Web2.0 tools for languages teachers Kristyn Paul Project Manager Languages R-12 Teaching & Learning Services 4th Floor Education Centre 31 Flinders Street Adelaide SA 5000

What this presentation will cover … Web 2.0 tools for the languages classroom Speaking tools Writing tools Listening tools Online games Vocabulary acquisition

Speaking Tools: Voki Jing Bubblejoy/Eyejot video greetings

Voki: Voki enables users to create an avatar - a computer user's representation of himself/herself – that is great for practising speaking skills. The character & background of the avatar are customisable. Students can be more prepared to talk through an avatar than in front of a live audience. Embed the finished avatar online in a wiki or Moodle site.wiki Click on the link below for a step by step guide to creating an avatar with Voki: %E2%80%93-online-animated-characters-speak %E2%80%93-online-animated-characters-speak

Jing: For example: e7-b33a-96ffd6c175f e7-b33a-96ffd6c175f7

BubblejoyBubblejoy/Eyejot video greetingsEyejot Both of these programs require a webcam and microphone to work. They provide free accounts to registered members. Students can record one-minute video messages that they can then to someone or embed in a wiki or Moodle. Students can send one another messages to practise speaking and listening.

Writing tools Voki Xtranormal Storybird Cartoon/Comic makers Newspaper clipping generator

Voki: In addition to creating a Voki with a voiceover, as outlined in the speaking section of this PowerPoint, you can also type in the text of your talk and your character will read it out for you. The digitised speech is available in both male and female voices in a range of languages.

Xtranormal: The website claims “If you can type, you can make movies…” Students select the characters, setting and language for the digitised speech (male & female voices) and then type the text (or cut and paste from a pre-prepared Word document). They then select the camera angles and put in actions. The finished movie can be embedded in a website or uploaded to uTube. Unfortunately it now costs “points” to publish movies. New subscribers get 300 points free

Storybird: Storybirds are short, visual stories that you make to share. About Storybird: inside-storybird/ inside-storybird/ Look at some Storybirds that have been written already in a range of languages: storybirds.wikispaces.com/ storybirds.wikispaces.com/

Cartoon makers Cartoon Story Maker (Victoria’s Languages Online site) For Windows XP, Vista & Windows 7 ToonDoo Make Beliefs Comix Comic Creator

Cartoon Story maker: ndex.htm ndex.htm

ToonDoo: This is an online cartoon strip creator. Students register online to access the site. There are two versions: one free with a limited number of features an educational version which charges per number of students/length of registration. With either version it is possible to create an effective cartoon in the target language in a matter of minutes. The comic frame, background, characters etc are all customisable.

Make Beliefs Comix: Generate your own comics: Customisable templates with a range of characters and objects (black and white) that can be added to a plain (coloured) background. Ready-made templates can be printed off for students to use in the classroom. Students could do a draft of the comic first and go online when their text is ready.

Comic Creator: omic/index.html omic/index.html A quick and simple to use comic generator. Students can choose from a range of characters, props and settings. When they are satisfied with their comic, they can print it off to share with others.

Newspaper clipping generator: At this website students can write an authentic looking newspaper article in the target language. Once they've generated the clipping they can download it as a jpeg file to insert in a document.

Listening Foreign internet radio Podcasts

Foreign internet radio Find a Radio Station using a Hyperlink Image Map of the World: ne-radio.html ne-radio.html

Podcasts …

A podcast is a media file in a compressed digital format. It may be a single file or part of a series. Most users of podcast series subscribe to them via an RSS feed. This means that new podcasts are automatically downloaded to your computer. Podcasts are designed for playback on computers or portable digital audio players, such as the iPod. What are they?

Finding languages podcasts iTunes has a section of podcasts devoted to languages in the iTunes store Click on Podcasts -> Podcasts Quick Links (on the right hand side) - > Language Courses. Select a podcast and click on the subscribe free button. This will download it to your library within iTunes. Subsequent episodes will be downloaded automatically as they become available. Click on the Podcast button in the iTunes library to navigate to your podcast. To unsubscribe from a series, highlight it and click the unsubscribe button.

Making your own podcasts You or your students can create your own podcasts, e.g. ‘Listening vocab’ lists Weekly news Stories Oral presentations etc Record your podcast using a free program such as Audacity (download for Mac/PC) or GarageBand (already on Mac) - open a new project and press record.Audacity Upload the finished podcasts to a podcast site such as Embed the podcast in your class wiki/Moodle etc. You can create a free class wiki at

Games/Learning Objects Scootle resources Languages online Hot Potatoes

Online “Games”/Learning Objects NB with such sites, think of the purpose of the activity Integrate each game into the learning program so that students are practising vocabulary related to the topic at hand Don’t just use games as ‘time fillers’ – used purposefully, games can add tremendous value to the learning program

Scootle: To access Scootle requires a user name and password, generated by a nominated person in your school.

Organise the Scootle content you have located into learning paths. You can give students access to these learning paths by giving them the pin. Students use this pin as a login on the Scootle home page.

Languages online: Free Victorian resource. Make your own interactive games or select from some ready-made activities in Chinese, French, German, Indonesian and Italian.

Hot Potatoes: Hot Potatoes is freeware. Click on the downloads link to install it (Windows version for a PC and java version for Macs). The Hot Potatoes suite includes six applications: multiple-choice short-answer jumbled-sentence crossword, matching/ordering gap-fill exercises

More Hot Potatoes You can embed the finished interactive exercises in a website, Moodle etc There is also a language teaching clipart library.clipart library Click here for some ready made activities (European languages) to use with your classes and give you some ideas.here

Vocabulary builders Popling Word Learner

There are a number of flashcards already to use for a range of languages or you can make your own. Popling:

Word Learner:

Where to from here? Try out some of the tools in the time remaining in this PL session: Go to Kris Paul’s wiki and click on CENTRA presentations Enrol in the DECS Web2 tools Moodles: Go to Click on Languages. You will then be prompted for your user name & password (or register if you haven’t done so already). Click on the second of the ICT courses –Web 2 tools for Languages Teaching. You will be prompted for an enrolment key. This is web2tools2 – lower case, no spaces. Work through the course at your own pace, completing the activities as you go along.

Next CENTRA event A further CENTRA session is planned for later this term: More web 2.0 tools (with a focus on other tools that have cross-curriculum application). Your Language Centre Key Teacher will provide you with more details closer to the date.