Elllo (Week 8)

What?

Elllo stands for English Listening Lesson Library Online which have lots of listening lessons that teacher can use for a lesson specifically listening activity. The materials are divided into few parts which are Mixer, Video, Games, View, and News. Besides, the tool is focusing on vocabulary quiz, speaking quiz and vocabulary focus. The activity is suitable for secondary students age 14-17 years old.

Elllo webpage

How to do it?

Step 1: Go to Elllo Website and you will find as above
Step 2: Click which articles would you like to explore on
Step 3: You can listen to the audio and answer the questions given

*If you want to have a clear instruction on how to explore Elllo, you can listen to Russell Stannard's video about it

Suggested activities:

1. Teacher can use it in a classroom. Teacher can download the audio available on the web and have a try with the students in order to test their listening skills. Besides, teacher can print out the activity that had been provided in the web for comprehension activities

2. In addition, the tool is good for teachers to check their students' vocabulary. This is because the tool is looking at vocabulary focus. It becomes more interesting for students to learn a new vocabulary instead of memorizing the words.

I like it because:

1. It is free and can be access by anyone
2. It promotes students' autonomous learning as they will explore the web by their own
3. Content-based and Language-based can be integrated as one type of activity. It is better known as CLIL
4. It can enhance students' vocabulary widely
5. For teachers, the activity creates variation in their teaching

I don't like it because:

1. Not all the video can be downloaded. It is quite disappointing if the audio which students prefer the most can be played.
2. The label at the left site of page is about numbers. If it is stated the topic, it might help the learners a lot to find the suitable topic for them

Reference Site:

Elllo as an materials for learning language on Youtube!

myBrainshark (Week 5)

Hi, today we gonna look at myBrainshark website. It is cool because you can combine both presentation slides and your own voice in it.

What?

myBrainshark is a tool that allows users to insert narration to their powerpoint presentation, word document, video or photo album. The tool is suitable for primary or secondary school students aged between 10 to 17 years old. It can also be used for adult learners.

myBrainshark

How to do it?

Step 1: Go to myBrainshark webpage and you can see like above
Step 2: upload your document that you want
Step 3: Add your audio on your document
Step 4: Share your myBrainshark with others via e-mail or embed it on blog

*For more information on how to use it, you can visit Russell Stannard website which has First and second part of it.


Suggested acivities:

1. Teacher can use brainshark during oral activity. Teacher may ask students to talk about their own life such as family background, hobbies or leisure time. It can help students to reflect their own oral presentation in using a target language.

2. It can also be a homework for students to work out by their own. It needs a quiet environment for students to add on the audio in the document. So, home is the best moment of it. Besides, it provides a platform for shy students to express themselves in the video. Teacher can give a personal feedback when the students email it using their brainshark.


I like it because:

1. It involves multitasking skills of students. For example, Oral skills when they add on the audio and writing skills when they want to describe the slide show

2. The tool can reduce affective filter of students. This is because students are free from all the pressure to speak as they can do it by their own. It makes the fluency of the speaking become clearer.

3. The 'Product' of learning can be shared with the others such as via e-mail or embedded it into blog.

I don't like it because:

1. It needs a proper technology facilities to do the task such as internet connection and microphone. If the students do not have it, it will demotivate them to explore more on the language.

2. It takes time for students to narrate their document and finish up their work. Teachers need to have a better time management plan if they want to do it in a classroom

Reference site:

Watch myBrainshark on Youtube


The example of myBrainshark:

LyricsTraining (Week 1)

What?

Learning a new language is not easy and the traditional courses that make you memorize vocabulary and grammar are too boring. LyricsTraining is a website that makes learning a new language easy by listening to music and lyrics. It is an easy and fun method to learn and improve your foreign languages skills through the music videos and lyrics of your favorite songs. You can use it to learn English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Dutch.


How to use it?

Step 1: Go to Lyricstraining Webpage and you will find the page as shown above
Step 2: Choose a song based on your interest. Then, choose your level such as beginner, intermediate and expert
Step 3: You need to complete the blank lyrics to continue playing the music (The music will stop playing to give time for you to write)
Step 4: To listen again to the last line, press backspace key. If you get stuck, you can click the 'give up!' button and see the word.
Step 5: If you could not understand a word, you may press the tab key to jump to the next. Once finished filling all the blanks, you can check your score.

*If you need a clear instruction on how to use Lyricstraining, you can visit Russell Stannard Website.


The example of Lyricstraining:

Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song, Music Video, Song Lyrics and Karaoke

Suggested activities:

1. Lyricstraining is very useful in a spelling activity. Teacher can form a group of students and they need to spell out the words correctly in order to complete the song. The fastest group that able to finish it will be declared as the winner.

2. Lyricstraining can be used as a homework. Teacher provides a list of song and students can choose which song they prefer to do it at home. It encourages the students to do their own learning outside classroom. Thus, it is an autonomous learning!

3. Teacher can check students' pronunciation in a target language. They can do it in a karaoke mode by singing a song with a correct pronunciation.

I like it because:

1. It is a multitasking activity. It requires students to use two important skills in learning a language which is listening and writing skills.
2. Besides, it encourage autonomous learning.
3. It is fun method of learning a target language as it is totally different with traditional type of learning language which is memorization of words.
4. Do not need to register or sign up to use it
5. You can still check the your score even-though you are not register
6. There are other languages that students can try to master such as French, Spanish, German, Italian and Dutch.


I don't like it because:

1. Inappropriate use of language through the lyrics as it comes from various kind of songs
2. There are some video clips that not suitable to be watched by the students
3. The lyrics of certain song may be difficult for the students to guess. It can demotivate them to continue the activity.

Related Link

Lyrictraining on YouTube