This document discusses various technologies that can be used to support oral language skills for English language learners. It describes how the internet, audio recorders, and video cameras can provide opportunities for pronunciation practice and vocabulary reinforcement. Examples of synchronous tools like videoconferencing and asynchronous tools like email and blogs are given. Three case studies are summarized that used computer-mediated communication between students in different countries to collaborate on art projects and create digital books and animations to develop reading, writing, and storytelling skills.

1. Diana Monzón
Dora Leal
Kerym Escobar

2. Technologies to
support oral skills

3. - Internet is a source for recorded songs, e-books, podcasts, and video clips.
- It helps Ss pronunciation & reinforcement of new vocabulary
- Students improve identification of grammatical errors and inaccuracy in
pronunciation. .

4. - Flip of video cameras to record their mouth movements.
- Karaoke-style approach makes students visualize rhymes and songs through
freeze-frame photography.

5. Advantages of using audios and talking photo albums
- Cheap
- Portable
- Used by many learners
- Encourage speakers to use oral language in class

6. Audio recorders like talking tins,
peas o cards can be used to
reinforce the learning of traditional
rhymes or to record the singing of
popular songs.
Talking photo albums: Stories or
nonfiction texts with an oral
narrative.
Example:
www.segfl.org.uk/spot/post/recorda
ble_talking_devices

7. E-tools that facilitate language practice
- They need to offer opportunities practice language as many way as possible.
- Technologies provide learners with the opportunity to communicate with others.

8. Synchronous tools
Video-conferencing
Face-to-face interaction
Virtual words (Second life, Active Words, Open
Sim):
Asynchronous tools:
E-mail
Blogging
Wikis

10. Case 1.1: Travelling through arts -
Spain and Canada

11. Main goal
To investigate how computer mediated communication (CMC) can facilitate
English language learning between children based in two different countries.
Characteristics
➔6-year old Catalan students were linked to a Canadian school
➔Work collaboratively on a cross-curricular project integrating art, social
science and language learning
➔Research the life of a local artist
➔Share findings asynchronously via blogs and wikis
➔Virtual exhibition of artwork was created in Second Life

12. http://teachertefl.edu.glogster.com/travellingthruart/

13. Developing reading and writing
Why children are unable to comprehend or appreciate the full purpose of
a piece of text
● Reading is forced too early and becomes a purely mechanistic process
● Limited access to appropriate texts to interact with
● Lack of exposure to authentic oral models
● Texts are too sophisticated for some English learners
www.wordle.net

14. DIGITAL LITERACY
● Children are bombarded daily by an array of digital texts
● Children need to learn to understand the media-types in the physical
world as well as on the internet
● Digital texts and electronic books (e-books) can inspire children to
read.
http://www.naturalreaders.com/index.html

16. Interactive Fiction (IF) Talking Texts
Active reading by enabling learners to
affect outcomes in stories
Books are a natural starting point for
language learning at whatever age
the process starts.
● Motivation
● Author for different audiences
● Multi-modal digital narratives like
cartoons, storyboards,
presentations, blogs, websites
and extended prose.
http://uk.mantralingua.com/
● Increase access
● Books bring texts alive (voice
characterisation, intonation and
expression
● Modelling authentic oral
language
www.2simple.com

18. Case 1.3: Cross curricular story
writing- Turkey

19. Main goal
To promote creativity using children’s artwork to produce digital animations
Characteristics
➔ A class of five- and six-year old children worked on a year-long curricular
story writing project
➔ Created an audio-enabled talking book based on the characters of two
imaginary children, “Bubble” and “Pebble” (e-book)
➔ During English classes, teaching was always conducted in the target
language. During art classes, the children were provided with a number of
different character models to design their animations for the story.

20. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bubble-and-pebble-
story/id444909635?mt=8