TELESTE EDUCATIONAL NEWSLETTER
January, 2000
I Imperata$B4s new features
II Divace and the Web
III Partner Tools: TextPartner
I IMPERATA$B4S NEW FEATURES
There are some new features added to the Imperata 2.0 version
to be launched shortly, two of which we would like to point out.
The broadcast feature can be used by a teacher or classroom
facilitator to 'show his screen' in real time, on any other computer
or group of computers. The second feature is a new monitoring
capability that allows the teacher to inobtrusively check in on
student workstations to see what progress is being made, to
see if any help can be offered, or to see if the workstations are
being used productively.
II DIVACE ARTICLE
DIVACE: Taking Interactive Language Learning to the Next Level on the Web
Today, a vast number of web sites provide authentic material
in audio and video format for language learning online.
These pages offer dedicated activities for listening
comprehension, dictations, quizzes and puzzles.
The following sites are particularly worth visiting:
Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab http://www.esl-lab.com,
Lingua Center http://deil.lang.uiuc.edu/LCRA,
EnglishPractice.com http://www.englishpractice.com/,
ESL Independent Study Lab http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/toppicks/toppicks.html,
CELT, University of Sterling http://www.stir.ac.uk/celt/Listen/index.html,
To listen to audio or watch a video clip on the Internet one
needs to have a software program to handle those audio
and video files. There are many such programs, usually
referred to as players, and some of them like RealAudio
and RealVideo Players have become standards for playing
those streaming audio and video files off the Internet.
While those players allow playback only,
Teleste Educational's DIVACE comes with additional
features that have been specifically designed for language
learning. This multimedia recorder enables the learner to
play Internet or any digital files, and at the same time
record his oral input either in the form of responses
to questions, or voice-overs, or translations, or repetitions.
The record feature makes it possible for the student to
practise speaking, intonation or pronunciation.
The way DIVACE is used with the Internet audio and
video sites can best be examined on the example given
on the Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab site. On the
site one will find online audio and video recordings,
learning activities with self-grading tests, pre-listening,
listening, and post-listening assignments,
listening transcripts, dictation exercises, and explanations
of the answers.
For instance, the activity called Friday Night Mishaps
(www.esl-lab.com/night/nightrd1.htm) comes with a
complete lesson plan and includes Pre-Listening,
Listening and Post-Listening Exercises. In the Pre-Listening
session students are required to discuss mishaps
and accidents that can happen around the house.
In the Listening part, the learners click on the Audio
and listen to the recording. Afterwards, they should
answer a multiple-choice test. A click on the Final Score
button will evaluate their responses and give them the
correct answers.
The Post-Listening Exercises expect the students
to do the role-play based on the model provided,
and record their conversation or the story in their own
words on the Divace recorder and share them with their partners.
With the text synchronisation feature Divace is also
a perfect tool for language learning from songs and
even karaoke.
LATEST!!!
You can now download DIVACE LITE from www.divace.com. With this 30day evaluation
version you will be able to playback learning materials in all digital file
formats including RealAudio and RealVideo and practise speaking by recording
your own voice input.
III PARTNER TOOLS: TEXTPARTNER
In response to requests for how Partner Tools can be
used we have created a series of 'lesson plan outlines'
for people wanting to introduce, or to be introduced to
various Partner Tools functions.
Text Partner is the simplest of the Tools to use.
Its main function is to present textual information within
a framework of annotations that can be accessed from
a 'text-frame'. A simple exercise using Text Partner
might be practice reading for gist, with questions, hints
and insights provided in annotations. The text itself
can be read initially, and then followed up with questions
and discussion. While the Partner Tools programs
have been referred to as presentation software,
they can be thought of as only one of many possible
aspects of a lesson or a class-session.
Text Partner can be used to develop initial exercises
leading towards discussions or other interactive activities.
For instance, take an informative text relating to some
recent local news. Annotations might include target
grammar constructs, audio recordings, images, a simplified
version of the text, or comprehension questions. Vocabulary
might be studied and reviewed in this space also,
and example sentences can be created to activate
this new vocabulary.
Teleste Educational http://edu.teleste.fi
If you do not want to receive these newsletters from Teleste
Educational, please send email to [log in to unmask] with
UNSUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER as subject.
|
