Talking Tools - My #ililc4 workshop

If you've read any of this rubbish before, you could be forgiven for thinking that I'm not a great fan of the ipad.

This is not true, of course.

My issue with ipads is the ways in which they are used.

Dom's first rule of technology states:

If it can only be done with tech, then you may do it with tech.

My workshop at #ililc4 included a selection of fun tools and applications which will help students improve their speaking skills whilst having fun.

This is the presentation I used:

Talking tools from Dominic McGladdery

The penultimate slide is the one where I've listed all the tools I demonstrated.

Here is a selection of the work created by the delegates who were kind enough, and patient enough, to attend my workshop and I'm incredibly grateful to them for turning up and entering into the spirit of things.


Serena Dawson's Morfo


Annalise Adam's Tellagami

Fatima Khaled's movie

Glennis Pye's Yakit

Sadie McLachlan and Amanda Salt's Yakit

and Rachel Britt's blabberize



I hope you can find something in amongst these tools which you could use and if you have half as much fun as we did making them, you won't have wasted your time.

Enjoy!

Duolingo - language learning on the go

Every day I receive at least one email asking me if I can review a language based product on my blog.

Sometimes there is even a monetary incentive - but as well as the fact that I ain't no hollaback girl, I ain't no sell out, neither, my friends. 

So, if I'm going to recommend something it's because I use it and I think it's amazing.

At the last TeachMeetBlakes someone (I stilll don't know who) recommended Duolingo to me.

Duolingo is a totally free language learning app (with no ads!!!) which you can use to learn Spanish, French, German, Portugese or Italian. 

I'm using it to brush up on my Spanish as I shall be teaching it again (after 8 years!) in September.

It's great for students and adults alike and consists of short exercises in each of the 4 skills.

It covers the basics of greetings, food, etc but also has grammar sections in which you can practise lots of different tenses, conjunctions, prepositions, adjectives, adverbs, object pronouns, etc, etc. 

One of the best things about Duolingo is that it gently "reminds" the user to practise every day. 

I'm recommending that all my students install this on their smartphones and tablets to help improve their language skills. 

It's good fun, educational and looks like a game. 

I'm impressed.

 

Making a difference by differentiating differently #ililc4

I had the privilege of attending, and presenting, at this year's #ililc4 conference at Southampton University this weekend.

There were so many amazing linguists there doing things that you might not always associate with teachers; sharing, encouraging, smiling, advising and most importantly supporting each other.

I did 2 sessions.

This is my presentation on differentiation:

Differentiation from Dominic McGladdery

My hands on session on Talking Tools will take slightly more prep as I'm going to include some of the clips created by the attendees. I'll also at some point blog about all the amazing things I saw. Watch this space.