< Discussion Questions>
1. What is a goal to teach speaking? How can English teachers to achieve this goal?
-Communication process (effectively)
-Deliver message to others, listen and react in English appropriately
-Balance between input and output
-Comfortable atmosphere
2. Explain the following terms and types of speaking activities
*content-oriented vs. form-oriented input
-Content-oriendted: focus on information (lectures, weather report, news, movies)
-Form-oriented: ways of using the language (vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar, read aloud, intonation, fluency, My Words, spoken accuracy, grammar chants and songs, tong twister)
*communicative vs. structure input(output)
-Communicative output: fluency, meaning-based, message, less attention on errors
-Structure output: correct forms, specific structure, fixed dialogue, repeat, make students comfortable, accuracy
*information gap
-at least two people
-meaning negotiation actively involved; more meaningful
-two different roles
-communicating to get the information from another person
-zigsaw
*picture narrating vs. picture describing
-picture narrating: based on several sequential pictures; Students are asked to tell the story taking place in the sequential pictures by paying attention to the criteria provided by the teacher as a rubric
-picture describing: give students just one picture and having them describe what it is in the picture; fosters the creativity and imagination, public speaking skills
*role play vs. simulation
-role play: students pretend they are in various social contexts and have a variety of social roles; fixed; use imagination
-simulation: more elaborate; create a realistic environment; dramatic
16 November, 2010
Speaking tools
Chat robots could be good tools for students to practice speaking. These could easily be done by homework or also class time. Some useful sites for chat robot includes Alicebot, Fake Captain Kirk, and Voki.
For example, 'Alicebot' site includes chatbox with a robot computer program called Alice. If students go to this site and click 'chat with Alice', students will see the robot Alice and a blank which says 'you say:'. Here, students can freely ask questions to 'Alice' and practice some English forms and vocabularies with her. Students will be 'human' and when they ask her questions, Alice will reply. It is automatic replies but students can have fun. She is not real but it feels like real because some of her questions are funny and some serious. These days, students are really into computer games and like doing something with the internet, this resource could be an excellent tool for students to practice both reading, writing, and speaking. Because the answers Alice provides are the same for all 'humans', the teacher can give homework such as 'find out Alice's interests or hobby' by make them use certain forms they learned during class.
For 'Fake Captian Kirk', the same things reply. Good aspect of this site is that students can hear Captain Kirk's reply through headphones. Also, his character seems like from the space, so many boys would probably enjoy talking to him about their curious questions about the outer space. Many teenage boys are fascinated by outer space.
For 'Voki', students can create their own character, and it is always fun to make your own imagination character. After making one, students can type in the blank some sentence they want to hear from, their own character will say outloud for them. For speaking practice, it will be fun because they get to hear from their own creative image and not some automatic voice mail.
For example, 'Alicebot' site includes chatbox with a robot computer program called Alice. If students go to this site and click 'chat with Alice', students will see the robot Alice and a blank which says 'you say:'. Here, students can freely ask questions to 'Alice' and practice some English forms and vocabularies with her. Students will be 'human' and when they ask her questions, Alice will reply. It is automatic replies but students can have fun. She is not real but it feels like real because some of her questions are funny and some serious. These days, students are really into computer games and like doing something with the internet, this resource could be an excellent tool for students to practice both reading, writing, and speaking. Because the answers Alice provides are the same for all 'humans', the teacher can give homework such as 'find out Alice's interests or hobby' by make them use certain forms they learned during class.
For 'Fake Captian Kirk', the same things reply. Good aspect of this site is that students can hear Captain Kirk's reply through headphones. Also, his character seems like from the space, so many boys would probably enjoy talking to him about their curious questions about the outer space. Many teenage boys are fascinated by outer space.
For 'Voki', students can create their own character, and it is always fun to make your own imagination character. After making one, students can type in the blank some sentence they want to hear from, their own character will say outloud for them. For speaking practice, it will be fun because they get to hear from their own creative image and not some automatic voice mail.
05 November, 2010
Listening tools
From the listening tools we have studied, I have realized there are so many good listening materials to be used during English classes through the internet.
Podcasting is the digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program. It is possible to download audio or video file to your PC, and post them on the blog.
iTune U sites could be useful sites for college level students. Many American universities offer iTune U and all the students from around the world can download some of the lectures they want to listen to. I think this is brilliant idea because or else, students not in American would never have any chance to attend a Harvard lecture. These sites could arouse students' attention and motivate them. Since the lecture are designed for English speakers, and they are college-leveled, it could be difficult to comprehend at first. However, as students get used to listening them, it could increase their listening skills and also the knowledge about their major.
There are also podcasting sites for kids.
