We are sure that during the quarantine, some of the teachers have already become real gurus of online technologies for language learning, and have chosen the most convenient way to interact with students. No matter how you organize the learning process – remotely or in real-time – we have selected some tools and resources that aim to make communication with students more productive, and the learning process itself more interesting!
H2: 8 Top Tech Tools for World Language Classes
Whether you want to watch your favorite movies or TV series in the original, or improve your skills, or engage with children at home, now is the time to learn a foreign language. If you like off-line lessons, then most likely you have stopped your choice on Zoom, Microsoft Teams platforms, or conduct lessons in Skype or even Viber. However, some of us are forced to choose other options.
- Miro and Aww apps are virtual boards for online learning. They are used for teamwork as well as if you want to go green and use less paper. What can be done on such a board:
- Pre-listening / Pre-reading / Pre-speaking.
- Work in groups or pairs.
- Write emergent language / repetition.
- Arrange pictures, sentences, paragraphs of text, etc.
- With Duolingo, every lesson is racing, competing with friends, checking the correct answers, speaking the language, listening, translating, and reading texts. The program will immediately point out your mistakes and offer options to improve the results.
- Quizlet is an application that contains more than 60 million flashcards for learning words. Quizlet reads a word and definition aloud, and that is why the student can learn how words are pronounced. Teachers use the Quizlet in the Classroom to teach a variety of topics. Students can play games to learn and repeat new words. Application features:
- Helps to practice and check vocabulary.
- You can select and include words in the set as desired.
- You can create materials so that students can prepare for the tests.
- VoiceTube is a tool that allows you to listen to and study each sentence in the video within the script. The app contains over 15,000 videos, including TED talks, TED-ED, CNN news, and more. Students can also listen and record how they pronounce a sentence from a script and then compare it to the original. Some videos also have tasks, but they only work in Chrome. Content is divided into three levels: initial, intermediate, and above average.
- Lexicon By Like Thought, LLC is a program to learn new words. Enter the word you want to memorize or add the required words from the dictionary. You will memorize words with flashcards, quizzes, games, recording and playing words, and more. Program features:
- Use of flashcards.
- Quiz with multiple choice or short answers.
- Recording and playback of words in audio format.
- Sort words by groups.
- Support for 100 languages.
- Flipgrid is a free and simple application that promotes the development of student’s communication skills. So by creating short video answers and conversations on a given topic of the lesson, students learn the language. You can use the best document translation services to help you with it. Educators and students can use Flipgrid from home to stay involved in the educational process and thus continue their education. Most students still use smartphones, so the platforms and resources you use should have a user-friendly interface and operate on a small screen. Benefits:
- It is convenient to assess speaking skills.
- Supports students’ self-esteem and reflection.
- Motivates to speak.
- The name of the program is eloquent: thanks to Easy Ten you will really replenish your vocabulary by at least 10 words a day. That’s 70 new words a week, and 140 in two weeks. Having chosen the most frequently used words correctly, having 150 lexical units in stock, you will be able to communicate in the language. You do not need to spend a lot of time on the program – up to 20 minutes a day.
- Lessons are almost the only chance for our students to practice using language for communication. And if you teach a group or class with 10-20 students? Then the Breakout rooms function on the Zoom platform will become a real lifesaver for you. Breakout rooms are a set of small rooms where teachers can send small groups of students to study together. Benefits:
- The teacher can observe the work of students.
- More time for interaction in pairs or groups.
- The learning process becomes more exciting.
- Critical thinking develops.
H2: Diversity and Improvement
Innovative language applications use smart strategies to help you improve your language skills. Language learning programs are an exciting interactive way to do this. When conducting online lessons, you should use a variety of tools to visualize the information you provide. Presentations, videos, online boards, stickers, mental maps – will not only help to diversify your online lesson but also significantly improve the level of memorization of the submitted material.
