SHHHH...I want to LISTEN AND WRITE!

Hello to all!

I do hope that my previous suggested website have been beneficial to those who read my blog. In this post, I would like to introduce another website which can be used by students or teachers themselves to improve their skills in listening and writing.And as expected, the website is called- Listen and Write!

I'm not sure either this is their logo or not.hmmh...

WHAT IS IT?

It is a dictation tool. You can choose what you want to listen (from the list, of course), and then try to write what you had listened. This tool is quite helpful for those who want to improve their listening and writing skills. So, teachers out there, lets suggest this website for the students!:-)

WHO CAN USE IT

The activity in the website is suitable for the students who:

• age 10 years old and above (Those students who are younger than 10 years old might not have the skill in using internet and computers)
• all levels of English- beginner, intermediate and expert level (just choose your level before you start the audio)

HOW IT CAN BE USE IN TEACHING ENGLISH

• as a additional practices for students to do at home.

Teachers can suggest the website, give a brief introduction about the website (try making the introduction 'tempting' enough so that students can't wait to go to the website after they get home!)  and ask them to try it themselves when they have free time.

*From my view, I don't think that Listen and Write should be used in the classroom as it is more towards independent practise. Teachers can use classroom time to do more interesting teaching than let students do the exercise alone. But it is up to you (teachers) where to use it as you know your students better than me.:-)

THEORY OF LEARNING USING THE TOOL

• The tool can be used to promote autonomous learning among students. Students are suggested to do the listening practise at home. They are responsible on their own learning as the teacher are absent to guide them. 

THINGS I LIKE ABOUT IT

• it exposes students with authentic language
• promote autonomous(independent) learning
• it develops students listening skills
• it can improve students' spelling
• it can be interesting way of learning 
• most importantly, it is FREE!

THINGS I HATE ABOUT IT

• currently, the topic in the audio/ video which are in the list are quite serious. Some students might not like to listen for the audio about the politics and other heavy topics. 
• the choices of audio is limited especially in lower level(currently)

STEP BY STEP TO USE LISTEN AND WRITE?

Step 1: Go to LISTEN AND WRITE

Step 2: Select you level

Step 3: Choose the categories of audio that you would like 
            to listen

Step 4: Choose the audio

Step 5: Choose the mode 

Step 6: Listen to the audio carefully. Try to write exactly 
            what had been said in the audio

Step 7: Check your score

EXTRA INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW

• the audio are broken into parts,so you will listen the audio in several parts.The audio will be repeated until you write the words correctly.
• the audio will only move to the next part after you manage to write the words correctly.If not, it will keep repeating the same part (I found this quite annoying.huh)
• but don't worry, if you stuck with the words, you can always click at the Hint button. The button will provide the next letter in the dictation.

Select the topic

Select the mode

Example how you will have to write while listen

Like usual, before I suggesting a website in my blog, I will try it first. Frankly, I do not think that the topic offered is interesting enough (definitely not the kind of topic that I chose to hear). But when I try to write what I had listened, I somehow got excited- especially when the computer said I'm good :-D

To find the truth how the website is, why don't you try it yourself? Enjoy!

Are you a good listener? Try LYRICS TRAINING!

Hye everyone who read this!

Today, I would like to share with you a website that uses  music to learn foreign language, (in our case, its English language).It is Lyrics Training.com! From the name, we can easily guess that it is using lyrics as a tool for learning English. So, whoever said that music is a bad influence to students, you'd better think it again because Lyrics Training is making learning English much more interesting!(Why don't they create this website during my school days?...eughhh..)

WHAT IT IS?

Lyrics Training is a website that tests your listening skill in English or other foreign language. It offers students to learn new vocabulary (some lyrics have a lot of good vocabulary to learn from) while listening to the music. So, while you are learning, you can also enjoy and relax yourself!

WHO CAN USE IT

This activity is suitable for students who are:

• 13 years old and above (those ages when you start admiring music. I dont think young learners are interested in 'real life' music.Are they?..hmmm)
• beginner, intermediate and expert level of English (these levels are available to choose from this website)

HOW TO USE IT IN TEACHING ENGLISH

• as a listening activity in a classroom 

The teacher can ask students to go to the website and choose a song for. All the students have to do the same song and the same level. When the teacher say 'Start',the students will have to do the Lyrics training activity. The students who finished doing it early will be the winner

Note: The activity can be done if there is enough computers for everyone,of course. Nobody (I think so) likes to share while doing something they like

• as a homework

the teacher can suggest the website to students so that they can do it at home. It will be a fun practise to sharpen their listening skill in English language.

THEORY OF LEARNING USING THE TOOL

• The tool can be used to promote autonomous learning among students. By doing the listening practise at home, students are responsible for their own learning. Autonomy is important in language learning as it more effective and solve the motivation issue (either the students are interested to engaged in the activity or not)

THINGS I LIKE ABOUT IT

• it helps to improve listening skills in foreign language
• it can enrich students vocabulary
• encourages autonomous learning 
• it can expose students with different slang 
• it is authentic material for learning
• it is fun :-)
• and of course because it is FREE!

THINGS I HATE ABOUT IT

• as it is using lyrics from songs, sometimes the language use in the songs is quite inappropriate. 
• currently, the language offered is quite limited [luckily, they have English.:-)..]
• some of the songs in English use slang, thus it might be quite difficult for students to guess the words even they choose the beginner level 

STEP BY STEP TO USE LYRICS TRAINING WEBSITE?