For example, there is a kids site called 'Storynory' which includes lots of children stories. Children can click on the story they wish to know about. The site provides listening and also the script so children can say aloud while listening to their favorite stories. Since many of the stories are already familiar to them, and they like those stories, children could be motivated. There are no videos available, but children can instead imagine the scenes from the stories because the recorded voice does an amazing job at the intonation and pronunciation, making it sound like a real life story.
Podcasting is the digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program. It is possible to download audio or video file to your PC, and post them on the blog.
iTune U sites could be useful sites for college level students. Many American universities offer iTune U and all the students from around the world can download some of the lectures they want to listen to. I think this is brilliant idea because or else, students not in American would never have any chance to attend a Harvard lecture. These sites could arouse students' attention and motivate them. Since the lecture are designed for English speakers, and they are college-leveled, it could be difficult to comprehend at first. However, as students get used to listening them, it could increase their listening skills and also the knowledge about their major.
There are also podcasting sites for kids.
For example, there is a kids site called 'Storynory' which includes lots of children stories. Children can click on the story they wish to know about. The site provides listening and also the script so children can say aloud while listening to their favorite stories. Since many of the stories are already familiar to them, and they like those stories, children could be motivated. There are no videos available, but children can instead imagine the scenes from the stories because the recorded voice does an amazing job at the intonation and pronunciation, making it sound like a real life story.
04 November, 2010
podcasting example
Target Students: 2nd grade in Korean Girls Middle school, advanced level students
Goal of the lesson: to introduce Brother Grimm' stories, chose Snow White because the girls voted for it in advance. To improve students' listening skills combined with writing and speaking.
Process: to listen to an Snow White ending, which is somewhat different from the fmailiar Snow White ending. Students should talk in groups about the ending of Snow White and provide an alternative ending (write as a group).
Podcasting as a listening resource tool: Students should listen to the ending of Snow White uploaded podcasting file several times and each person in the group should upload their own recorded alternative ending using 곰녹음기, upload the file.
From: http://storynory.com/2006/07/31/snow-white/
-Storynory, audio stories for kids.
Goal of the lesson: to introduce Brother Grimm' stories, chose Snow White because the girls voted for it in advance. To improve students' listening skills combined with writing and speaking.
Process: to listen to an Snow White ending, which is somewhat different from the fmailiar Snow White ending. Students should talk in groups about the ending of Snow White and provide an alternative ending (write as a group).
Podcasting as a listening resource tool: Students should listen to the ending of Snow White uploaded podcasting file several times and each person in the group should upload their own recorded alternative ending using 곰녹음기, upload the file.
From: http://storynory.com/2006/07/31/snow-white/
-Storynory, audio stories for kids.
02 November, 2010
Week 10 Listening
1. Explain the two listening techniques: top-down vs. bottom-up and tell us when you employ each technique for what purpose.
Bottom-up: listening very carefully, to details
Listening test, explain direction, solve the problem
Top-down: get the main ideas using background information, guessing from context, listening to a chunk
Drama, TV, radio, talking with friends, music, novels, lecture, Korean context, predict
Implication: depending on the focus, purpose
2. What type of listening materials do you think good for top-down or bottom-up strategies? Review the listening materials and select some for each.
Bottom-up: academic texts, listening tests, dictation activities, phone #
Top-down: real-life stories, news
3. What is podcasting? Discuss the benefits of doing podacasting for L2 learners.
-digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, regularly. Search and download audio or video file downloaded to your PC, post them on the blog. People who RSS your site could download.
-1. T choose the right podcasting site, authentic material
2. Ss could pick what they are interested in (self-searchable), maybe authentic materials or educational, ESL materials
-Benefits:
1. T can provide more various, interesting materials
2. challenging materials for advanced students (additional materials)
Bottom-up: listening very carefully, to details
Listening test, explain direction, solve the problem
Top-down: get the main ideas using background information, guessing from context, listening to a chunk
Drama, TV, radio, talking with friends, music, novels, lecture, Korean context, predict
Implication: depending on the focus, purpose
2. What type of listening materials do you think good for top-down or bottom-up strategies? Review the listening materials and select some for each.
Bottom-up: academic texts, listening tests, dictation activities, phone #
Top-down: real-life stories, news
3. What is podcasting? Discuss the benefits of doing podacasting for L2 learners.
-digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, regularly. Search and download audio or video file downloaded to your PC, post them on the blog. People who RSS your site could download.
-1. T choose the right podcasting site, authentic material
2. Ss could pick what they are interested in (self-searchable), maybe authentic materials or educational, ESL materials
-Benefits:
1. T can provide more various, interesting materials
2. challenging materials for advanced students (additional materials)
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