Use Bubblr to write comments on pictures

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

What is it, how does it work?


Bubblr is an online web tool that you can use to make comments right on professional pictures and organize them into a slideshow. The pictures you use are based on flicker.

Some ideas of how we can use this website.

• Assign it as a homework for students to use Bubblr to drill specific grammar points e.g. 'use Bubblr to produce a presentation of the places you are going to visit (simple future tense)'.
• Assign it as students' homework to make a slideshow on Bubblr, e.g. their hometown, and then share it with their teachers.
• Next, ask students to write short comments on the pictures and let them be prepared to deliver a oral presentation in the next lesson with more details.
• Ask some volunteers to deliver a oral presentation with elaborations by using Bubblr.
• Encourage students to share their artwork to their pen pal in another city/ country.

Why is this tool good for English language teaching/learning?

• It is a good way to promote learning autonomy since it connects students' life with their development of English writing.
• It is a good tool to drill some simple grammar points (e.g. tenses)
• It very simple to use and easy to share.
• It can be embedded and shared on a blog.

Limitations and points to improve

• One can not download the slideshow that she/he makes.
• One can not drag a picture  directly onto Bubblr, she/he must post the pictures on Flicker first.
• The comments on the pictures might block parts of the picture.

Use Language Guide English to build vocabulary

http://www.languageguide.org/english/

What is it, how does it work?
Language Guide English is a vocabulary learning website on which students can build their vocabulary systematically in a straightforward way.

Some ideas of how we can use this website.

• Choose a set of vocabulary to teach/learn, as a warm-up activity (pre-reading/pre-listening). Learners would learn some new words and their schemata would be activated by the pictures.
• After learning the words, set students into pairs. As one student pronounce a word, the other student should move the cursor to the corresponding picture to listen and compare the pronunciation.  
• Use this website as part of the WebQuest designing to guide students to learn the new words autonomously.
• Integrate this website and Jing to assist learners' vocabulary learning. First, Assign a set of words as their homework, ask them to learn the words by themselves. Then, with the assistance of Jing, ask students to video themselves pronouncing the set of words one by one following the sequence of pictures. Last, send the video to the teacher, and the teacher could help them correct their pronoun cation. 

Why is the contend good for vocabulary building?

• Vocabulary can be built systematically: it is ordered consistently into 11 large categories, each category is further divided into more subcategories. 
• All the vocabulary is equipped with visual aids (picture) and pronunciation recordings, so it is very intuitive and straightforward to learn the words, especially for younger learners.
• The classification of vocabulary displays good quality with considerable details.
• All of the vocabulary learning is in close connection with practices and quizzes by which learners could strengthen their memories.
• Most sets of vocabulary are arranged in three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced level, learners could approach the vocabulary accordingly.

Limitations and points to improve.

• The vocabulary mainly covers words about objects and nouns. Not enough verbs and adjectives, etc. are introduced.
• The exercises do not drill students' spelling, it only deals with listening and speaking.
• Teachers could not add new sets of vocabulary on the web.
• Learners do not have access to the record of their learning history.

Using 'Learning Chocolate' to teach/learn vocabulary

What is it, how does it work? (http://www.learningchocolate.com/)


Learning chocolate is a fun vocabulary learning platform on which learners could accumulate new words systematically and autonomously .

Some ideas about how we can use this website

• Use Learning Chocolate and the related exercises as a pre-reading/listening activity to activate students' schemata.
• Teach the new vocabulary in the class first, then ask students to work in pairs and compete to finish the following exercises.
• Make it a a regular homework for students to create their own vocabulary sets (with pictures) on the website and share it with other students. 
• Divide students in pairs and ask one students to pronounce the vocabulary and the other student to do the following fill-in exercise.

Why is this website good for English Language Teaching?

• The vocabulary provided on the website are sorted in a systematic way. (e.g. vocabulary about amusement park, car, etc.)
• All the vocabulary is explained by pictures, so it is very fun and straightforward to learn the new words.
• Various well-designed exercises are followed to help learners practice and memorize the new words.
• Pronunciation of the words are available. 
• The teacher/students are also allowed to add a new set of vocabulary on the web.

Limitations and possible points to improve. 

• No dictionary is available on the website to help learning
• Sine everyone can create and share their product on the web, some of them are not systematic enough or the pictures are not clear enough.
• The account doesn't keep a record of how many new words a student has learned.
• The website is still underdeveloped with not enough sets of vocabulary.