1. Raising our Students’ Confidence in their Speaking with Web 2.0 Tools Dr. Anisoara Pop, Dimitire Cantemir Univeristy, Targu-Mures, Romania Languages as a Lifeskill - New Perspectives on LSP Teaching and Learning May, 21 st – 22 nd, 2010 Bucharest, Romania Raising our Students’ Confidence in their Speaking with Web 2.0 Tools Dr. Anisoara Pop, Dimitire Cantemir Univeristy, Targu-Mures, Romania Languages as a Lifeskill - New Perspectives on LSP Teaching and Learning May, 21 st – 22 nd, 2010 Bucharest, Romania This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. ENJOY GRUNDTVIG 10 TIMES! If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow (J.Dewey)

2. Levering learning personalization Mixed ability, adult learners Learning styles Affinity for different environments CHOICE: CONTINGENCY PLANS

3. Voice tools are fundamental to language teaching/learning The world outside does not speak the classroom language Repetition is the mother of learning – asynchrony allows revision and re- editing Motivation Engagement Confidence Speaking and listening can be moved into the 21 st century Change ! In-vitro conversations Communicati on is not pleasant, fun 2-hours/week T-dependence

4. Speaking: Problem - Solution Outside commitments How to motivate less proficient users who fear face loss? The world outside does not speak the language of the classroom Flexible: Asynchronous tools Safer environments Pull down classroom walls

5. Speaking solution Frequent speaking Speaking for an audience Speaking that matters captivating, engaging speaking Improve speaking

6. Help raise your students’ confidence in speaking with Web 2.0 speaking tools

7. Voice Web 2.0 tools Free, versatile platforms for asynchronous communication EVO 2009/2010/.. - online teacher development workshops: Becoming a Webhead http://baw2010.pbworks.com http://baw2010.pbworks.com

8. Voxopop Voice Thread Vaestro LingtAudacity Web 2.0 voice tools

9. Voxopop http//www.voxopop.com Message boards with real voices: discuss with people all over the world a new way to talk online

10. You can: Build a threaded audio discussion Explore and join existing talk groups

11. Reflective speaking: http://www.voxopop.com/topic/51bd74ec-87ef- 4db2-a8df-6cef2a23903c http://www.voxopop.com/topic/51bd74ec-87ef- 4db2-a8df-6cef2a23903chttp://www.voxopop.com/topic/51bd74ec-87ef- 4db2-a8df-6cef2a23903c

12. Practising structures and vocabulary : http://www.voxopop.com/topic/5e20c5b2-31ed-4eaf-83d6-ae3a2d6ebc6e http://www.voxopop.com/topic/5e20c5b2-31ed-4eaf-83d6-ae3a2d6ebc6e

13. Specific to VOP Focuses on the sound rather than on an image comment only with the voice (microphone but not video cam) Text comments - a few words Cannot be embedded in blogs Has a more linear structure It can be subscribed to: you are automatically updated

14. VP examples you/students can explore What’s happening today? http://www.voxopop.com/topic/6d4a163c-1a0e- 4897-8247-952c06fdc0be http://www.voxopop.com/topic/6d4a163c-1a0e- 4897-8247-952c06fdc0be Whadaya: http://www.voxopop.com/topic/1e77d4b6-f6e3- 43c6-b38b-0cf0740f7e02 http://www.voxopop.com/topic/1e77d4b6-f6e3- 43c6-b38b-0cf0740f7e02 Featured talk groups: TOEFL, CAE, IELTS

15. Voice tool about having conversations around videos, images, presentations. Can securely capture and hold a group discussion on one simple page. You can leave audio, video, text comments. VOICE THREAD (VT) = group audio blog http://voicethread.com

16. To leave an audio comment you can use your: telephone microphone video camera

17. http://voicethread.com/#u621 787

18. VT examples you can explore Add yourself on the World Map http://voicethread.com/share/4400/ http://voicethread.com/share/4400/ Why do people hate? http://ed.voicethread.com/#q.b88781 http://ed.voicethread.com/#q.b88781 View and discuss a video: http://voicethread.com/#u578.b161763.i863134 http://voicethread.com/#u578.b161763.i863134 Mystery places: http://voicethread.com/#u205451.b385249.i2032533 http://voicethread.com/#u205451.b385249.i2032533 Brazil: http://voicethread.com/share/69307/http://voicethread.com/share/69307/ Romania: http://voicethread.com/share/88714 / http://voicethread.com/share/88714 /

19. SIMILARITIES A new way to talk online Build new vs. Explore and join existing ones SHARED vs PRIVATE Embedded in wikis, personal sites

20. OPPORTUNITIES Talk to real people Encounter different accents: natives and non-natives Impact and motivation Enhanced exposure and use outside the classroom

21. Flexibility Collaboration Asynchronous tools develop autonomy and critical thinking which are skills for life

22. No response pressure of f2f communication Face- saving Reedit, improve www Join in at convenient times strengths

23. Are engaged: remove apprehension of production Communicate and collaborate across countries Accomplish- ment, pride strengths memorability

24. Weaknesses/Threats Invest time Students who lack digital affinity/Internet connection Upload latest version of Java School policy about public speaking Vop comments cannot be moderated ( however, security is ensured through membership moderation) Voice quality

26. Explore the potential of Web 2.0 Voice Tools Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire (W.B.Yeats)