ICT Projects (1): Tools to enhance listening

skills
[7.1] How to study this unit

[7.2] Tools to enhance listening skills

7
UNIT
 ICT Tools Applied to the Learning of English Language

Key ideas

7.1. How to study this unit

To study this unit, you need to read the following articles about different tools to
enhance listening skills in ESL classroom:

Pinar Kasapoglu-Akyol. “Using Educational Tools to improve language and

communication skills of ESL students”.

Ramírez Verdugo, Dolores y Alonso Belmonte, Isabel. "Using Digital Stories to

Improve listening comprehension with Spanish Young Learns of English”:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/45658190_Using_digital_stories_to_impr
ove_listening_comprehension_with_Spanish_young_learners_of_English

Eaton, Sarah Elaine. “ How to use Skype in the ESL/EFL Classroom”:

http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Eaton-UsingSkype.html

In this unit, we start a series of units in which, we, teachers,

are going to use our creativity when using tools to create
authentic and real material for our students.

On the one hand, it has the advantage of enhancing

our creativity and incorporating technology in
our teaching practice and integrating it into our methodology and our
preparation of our classes.

On the other hand, different technological tools allow teachers to create materials
to fill the needs of their students, i.e., instead of playing the different tracks of
a certain lesson as any textbook would recommend to do the tasks the textbook
requires, teachers can create material based on their learner’s needs.

Thus, in this unit we are going to get to know some tools that allow teachers to create
materials to reinforce students’ listening skill.

UNIT 7 – Key ideas

 ICT Tools Applied to the Learning of English Language

7.2. Tools to enhance listening skills

A. Skype

Skype

http://www.skype.com/intl/es-es/home

Skype is a software program founded in 2003 that allows users to make phone calls
through the Internet using voice over IP (VoIP) technology. It also offers a wide
variety of services including calls from fixed-lines or mobile phones, fax and
video calling.
In order to start using the program, you need to install it in your computer. Skype’s
installation process takes only a few minutes.

You need to create Skype account. You just need an email address, a user name and a
password. Then an assistant will guide you through certain steps to make a sound test
or watch a tutorial on how to use the application

UNIT 7 – Key ideas

 ICT Tools Applied to the Learning of English Language

Once you have finished the main screen opens and you are ready to use Skype. You
can invite students to use Skype and use it in class.

The only thing you need to start is a videocamera if you are doing video-calling and a
set of headphones to be able to listen to the other person. It is user-friendly and easily
adaptable to your needs and preferences.

Advantages using Skype:

 It helps to i mprove listening s kills as the us er has to pay active attention

to what the interlocutor is saying.

 It is useful to practice vocabulary in a natural way, especially greeting

formulas.

 It fos ters improvisation and puts our knowledg e to the test both when
writing and speaking.

 It encourages students to use authentic English will real people.

 It provid es extra moti vation because what students learn can be used in
the real world.

 It promotes communication exp eriences which can help students

identify their strengths and weaknesses in the four basic skills.

UNIT 7 – Key ideas

 ICT Tools Applied to the Learning of English Language

Uses of Skype

As you need to upload a picture. Students can hold pictures

 Picture description and the other student can describe it . Teacher can describe a
picture and students need to draw what they understand.

You can dictate a certain text . While they are listening

 Dictation students need to write down what they hear and then
sending my email their texts to the teacher.

 Pronunciation Teacher’s can do pronunciation drills through Skype.

You can set up teachers from other subjects to give seminars

 Collaborative
in English through Skype. The topics could be chosen by the
projects
students themselves.

Of course, you need to train your students in the way Skype works and the way to work
with Skype. They need to understand it is a learning tool, not a tool to make fun of
others in class.

It would be great if you could contact a school in a non-spanish country to be

able to carry out common projects or an exchange language program through
Skype.

B. Listen and write

Listen and write

http://www.listen-and-write.com/

Listen and Write is a dictation exercise creation tool. It has a large number of
dictation exercises already created in a number of languages, but you and your students
can also create your own. The dictation tool offers a number of options to support and
develop students’ ability to listen.

