MailVU-- You Can Have My Greetings Also With My Smile!

What is MailVU?

http://www.mailvu.com/

MailVU is an easy and efficient website to send email to each other with videos from recording or URL address. It is free to record up to 10 minutes and send it to several receivers. In addition, it is available both computers and smart phones. Here are a video introducing how to use it.

Relevance to Language Teaching and Learning

Originally, emails can be a tool to practice English writing; however, with this website, students are motivated to practice speaking in the process of emailing each other. Also, it can be a great tool for learner autonomy and distance learning.

Possible Usages in/outside Class

1. Teachers introduce MailVU in class, and show the functions of it. The tool can make email a very easy thing and save a lot of time. Try to make it popular among students as email method and make them practice speaking and listening during this process.

2. The teacher can leave homework of certain topics and ask students to send MailVU email to talk about it. Teachers also give feedback through this mail.

3. Students can practice for speaking test, such as IELTS exam. They can pretend it as real situation, record their performance and play it, modify, and record it again. They can send the MailVU email to teachers to give feedback according to the specific requirement of the exam.

4. Teachers can also use this method to give feedback of other homework. It is usually persuasive and sweet to see the face when talking. Teachers may also use it to give feedback to students’ parents regularly.

5. Before certain festivals, such as Mother’s Day, the teacher can arrange students together to think about ideas to make video. Then, they can send a celebration message to their parents.

Limitations

1. It is a very useful tool, but without certain task, teacher may be not sure if students would use it after class, or use L2 (English). And students may feel not interesting when it relates to homework.

2. Easy for adult learners or teenage learners to use. Young learners should use under parents guidance.

3. It can be engaged only related to speaking and listening tasks, few opportunities of integrated skills.

Bubblr-- Making Yourself Footmarks With Picures!

What is Bubblr?

http://www.pimpampum.net/bubblr/

Bubblr is a free website, which users can search and “Create comic strips using Flickr images.” Very easy to use! When you enter in the homepage, you can search flickr pictures either by tags or photographers. Then you can make a strip yourself by click on the result. You may also add bubbles and texts to the strip. It is also publishable and could be sent via emails.

Relevance to Language Teaching and Learning

Bubblr is a simple picture website, but has great use in ELT. It can be used in speaking and writing class with task-based language teaching, and communicative classroom, etc. Moreover, its interesting content can motivate both students and teachers in a very creative way.

Possible Usages in/outside Class

1. Teachers could make a strip previously before the class, and ask students to make a story and extend the story in English one by one according to the picture order. Students may come up with many unexpected and creative stories, which make the whole class more interesting and in turn motivate students. If students cannot tell stories at first, the teacher should use more interesting and easy pictures, or give some hints to students or encourage them.

2. The teacher can ask students to make a strip by themselves after class and make a little presentation of the strip next class. Or students can send their strips to the teacher, associated with the software JING as a video.

3. A strip made by the teacher can also be used in many other ways. For example ask students to compare pictures to find similarities and differences, or ask students to make a whole story individually and write it down, or to add a bubble and comment words of each picture of the strip, and so on. In a word, make full use of online pictures into language learning!

Limitations

1. I cannot find where the pictures come from, and it seems that users cannot upload their own pictures to the Bubblr. Pictures from internet maybe more creative for story-making, but people may be more likely to hear those related to real life experiences. It would be more difficult without own pictures.

2. The amount and accuracy of pictures are limited. Sometimes, we cannot get pictures we want even with same tag. For example, I wanted to find some pictures of “warwick university”, as a result, it came up tens of pictures about ice hockey. The number can be seen at the same time is not enough.

3. We can add bubbles, but it seems that we cannot change the size of bubble and texts.

4. To practice speaking in this way seems more suitable for children and young learners, but not very attractive for adult learners. 

WebQuest-- A Treasure Map For Learners

What is Webquest?

http://webquest.org/

http://questgarden.com 

Webquest is “an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web”. Simply speaking, teachers can make a Webquest according to certain task, and students find their own results by searching on it. Here are a series video about what is Webquest and how to use it step by step.

Relevance to Language Teaching and Learning

It can be used in tesk-based teaching. According to the task content, it can cover all speaking, listening, reading and writing in English, and integrated four skills. If students are required to use it in class, it also can be built as communicative classroom. usually group work are encouraged in doing Webquest work.

Possible Usages in/outside Class

1. The teacher makes a webquest with certain task, ask students to form into groups and work on it and find the result.

2. The teacher makes a webquest to be an assistant tool of the lesson topic, and ask students to finish it after class.

3. The teacher introduces how to create a webquest, ask students to form into groups and make a webquest in turn weekly, as a replacement of presentation. Then, other students finish the task in/out of class. However, this requires students to have a high ability of language and computer knowledge. It may not suitable for students of young age.

Limitations

1. It is a complicated process to make a full webquest. It may take teacher’s too much time on it, and require teachers with high capability on computer knowledge.

2. Once the webquest is done, it usually contains too much information to help students finish the task. It may distract students in doing it, and demotivate them.

3. It is also difficult for teachers to fulfill students need and interests in designing the Webquest, including content, pictures and colors, information amount.