Language Teachers:There’s a World of Resources Out There - M. Erdman

Language Teachers:There’s a World of Resources Out There

    During these past five years or so, there have been tremendous strides made in the area of language acquisition and how language is taught.   Much of this is due to how the standards for learning a language have changed, but technology has played a very important role as well.  When I started teaching 24 years ago in the stone ages,  there simply wasn’t any technology to implement in the lesson.  If I wanted to do a listening comprehension with my students, I had to play a cassette tape, yes a cassette tape.  The activities that also went along with said cassette were awful and hardly authentic.  The students would hear a vocab word and check off the picture or circle the correct vocabulary word.  Like the old school, original Star Wars movies, technology in the world language classroom had not caught up yet, until recently.  Learning a foreign language and practicing the four skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing is much easier nowadays due to a myriad of technological advancements and useful tools. I can truly state that technology has helped me really change the way that I teach.  

This all sounds great, but what are these advances/tools used to enhance instruction in the 4 skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing?

    Technology/tools/activities for listening proficiency:

• Podcasts
• YouTube clips
• Cortometrajes-shorts
• Spanishlistening.org
• Fluent U

I scour the web daily to find authentic resources that help the students to practice the  interpretive mode of communication.  I then have have them pair up and it turns into an interpersonal communication activity.

Technology/tools/activities for reading proficiency:

• bbcmundo.com-Spanish
• Infographs-there are tons out there-just Google
• Newspapers online for various languages
• ESPN Deportes-Spanish
• Albúm-Authentic short stories in Spanish
• YouTube-turn down the sound and click on the subtitles to turn it into a reading comprehension activity
• Memes in desired language
• Menus from restaurants in various languages
• Fill out a T Chart (google Doc) of what I read and turn and talk with a partner to find out what they read or got out of the source. Interpretive--->Interpersonal--->Presentational(if so desired).
• Podcast-locate the script and turn it into a reading comprehension activity

Technology/tools/activities for oral proficiency:

• Facetime/Skype with someone in another classroom, state, country-interpersonal communication
• Audacity-computer program to record voice-great for interpersonal/presentational speaking
• TwistedWave-web based audio editor to record voice-great for interpersonal/presentational speaking.  Can upload to Google Drive and even submit to Canvas if desired.
• Cell phone to record projects/speaking activities and can upload to Google Drive
• Splice and Quik are good video editing apps after recording audio for projects/skits

Technology/tools/activities for writing proficiency:

• Google Docs-have students respond to a writing prompt with embedded questions for interpersonal writing practice.  Students can also share a Google Doc to collaborate on a presentation/skit, etc..
• Podcasts, newspapers, authentic articles from magazines-students can use Canvas/Google Docs to write a response, what they learned, or even their opinion(s).
• Storybird-choose your artwork and create/build a story.  Great for any language.

These are simply some of the ways that the advances in technology have helped me to actively involve my students in the learning process and pique their interest.  I’m sure I missed many, but that’s the beauty of technology; it’s always growing.  My best friend is my laptop and not a textbook.  Yes, it takes time to peruse the internet universe, but I believe it is very rewarding for the students.  I feel as though I’m not stuck in the mud anymore and now I can move at light speed ahead and so can you!

Mike Erdman