Language Guide. org English- Vocabulary Learning for Beginners

Today's Website~

●    Language Guide. org English

What is it about?

●  It is a pictorial vocabulary guide to practice English and French. 

●  It provides taxonomy of vocabulary with images, pronunciation of the words, and

    sounds (e.g. sounds of animals).

●  It also provides an interactive quiz mode to check your understanding of the words

    (listening, recognizing the words and their matched pictures).

●  You can save the vocabulary you are unfamiliar in your account.

Why is the content good for language learning?

●  Pictures and sounds help learners to link the words and their meanings more easily.

●  It is interactive.  Students can choose whatever they are unfamiliar and practice as

    many times as they like.

●  The pronunciation is clear.

●  It provides quiz to check on learners' listening/vocabulary comprehension

●  Learners can save the words (unfamiliar ones) they want to review into their account.
 

How might you use it in a language teaching context?

●  The pictorial vocabulary could be used for lower-level students (beginners). 

●  The teacher could choose a category and have students work in pair to move the cursor 

    on each picture, to practice pronunciation (speak out), to be familiar with the words and 

    the pictures.

●  Once students are familiar with the vocabulary and its pronunciation, have them do the 
    
    quiz.

●  The teachers can arrange some activities for students to use those words they learn.

    For example, have them make sentences with 5 words, or make a story with the words

    in the word category selected.

●  For the beginners, take "the kitchen" for example, the teacher can have students

    work in groups to arrange the utensils in their kitchen, drawn them in the handout 

    and write down the vocabulary beside them.  The teacher can also teach the 

    position such as "next to, on the top of, under.." for students to make sentences 

    according to the arrangement.

The Kitchen

Limitations~

  

●  Have to scroll up and down to practice vocabulary, or click on the correct words when 

    choosing "Quiz Mode".

●  It doesn't open in another window automatically, so you will always click "Home" to go

    to the main page to choose another category to practice. 

●  In some category, there is a quick link tab on the bottom, but in some, there is none.
 
●  Some categories, such as "Men's Clothing", "Women's Clothing" and "Numbers", are

    not working in English version, but in Chinese version, they could be shown.

●  Even if you save unfamiliar words in your account, they do not provide the link of each 

    word for learners to check it out, or review the words.  Might take some time to find where

    the words are.

●  The levels are not clear.  Some are easy, and some are difficult.  The teachers will have to

    select appropriate ones that is suitable for students in their learning context.

●  It (The beep sound) could be demotivating if students do not answer correctly. 

    The feedback of the quizzes could be "Nice try!  But this one is 'an oven'".

●  The teachers should make sure the quizzes are made appropriately in case of washback. 

    (e.g. the pictures are not shown clearly when students want to click the right answers)

●  The teacher should arrange some activities for students to use the words they learn.

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 Example~

●  Choose the category you would like your students to learn.

Choose the category.

●  Move the cursor to listen the pronunciation of each words.  The spelling of the word is

    also shown on the screen.

the word "pound sign"

●  You can also learn the sounds of the animals.

the sound of donkey "bray"

●  Try the "Quiz Mode".   You can click on the "speaker" sign to listen again.

Listen and click on the picture.

 ●  You can click on "show" to see the vocabulary.

The hint "volcano" is shown.

 ●  You can save the words you are unfamiliar with into your account.

Click on "Save to account".

 ●  The saved words in your account.

the saved words

Vocaroo- Practicing Speaking by Recording Your Voice and Send It to Your Teacher

Today's Website~


●    Vocaroo

Powered by Vocaroo

※  This is a sample gadget for you to try recording and to play back your voice.   

      The messages are not saved or downloadable. Click on the Vocaroo website

      listed above to send a link of voice message vial e-mail.

What is it about?

●  It is a service used for sending voice messages across the Internet. .

●  Your voice messages will be saved as records when you sign in.

●  The link of recorded voice messages could be send via e-mail.

●  You can post your voice messages on the Internet (embed it in your blog, or post

    the link on your website). 

Why is the content good for language learning?

●  Individual students can record their speaking outside the classroom.

