Tuesday 24 January 2012

One way to accommodate learning styles of our students

lyricstraining is a website that I was introduced to in the second lecture of the first week of my second term work on the module ICT in ELT. I would like to share about how it works and recommend how we can best use it as a language teaching resource.

What is it?
 

Lyricstraning is a free website that we can use to train our students music lyrics. It presents a video clip of music with the activity just below it. The description I found from the website states that LyricsTraining is an easy and fun method to learn and improve your foreign languages skills through the music videos and lyrics of your favourite songs.’

How it works?

It is obvious that we have students with different learning style and strategies. One of the strategies that audio visual students use is to watch and listen to the language item that we want to teach them. lyricstraining website provides an opportunity for such students to practice the language. Secondly, it is common to see young and teenage learners with strong interest and passion to music these days. This can be an opportunity to help them to improve their language skills. Thirdly, music provide cultural environment of the target language. Therefore, lyricstraining can be an ideal opportunity for teachers to use to help them teach the target language with its flavour.

How can it be best used?

The website has exercise that is to complete a given music lyric. First of all the music records available in the site for exercise are labelled as Easy, Medium and Hard based on the difficulty level of the language they have.  In addition to this, as shown in figure 1 there are beginner, medium and expert level exercises for each song.  Once a student clicks the level of exercise he chose, the music starts to play. At the same time, he can see the lyric of the music he is listening with some words missing bellow the picture box. His task is to complete those missing words.  

There are some other bars that appear below the lyrics as shown in figure 2. These help the learner manage his progress.
Select Game Mode
> Beginner
Fill in the blanks (10%)
> Intermediate
Fill in the blanks (25%)
> Expert
Full lyrics
Figure 1: types of exercise based on the difficulty level of the language

Time   Words             Skips              Withdraw       Restart           Help

Figure 2: task bars below the exercise

How does it help language students?
Lyricstraning helps students to work on individually in familiarizing themselves to the actual language use. In relation to this, it can give them a chance to differentiate between formal and informal use of the target language. On the other hand, students can work in groups to discuss their results and challenges while doing the exercise. This kind of collaborative exercise can help students develop confidence and interest to work on their language development independently.

Furthermore, teachers can use such activities as gap fillers or main activities. They can also ask students to work on them and report their results. Still, it is fun if the teacher organizes competition between and among student. Meanwhile, Time management need to be a very important issue that need to be given attention while using this resource.

Monday 23 January 2012

A link that can help more on vocabulary, Spelling and Pronounciation

What is it?
Learning chocolate is an interesting link that I came across up on discussion of some important sites in my ICT in ELT class. I found it interesting for three important reasons. First of all, it has multimodal presentation that facilitate learning of students with different learning styles and strategies. Secondly, it has colourful presentation that can attract learners. Last but not least, it mainly helps to practice on related language skills such as vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation. Such specific focus can make practice meaningful. Therefore, teachers can refer to the link to find specific reference for their lessons.

At what level can it be better applied?
Learning chocolate can be better applied at the levels from beginner to lower intermediate.

What are its special characteristics?
The activities in the web site are multimodal. One can see written words, visuals and audio records. There are three level matching exercises. All are intended to help learners internalise the vocabularies that they are learning.

Have a try. it can be better addapted to yur situation

Learning Chocolate
http://www.learningchocolate.com/

Good Aftenoon

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Today'sMeet

Today’s meet
Your barometer of participation in your class or presentation

My first lesson in the ICT in ELT lecture was as exciting as I expect it. I was introduced to a program called todays’meet.

What is it?
Today’smeet is free downloadable programme that facilitate collection of contributions of participants of a discussion and students in a classroom. Everyone can participate as long as he/she has connected to the program and

What does it do?
Have you ever come across a classroom or a presentation that lacks participation? It is not because people have nothing to say, it is not because they are idiots, or it is not because they dislike you or the topic. It may be because they have no experience of talking in public or are reserved in their culture. Today’s meet can help you make them speak and get their insight easily

How important it is for teachers?
Teachers face students who are shy, today’s meet help them to get the insights of such students. Today’smeet can also help teachres use their time properly while engaging everyone in Talk. Listen.
TodaysMeet helps you embrace the backchannel and connect with your audience in realtime.
Encourage the room to use the live stream to make comments, ask questions, and use that feedback to tailor your presentation, sharpen your points, and address audience needs.

Our page of today'smeet looks like this.


warwickelt.

Hello from Russell Russell at 12:50 PM, 10 Jan 2012 via web

hello Sarah&Michelle at 12:50 PM, 10 Jan 2012 via web

Hello! from Phil and Bua Bua at 12:50 PM, 10 Jan 2012 via web

Hi from Avian Avian at 12:50 PM, 10 Jan 2012 via web

=D Luna and Nico at 12:50 PM, 10 Jan 2012 via web

hello from suzanne suzannw at 12:50 PM, 10 Jan 2012 via web

hello from Cindy and Shuang Shuang and Cindy at 12:50 PM, 10 Jan 2012 via web

HI!!! yasmeen & aliaa at 12:50 PM, 10 Jan 2012 via web

Hello Avian Luna and Nico at 12:50 PM, 10 Jan 2012 via web

Hi! from Pannie and Daphne Pannie & Daphne at 12:51 PM, 10 Jan 2012 via web

hello, Russell and Tilly iris and mala at 12:51 PM, 10 Jan 2012 via web

Hello Max at 12:51 PM, 10 Jan 2012 via web


Sunday 15 January 2012

Why to teach in a different way?

Why prepare to teach in a different way?
 I think we are all aware why we need to prepare to teach in an way different from the way are are taught. Technology is flourishing and we are enjoying the result all the time. The change in the area of teaching and instruction however is terimendous and sometimes challenging.Technology is being improved in  each and every second throughout the world. One product comes before we are familiar with the one produced before.

The main reason that I chose to study ICT and Multimedia in ELT at Univedrsity of Warwick is to develop the mentality of taking and keeping up the ever changing technology of teaching and instruction. I believe that this can help me improve my teaching and training duty.

Really why prepare to teach in an differnt way? have alook at the following. description form Youtube.


This is my ELT Blog. It is mainly intended to serve as my portfolio of Issues I come accorss in studying the module ICT in ELT at the university of warwick. I, however, have a stong passion to continue sharing interesting issues in ELT in my context and the contexts that I come accross trough reading and other means.

This will be a platform for myself and colleagues, frends, students and others with interest to collaborate for learning about language education, especifically English language.

Good Start
Getachew M Y
Januray 15, 2012