Chapter 6 in our CALL book discusses that CALL materials should teach sounds and accents and provide opportunities for oral practice through interaction with the computer (p. 152). I believe Voicethread is a great way for teachers to achieve these goals. The authors of our CALL text also discuss how important pronunciation instruction is to speaking abilities in students. Voicethread provides a great way for teachers to focus on pronunciation. The student’s ability to record themselves and then listen to their pronunciation compared to their teacher’s pronunciation is a great tool.
However, the authors of the text also say that CALL materials should provide a way to evaluate learners’ performance and provide feedback. (p. 152)This is where I think Voicethread is lacking. There is no way for teachers to provide feedback to the students after they have posted their comments.
Overall, I think Voicethread is a helpful tool that can be useful in the CALL classroom as long as it is supplemented with other material. For students who may be timid to speak in the classroom this is a great way for them to feel more comfortable speaking. I also think that if the class was small enough, Voicethread could be incorporated into a blog and the teacher could respond with typed comments to each student. Although this wouldn’t be ideal, it would provide one opportunity for quick feedback.
References:
Chapelle, C. (2008). Tips for Teaching with CALL
http://voicethread4education.wikispaces.com/EFL+&+ESL
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3 years ago
I like the idea of Voicethread being incorporated into a blog. You mentioned that the teacher could respond with typed comments to each student, but I think that it would be even better if the teacher records his/her comments. In this way the students will have the opportunity to listen to authentic language. The comments could serve as input for the students.
ReplyDeleteJessina - I like your idea of making the posts anonymous. This would be a great way for students to get comfortable with posting without the added pressure.
ReplyDeleteMiglena - When making my post I didn't even think about recording the comments. I just automatically associate a blog with typed comments but I think you could really help develop listening skills by recording the comments.
I really like the notion of using voicethread in order to build students' confidence in speaking in the classroom. Voicethread can serve as a 'bridge' for those students who feel timid to eventually become more comfortable with speaking in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteMaria - thanks for your comment!
ReplyDelete