●  The simple voice recording tool is easy to use, and it can be used as speaking

     homework, and the teacher can assess students pronunciation, intonation, and

     their discourse structures. 

●  The teacher can give individual students feedback via voice messages.

●  Students' voice recording could be post on the Internet for other students to

     listen and share their opinions.

How might you use it in a language teaching context?

●  It could be used as speaking homework, to compensate the insufficient time for

    practicing speaking in the classroom.  Students could either practice pronunciation,

    dialogue, longer conversation with certain topics at home, imitate the ads or work 

    together in class to have short play with their voices.  

●  It could be used to check students' (beginners) pronunciation or intonation and 

    the teacher could give individual students feedback via voice messages.

●  The teacher could present students' work in class, and have students appreciate

    other groups' work.  The work could be post in the blog or as an assessment.

●  Here are some ideas from Teacher Training Videos Website.

Some Ideas on How to Use Vacaroo from Teacher Training Videos

Limitations~

  

●  The students need to have headphones and computers at home.

●  It is a free tool, so the voice messages could not be stored for a long time.  And

    if you download the voice file,  it will need large capacity.

●  Could have problems if the teachers would like to use it collaboratively since

    there is only one headphone in a computer.

●  It might take teachers much time to assess students performance and give 

    students feedback.
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 Example~

●   Click on "record", and click on "yes" to let Vocaroo use the microphone function

     to record  your voice.

●   Click on "Click to Stop" once you finish recording.

  ●  You could listen before you send the voice message.  You can record it again if 

     you are not satisfied with the voice message.

●   You can either send it to a friend, post it on the Internet, or download the message.

●  You can embed the voice message in your blog, or put the link on your website.

●   Download the voice message.

●   Once you get the link of the voice message, click on the link to listen to it.

●  You can also:

     Click on Teacher Training Videos to Check Out How to Use Vocaroo

Learning Chocolate -Vocabulary Learning

Today's Website~

●   Learning Chocolate

  

What is it about?

●  Help the learners remember vocabulary in an easy and efficient way

●  Pictures and sounds come with the vocabulary.

●  Games are provided to make learning vocabulary fun

●  Select the category

●  Press the button of each vocabulary (below) the picture to listen

●  Try the games when you are familiar with the sounds and vocabulary

Why is the content good for language learning?

●  Pictures and sound help linking the words to the meaning

●  Learners could practice as much as they like, which leads to self-direct learning

●  Individual learners can learn at their rate.

●  The interactive function makes learning vocabulary fun.

●  Games are motivating and sometimes learners like challenge.

●  The repeating function enhances listening and pronunciation

How might you use it in a language teaching context?

●  Have students work individually

●  Select a category of vocabulary you'd like them to learn

●  Encourage them to listen carefully and try to remember as many words as they can

●  Encourage them to imitate and speak out the words

●  Ask them to write down or look up the words they are unfamiliar on the dictionary,

    and later they can compare them with their classmates.

●  Once they are familiar with the vocabulary, have them play the game.

●  Check their scores, and make sure they can pronounce each word

●  Encourage them to challenge "fill in" and "dictation" games when they are able to 
    
    spell the words.

●  If some of the students finished all of the session quickly, you can have them 

    challenge another related category of vocabulary. 
 
●  Encourage students to challenge each category of vocabulary at home.  It helps

    them foster their autonomous learning. 

Limitations~

  

●   Need sufficient computers for each students

●  The levels of vocabulary in each category are different.  Some are too difficult.

●  Vocabulary should be learned in sentences to learn how they are used.

   

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 Example~ 

The category:

●    Continents and Oceans

●  Review
    Learners can click the sound
                                                   

   Try to be familiar with the pronunciation, the continents and oceans and

   their locations
 

●  Match up 1 

     Learners click the sound and drag it to the matched word.
 

●  Match up 2

    Learners drag the continents and oceans to their locations.

●  Match up 3

     Learners drag the sound they hear to the matched continents and 

     oceans.
 

●  Fill in

    Learners fill in the continents and oceans they learn.
 

 ●  Dictation

    Learners click the sound and fill in what they hear.