UNIT 7 – Key ideas

 ICT Tools Applied to the Learning of English Language

You don’t need to register but if you and your students do register there are advantages
such as the ability to track your students progress and create your own
activities. You can simple go to the site and navigate to find a useful activity for your
students.

The activities are staged in a simple way and students have the chance just to listen to
the complete first text. Then, they can listen to the text sentence by sentence with gaps
in or they can listen and try to write the complete text one sentence at a time.

Activities

You can search for and select audio exercises for

 Set listening for
your students that are on a relevant topic and at
homework
an appropriate level

You can create your own dictation activities for

Create your own
you students based on the audio files that you
activities
want them to understand

As we said previously, you can track your students’ progress and it’s an ideal tool to
create homework tasks.

C. Voice Thread

It is an online tool to create multimedia slideshows where you can insert

images, documents, audio and video. Viewers can add text or audio comments
and even doodle while commenting in 5 ways, using voice (with a mic or telephone),
text, audio file, or video (via a webcam). With Voice Thread, group
conversations are collected and shared in one place from anywhere in the world.

UNIT 7 – Key ideas

 ICT Tools Applied to the Learning of English Language

Users can doodle while commenting, use multiple identities, and pick which comments
are shown through moderation. VoiceThreads can even be embedded to show and
receive comments on other websites and exported to MP3 players or DVDs to play as
archival movies.

Moreover, group conversations can be easily shared without having to install

any software. Usages:

Upload a video or picture illustrating a topic and have

 Topic discussion
students express their opinions

Upload photos or images for students to describe

 Picture description using prepositions, comparative and superlative
adjectives, etc.

Upload a scene and ask students to predict what will

 Prediction
happen next

Show a selection of famous people, paintings, books,

 Expressing opinions
movies and ask students to leave their impressions

Get images of people in different situations and allow

your students to add text and/or audio comments
 Making inferences expressing what the characters might be saying or
doing

Other tools

Voki

http://www.voki.com/

Voki is a great way to have students share their knowledge of a topic in 60 seconds
or less. You can make students organize their thoughts to focus on key details, picture
description. You can customize: Character Style, Change the look, clothing and
accessories, Voice (Add your own voice via phone, microphone, text to speech or
upload a file)

UNIT 7 – Key ideas

 ICT Tools Applied to the Learning of English Language

In Depth

“Translate Text into Phonetic Script”

Peachey, Nick

Short article in which Nick Peachey explains how to use Phonetizer, a program
which takes a text and adds the phonetic spelling below the text.

The article is available in the virtual classroom or in the following link:

http://quickshout.blogspot.com/2011/11/translate-text-into-phonetic-script.html

50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom

Skype in the classroom contains a wealth of educational resources, most but not all
of them to be used in real time, which fall into three main types: virtual field trips,
Mystery Skype and guest speaker sessions.

The article is available in the virtual classroom or in the following link:

https://education.skype.com/

Technology

Gavin Dudeney is interviewed by Jeremy Harmer about his book How to Teach English
with Technology and offers his views about Technology

The video is available in the following link:

http://youtu.be/HsBVGgYaIs8

UNIT 7 – In Depth
 ICT Tools Applied to the Learning of English Language

Teacher training videos

Website by Russell Stannard dedicated to create videos on how to use different

programs for educators. He even has podcasts and advises on how to create your own
videos.

http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/

UNIT 7 – In Depth
 ICT Tools Applied to the Learning of English Language

Test

1. The purpose of this unit is to

A. Present some authoring tools for teachers.
B. To suggest some IT tools which you can use to reinforce your students’ listening
skill.

2. Skype is just use with video and chats:

A. False
B. True

3. Skype encourages:
A. Communication, motivation and improves students’ listening skills.
B. Talking to people in your class, have fun and not learning.

4. Listen and Write is:

A. A dictation exercise creating tool.
B. A tool teachers can use to check comprehension in listening exercises.

5. Voice Thread is:

A. Online tool to create multimedia slideshows where can insert images,
documents, audio and video.
B. Presentation program which students’ can’t participate in.

6. Activities to be used in class are:

A. Topic discussion, picture description, expressing opinions.
B. Prediction, making inferences.
C. All the above.

UNIT 7 – Test