Technology in the language classroom

How to create and animate a timeline in Google Slides.

Amid concern over the fall in pupils studying foreign languages, a new online tool has turned the streaming service into a classroom

How to make interactive videos with thinglink

Play video games and learn a language – a researcher explains why it might be possible.

Free language learning apps often promise the world — but don’t expect fluency from one. Here’s what to expect before you sign up.

VoicePods text-to-speech

Greg Kessler shares some ways you can use digital assistants, like the Amazon Echo or Google Home, to help English learners practice listening and speaking skills.

Este sitio contiene grabaciones en vídeo de conversaciones naturales entre hablantes de español para ser usadas como fuentes de lengua en enseñanza y aprendizaje de esta lengua. Las grabaciones han sido hechas abordando a hablantes en lugares públicos o aprovechando reuniones de amigxs y familiares, sin guion ni ningún requerimiento previo.

In ep 96, Meghan McGinley interviews Jonathon Reinhardt about the relationship between learning and games, specifically the practical and theoretical connection between language learning and digital games. For links and show notes, visit https://weteachlang.com/2019/03/22/ep-96-with-jonathon-reinhardt We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, leave us a voicemail or…

In ep 103, Maris Hawkins interviews French teacher and SCOLT Teacher of the Year Heidi Trude about tech tools for the language classroom. You'll want to to take notes and visit the show notes to learn more about all the things you can do with Gimkit, Quizlet, Flipgrid, Google Cardboard and many more! For links…

I am fortunate to work in a school district where the use of social media for instructional and extracurricular purposes is relatively commonplace. Teachers, sponsors, and coaches use multiple platforms and strategies to reach their students, club members, and athletes, as well as to communicate with parents and community members. It’s not uncommon to see photos of the latest robotics tournament, videos of the musical, or highlights of the game against our cross-town rival. But the most impressive work in our district when it comes to social media is what happens in the classroom. Our teachers tend to be technologically savvy, and they use their comfort and skills with social media to connect students with the content area on a deeper level. Of course, some teachers are more comfortable with technology and social media than others, but overall, we tend to be on the early-adopter side of the technology-in-schools continuum.

One of the primary goals of foreign language instruction apart from the acquisition of target language skills is the development of cultural awareness and intercultural competence. Learning about the target culture is firmly rooted in the ACTFL Standards for Foreign Language Learning (National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project, 1999). According to the guidelines, foreign language instruction should enable students to “communicate and to learn to respond appropriately in a variety of cultures” (1999, p. 245) and in order to do that, students have to have “an understanding of the interdependent and interactive relationship of the perspectives, practices, and products” (1999, p. 257) of a culture. The recent ACTFL World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages include the goal that students should “interact with cultural competence and understanding” (National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project, 2013). They divide this overall goal into two components, relating cultural practices and cultural products to perspectives. Some educators suggest that culture should be at the very heart of language instruction (Sercu, 2005), and that it should not be viewed as an “expendable fifth skill” (Kramsch, 1993, p. 1). In fact, many language instructors today agree on the importance of cultural learning and its central role in the world language classroom (Fantini, 1997; Finger, 2008; Lovik, 2008; Sercu, 2005) and the National Standards in Foreign Language Education (1999) emphasize that “students cannot truly master the language until they have also mastered the cultural contexts in which the language occurs” (p. 31). In spite of the importance of incorporating culture in language classes and enabling students to develop intercultural competence there is still much to learn about the most effective ways to do so.

Nik Peachy explores how you can get your documents online, sharing tips for using QR codes. There's a fun lesson activity to try with your students too!

The room is filled with chatter in Arabic, French, and Ukrainian as my class of 9th, 10th and 11th grade emergent bilingual students file into third ...

Digital resources are abundant these days, and their use in the classroom, and by students in their own time, is an increasing trend. But it can be difficult to know what to use, and how to use it. These apps and websites don’t tend to come with a well-researched Teachers’ Book to help you plan your lesson!As a starting point, it can be helpful to ask your students which English learning apps and websites they use themselves. Asking them to write a review, a report, or even give a short presentation about their favourite digital resources can be a great classroom activity (particularly if they are preparing for an exam such as Cambridge Advanced). It will give you valuable insight into what they’re using so that you can select digital elements to incorporate into lessons and homework.Once you’ve got a shortlist of digital resources you like, you can focus more on understanding how they work and how they can support your students’ learning. I’ve been really impressed with some of the feeds on Instagram, for example (although there is a lot that I find less helpful too!) English Test Channel (@english_tests on Instagram, or  youtube.com/englishtestchannel) posts pictures and videos covering different aspects of English grammar and spelling – it’s great as ‘bite-sized’ learning for students, or to give them something extra to practice at home. I also regularly point my students in the direction of flo-joe.co.uk for extra Cambridge exam tips and practice.When we were designing the Say It: English Pronunciation app (IOS, Android), we wanted to marry a great digital learning experience with fantastic content. I use the app with my students to help them with pronunciation, but it also improves their listening comprehension and their spelling.

Dr. Claire Knowles continues her conversation with Dr. Errol O'Neill about Google Translate. In this part II, Claire and Errol discuss what student training on Google Translate might look like, what features teachers should become familiar with, and how to communicate about the tool with students. For links and show notes, visit https://weteachlang.com/2019/01/25/ep-89-with-errol-oneill-part-ii/ We welcome…

Three ways to use tweets to introduce students to real uses of language in a context they’re likely already familiar with.