Technology in the foreign language classroom

1. Technology and second
language acquisition
Smart phones, iPads, and laptops, oh my!

2. Mobile Learning
Technology is no longer something that
can only happen in the computer lab.
Most students have a great language
resource in their pockets, they just
need to learn how to use it for
language learning purposes.

3. In the classroom
Wiffiti:
“Wiffiti publishes real time messages to screens
in thousands of locations from jumbotrons to
jukeboxes, bars to bowling alleys and cafes to
colleges. You can interact with Wiffiti from your
mobile phone or the web.”
Benefits: no log-on needed, can be used with
any cell phone

4. In the classroom
Socrative:
“Socrative is a smart student response system that
empowers teachers to engage their classrooms
through a series of educational exercises and games
via smartphones, laptops, and tablets.”
Page for students: m.socrative.com
Space Race, true/false questions, exit tickets
Benefits: No log-on needed, can be used with
cellphones, tablets, and computers

5. In the classroom
Poll everywhere:
Another way to question students, and
replaces the standard clicker. Results
appear on a screen.
Benefits: multiple choice/open ended
questions
Negative: Slow during certain times of day.

6. How Poll Everywhere works:

7. Treasure hunt
Using cell phones students take pictures of
found items and post them to posterous.com.
Posterous: blog that you post to using your
cell phone/computer.
Benefits: Students can go and view other
group’s work, and add comments in the L2.
Negative: Have to set up an account for each
student, some problems uploading.

8. Treasure hunt

9. Technology at home

10. Speaking practice
Voki:
Create customized avatars.
Add voice to your Voki avatars.
Post your Voki to any blog, website, or profile.

11. Speaking
Audioboo:
We are a mobile & web platform that effortlessly
allows you to record and share audio for your
friends, family or the rest of the world to hear
Benefits: can be used on smartphones and
computers, and recorded message can be posted
to any blog (such as posterous.com).
Negative: On smartphones and tablets, you have to
download the application first.

12. Speaking
Mailvu: video e-mail
Easy to make videos that are sent via e-mail
Benefits: You can send feed-back to the videos you
receive with your own return video message that goes
directly to the student.
Negative: Need a computer with a web-cam.

13. Speaking/Writing
Voicethread:
“Conversations in the cloud”
Download a power-point presentation or
image and students can make comments on
what they learning, what they see, or comment
on the image.
Comments can be either written or recorded.

14. Speaking/ Writing
GoAnimate:
Animated videos
Students write/record a dialogue and the computer
reads the script.
Benefit: Fun and easy to make, different language
options.
Negative: NONE, super fun.

15. GoAnimate
Video Sample

16. Writing/Vocabulary
Glogster: Online poster maker
About themselves
About a specific topic

17. Putting it all together
Online lesson plans
Benefits:
Practice many different areas in one lesson (reading,
writing, speaking, listening)
Many different resources that can be used
Students can reference back to them to practice at
any time.
Negative:
Students don’t like creating new accounts.
Different computers, various potential problems.