Step 1: Go to lyricstraining.com

Step 2: Choose the song you like (they have a long list of songs)

Step 3: Select your level ( beginner, intermediate or expert)

Step 4: As the music plays, the song lyrics appear. You have to 

            fill the missing words as the music played

Step 5: After the song end, they give you marks. So you can know

           how good are you in listening the song.

EXTRA INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. If you get stuck (you do not know the missing word), do not take too long to think about it as they keep a record of your time-you might lose a lot of points if you take too long time to finish a song). Click Give up! button and they will give you the missing word
2. The website is free, but if you set up for an account, you can save the results of your work.

Choose your song

Choose your level

While listening to the song, fill in the missing words

Before I posted this post, I already tried this website. I tried with Cant stop by Red Hot Chilli Peppers. It takes me some time to do it = I got low mark (I felt quite dissappointed. sobs..T_T). 

But after that, I tried Avril Lavigne songs (all of them that are available) and I got quite high marks. wee~.I'm so happy. I guess your marks also depend on how deep you love the artists.haha.:p

There is no need for me to keep babbling, you should try the website yourself. Good luck with your first try!

DVOLVER, The fun way to get students to use English

Hye guys,

In this post, I would like to share with you one of the new way (I think, it is still new as I just knew it last week)to make students use English in FUN way. It is called DVOLVER MOVIEMAKER.

WHAT IS IT?

Dvolver is a website that provides pre-made graphics (a lot to choose from!) to make a short movie. Using Dvolver, students can use English (can also be used for other language, you decide!) in a new way which is FUN.

So teachers, lets get out from the boredom of drilling activities and do some short movies!

WHO CAN USE IT?

This tool is suitable for students who are:

• aged from 13 to 16 years old. Students who are too young (below 13 years old) might not know how to cope with the technology and those who are too old (16 years old and above) might find this website too childish and might not interested in using it
• beginners and intermediate learners of English. Advanced learners might find the activity boring.

HOW TO USED IT IN TEACHING ENGLISH?

• speaking activity

Teacher can ask students to create a movie in pairs. Then, each pair have to present their movie in front of the class by voice out the characters' dialogue. Here, they will use different tone to describe the characters' feeling. Although the activity seems simple and easy, but it can built students' confidence and can improve their speaking skill. Besides, it is FUN!

• as a homework for students

Teacher can ask students to create a movie using Dvolver and ask them to send it to teacher's email. The teacher can check student's language and can send comment about the movie. You will be surprise on how creative your students can be!

Note: If you want to make it as homework, firstly please make sure that all the students have internet connection at their home (or have easy access to cyber cafe) as we surely do not want to burden our students by forcing them (those who do not have internet connection at home) to do this activity.(forcing made the activity NOT fun!)

THEORY OF LEARNING USING THE TOOL

• The tool help teacher to vary the teaching style which can cope with different intelligence. As students might have different kind of intelligence, it is important to vary the teaching style in order help students learn better. This supports multi intelligence theory which explains how different people have different ways to learn and develop.

THINGS I LIKE ABOUT IT

• add variety to teaching and learning process
• allow students to use English in an interesting context which also give them choices how to use it (the language)
• it can help students with their sentences construction as they must create dialogue for their short movie
• most importantly, its FREE!

THINGS I HATE ABOUT IT

• quite limited choices (pre-made graphics).There are only three scenes for the movie 

• the number of words for text entry is limited

• teacher need to observe the students from time to time as students might use inappropriate language

• the characters in the movie did not have any voice, only dialogue appeared when the movie is played (i find this really disappointing)

STEP BY STEP TO USE DVOLVER?

Step 1: Go to Dvolver and click on the Moviemaker  balloon

Step 2: Choose and select a background and click Next

Step 3: Choose and select a plot and click Next

Step 4: Choose and select characters and click Next

Step 5: Type in the dialogues for characters. Click Next

Step 6: Select music and choose between adding another 

scene (and repeat above instructions) or finishing movie

Step 7: Select the background for movie title and give the 
movie a title and put director’s name

Step 8: Press Preview to watch your movie and press Send 
your movie to someone.

SELECT BACKGROUND AND SKY

CHOOSE AND SELECT CHARACTERS

ADD RECIPIENT'S EMAIL TO SEND THE MOVIE

The pictures above are example of the view that you will get when using Dvolver.

I also had used it and below is my short movie.(I do hope the grizzly bear can have voice.It will be really cute!)

That's all for this time. I hope my entry today can give idea for teachers out there in teaching English this week.:-)

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF BLOGGING

Dear all (who viewing my blog now, of course!),

This is my first time blogging. So, I'm quite nervous and excited at the same time.(~,~)

Just for a short introduction, my blog will be all about how to make learning English easier with technology. I will regularly (I will try my best to make it regular ) put websites or programmes that in my opinion can help us to learn English easily and most importantly in FUN way! Plus, I will also try to make all the posts as simple and easy to understand as possible, so we all can get benefit from it. 

Every time I introduced a website, I will point out the advantages and disadvantages of using it. But, they are all my personal views (based on my 'research' about the website, of course!). So, you can decide yourself either want to use it or not- the decision is in your hand!


Oh, before I forget, please forgive me for the informality of the language I used in my blog. I just want to make it more casual and friendly. Despite the informal language used,  it's still reliable though!

I think, that is enough for this 'welcome post'. I do really hope that my blog can help you guys out there in learning or teaching. 

p/s: as i am very new in this, (i mean, 'this blogging things'), i do welcome comments and suggestions to make it better. 

SO,LET'S GET THIS STARTED!