactions to a film, article, class topic, current affairs
• Adds information for the class
• Sets homework
• Provides a summary of class work
• Lists things learners like/don't like doing in class
• Displays a class project on any topic
• Gets students' reflection on a class or course

2. A Tutor Blog  (http://scottthornbury.wordpress.com/)

How might you use it to foster language learning?

(tutor blog for students)

• Talk about their own teaching experiences
• Provide links to extra reading/listening material
• Question and answer (e.g. about grammar, class work)
• Give Exam/Study tips

 (tutor blog for teachers)

• Learn professional second or foreign language learning theories and practices. Try to apply them in my own teaching context
• Get useful language teaching tools and learn how to use them for language teaching
• Share ICT information with other language teachers

3.  A Student Blog  (http://studentsblog.skola.edu.mt/)

How might you use it to foster language learning?

• Writes personal and family information (including photos)
• Does extra writing practice on class topics
• Leaves regular comments on current affairs
• Does research and presents information on a topic (e.g. an English-speaking country)
• Makes a photoblog on learner's country, last holiday, town

Using Blogs #1

What is a blog?

• short for 'web log'
• a web page with regular diary or journal entries
• easy to set up and use
• regularly post comments, thoughts, analyses, experiences of daily life, interesting links, jokes or any other form of content
• consists of written text, pictures, photos, audio or video
• creat an online community around a commom topic, interest or person

Blogs in Language Teaching

• edublogs: class blog, tutor blog, student blog
• can be set up by teachers and/or learners
• can be used to connect learner to other communities of learners, for example to a class in another country
• the ideas and content can be generated and created by learners, either individually or collaboratively

Using Websites #5

Improving Writing skills - Writing Fun
: http://www.writingfun.com/

What is this?

• This website is an interactive writing help site that includes downloads to save for off-line use.
• The teacher can use this website to assist students with the writing process by using printable text organizers and examples showing text structures, grammatical features and publishing ideas.
• There are various writing text types with examples of different levels: reports, procedures, explanations, expositions, discussions, narratives, recounts, descriptions, responses, letters, invitations, news articles, emails and poetry.

How might you use it to foster language learning?

• Let the students get familiar with different text types
• Make them compare the example writings of different levels using the same structures
• Explain how the tips help them to understand how the text organized
• Get the students to download the copy of organizer in word format and type or handwrite to fill in the form as an outline of their writing
• Encourage them to write their final draft based on their out line as their portfolio
• Use the portfolio to assess the students' writing

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Looks a little bit complicated with different colors and many words on the menu for young learners
• Needs some grammatical points or sentence structure tips for EFL students
• Might be better if learners can try writing on the website immediately before downloading the forms

Using Websites #4

Improving Speaking skills - EnglishCentral
: http://www.englishcentral.com/

What is this?

• This website is a great tool for improving speaking skills on learner's own and provides plenty of video clips to watch from easy level to difficult one.
• There are three sections to try: Watch, Learn, Speak.
• Students can repeat segments of the video and compare their pronunciation with the pronunciation in the video.
• When you do the free registration, you can keep recording what you are doing with scores and compete with others in the world. 

How might you use it to foster language learning?

• Get the students to record their voice and compare the scores
• Use 'Send this video' when the teacher finds a good one and wants to send it to the students
• Encourage them to do the work regulary and evaluate weekly to choose the winner
• Give homework to practice recording for difficult or wrong parts of their recording

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Needs to sort out the contents for young learners and adults
• Good technological functions, but lack of contents for elementary schoolers
• Some recording sounds unclear and broken while listening

Using Websites #3

Improving Reading comprehension - LoudLit.org
: http://www.loudlit.org/

What is this?

• This website is composed of a a collection of books which have been recorded. You can see the text as well as listen to someone reading it. There are various kinds of literature such as novels, poetry, children's stories, historical ones or just short stories.
• The whole text is devided into chapters or pages which you can access to directly when you click 'listen and read'.
• This website is useful because it is easy to access to the text and listen to it as much as possible with ease.

How might you use it to foster language learning?

• Get the students to listen to the text for practicing pronunciation
• Practice for reading comprenhension by asking questions after each page or chapter
• Do the stop reading game: when one students makes any mistakes while reading aloud, anybody can shout 'stop' and continue reading from the wrong word
• Practice finding discourse markers such as pronouns, conjucntions, repeted words, synonyms or antonyms
• Have the students listen and read some parts in order to review or preview by themselves as their homework to improve their autonomy

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Needs more stories according to the linguistic levels
• More colorful and attractive design to get the students' attention
• Including comprehension checking exercises might be needed

Using Websites #2

Improving Listenging skills : Listen A Minute
: http://www.listenaminute.com/

What is this?

• This website is good for short listening activities and loads of contents are categorized alphabetically 
• Each topic shows the tapescript first followed by a series of activities such as vocabulary exercises, discussion, survey, or short writing.
• Some ideas for homework exercises are also provided for teachers.
• Listening, two types of quizzes, PDF and Word file are provided.

How might you use it to foster language learning?

• After listening, let the students talk about what they hear as much as possible
• Use Quiz 1 for collaborative work in pairs in order to rebuild the text by clicking right choices 
• Get more advanced leveled students to type words to rebuild the text in pair using Quiz 2 
• With no computers for students, make it as a group work to finish all the gaps on the printed page as quickly as possible
• Give them a chance to report back on what they listened to or read for speaking

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• Needs a computer lab for more interesting activities
• Might be more helpful to provide more comprehension checking exercises 
• Better to have more colourful visual structure or layout

Using Websites #1

Learning Vocabulary : LanguageGuide.org
: http://www.languageguide.org/

What is this?

• This website is like a picture dictionary which is designed for practicing vocabulary and pronunciation of the words.
• The contents are shown in many languages and English words are subbed in students' first language as well, so it may be easier for young EFL learners.
• This site provides language learners with important basic nouns corresponding to colourful pictures. You can see the word and hear its pronunciation when putting the cursor on the red circle without any clicking.

How might you use it to foster language learning?

• Get the students to listen to the text for practicing pronunciation
• Give them homework : listen and repeat the words in order to review or preview by themselves to improve learner autonomy
• Print out the picture and let the students in pairs say all the words as correctly and quickly as possible
• With a quiz mode, have the students write numbers to the corresponding pictures in order as they hear the words as a game 

What limitations should the teacher consider when using it?

• A bit mechenical for young learners for just repeating words
• More authentic pictures might be better to attract young learners attention
• Needs more interesting quizzes and meaningful exercises to internalize the words 

Using Websites in ELT

 Why is using websites relevant to language learning?

• One of the easiest and least stressful ways of getting started with technology in the classroom
• Easy access to a readily available collection of authentic material
• Able to take material from the web and adapt it for teaching purposes with ease
• Stimulate oral communication while learners work on web-based tasks in pairs collaboratively
• Highly motivating for learners, leading to more language production and a higher stake in the success of the class