Lyrics Training - Learning English Through Songs!

What is Lyrics Training? What can Lyrics Training do?

Lyrics Training is a fascinating website which can be used for practicing mainly listening skills by watching/listening songs in various genres (usually linked from Youtube). Basically, these songs are divided into three levels: Easy (Green), Medium (Orange), and Hard (Red). In each song, there are still three levels for you to choose according to your proficiency, including Beginner (Fill in the blanks 10%), Intermediate (Fill in the blanks 25%), and Expert (Full lyrics). In addition to English, Songs in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, and Dutch (7 languages in total) are available as well. Lyrics Training is frequently updated and totally free. Amazing, isn't it?

How to use Lyrics Training?

1. Go to http://www.lyricstraining.com/. You can click on 'Recently 
    Played' or 'Most Played (Today)' or even search by keyword(s) 
    (lyrics, artist, or whatever) to get the song you want.

2. After selecting the song, you have to choose the proper level 
    then you can start enjoying it.

3. With the song going, fill in the blanks with correct words until the 
    end. The system will count the total time you spend and show 
    how many of the blanks are left below.

Why is Lyrics Training relevant to language teaching?

1. The varieties of levels (9 levels in total: Easy-Beginner, Easy-
    Intermediate, Easy-Expert, Medium-Beginner, Medium-
    Intermediate, Medium-Expert, Hard-Beginner, Hard-
    Intermediate, and Hard-Expert) make this website suitable for 
    almost all the people to choose the song based on their language 
    proficiency. And it will be great for T to help Ss select the song 
    according to Krashen's "i+1" theory.
2. Using music/songs for materials is effective to lower Ss' anxiety 
    and to make the atmosphere more relaxing and friendlier. It is 
    also helpful to enhance Ss' motivation towards language learning.
    Moreover, for those who have strongly musical 
    aptitude/intelligence, learning language by using songs will easily 
    make them become 'autonomous learners', which is one of all the 
    language teachers' common goals. 
3. As long as Ss have computers and the Internet, they can go on 
    the website to learn English by choosing the song(s) which they 
    like or which they would love to learn. It is also very convenient 
    for Ts assign one/some of the songs for homework.
4. 'Culture' is also an important issue in language learning and 
    teaching. By using 'lyrics' and 'music videos', it is easy to find 
    materials to do with cultural issues. Ss can understand different 
    cultures and learn how to respect different ones.

How can Lyrics Training be used in / outside classroom?

1. It can be used as a warm-up activity to arouse Ss' curiosity and 
    attention. Also, it can be implemented as an extension activity 
    related to the theme/topic.
2. Through careful and appropriate selection, T can make Ss not 
    only practice listening and vocabulary (spelling) but also focus on 
    grammar and sentence structure.
3. It is possible to hold a competition based on this tool. The 
    person/group that finish the lyrics the fastest will be the winner.

The following is a sample activity concerning 'friendship'.
(Made by My Brainshark)

What limitations are there?

1. The blanks slightly change every time you refresh the webpage, 

    which is a disadvantage for Ts to prepare worksheets beforehand. 

    Therefore, I personally suggest that it is better to use this tool in 

    computer classrooms.

2. It is possible for Ss to GUESS the answers by randomly typing 

    every letter on the keyboard. So T's monitoring is necessary 

    when using this tool.

3. "Ascents" may be good for high achievers to practice various 

    listening skills. However, different ascents will increase even 

    more difficulty for low achievers. Perhaps this factor may harm 

    their confidence or even demotivate them.

4. Some lyrics (e.g. taboo words) are not appropriate for Ss, 

    especially for younger learners and teenagers. Thus, T should be 

    very careful when selecting.

Present.me - Produce Your Magic Presentation

What is Present.me? What can Present.me do?

Present.me is a web tool that allows you to create amazing presentations through your documents such as PowerPoint, pdf, or Google Docs. Similar to My Brainshark and Jing I introduced before, Present.me lets you add a narrative to the presentation. However, what makes Present.me so unique is that you can add not only audio effect but also 'your video', which means the audience can see you on the right and the data on the left at the same time.

How to use Present.me?

    1. Go to https://present.me/ and register for free unless you want 

        to pay extra to obtain more functions. Basically speaking, it is 

        totally enough for you to make your presentation magic by 

        using the free version.

    

    2. After signing in, click 'create' and then choose what you want 

        to create, including 'slides & video', 'slides &audio', 'slides', 

        and 'video'.

    3. If we want to make 'slides & video', click 'proceed' and then 

        you are able to upload your content. After your content is 

        successfully converted, you can begin recording. 

    4. The final presentation then appears with your webcam 

        recording on the right and slides on the left. You can preview,        
        download, embed, or share your presentation as you want. The 

        following is my self-made Present.me video regarding the 

        'Wallwisher activity' we had in ICT class last Friday.

Why is Present.me relevant to language teaching?

    1. It provides opportunities to practice speaking, and it fits all Ss' 
        needs. Some shy Ss are not willing to talk in class; thus, they 
        can practice speaking in their room and then send it to T. 
        Moreover, they can also choose not to appear on the screen by 
        selecting 'video-only mode'. For some active / outgoing Ss, 
        they can choose 'slide & video mode' to present themselves as 
        they like. According to my previous teaching experience, one 
        of the factors that Ss care about in practicing speaking is their 
        'face'. With Present.me, there are more possibilities and 
        flexibility for T and Ss to teach / practice speaking.
    2. It breaks the limitation of time and space. As I mentioned in 
        my previous blog articles, especially in Asian context, T are 
        always struggling for timing. They have to go through a lot of 
        materials and spend most of the time dealing with exam 
        purposes. By using Present.me, some activities which are 
        impossible to happen in class can be done effectively. 
    3. It is helpful to catch Ss' attention. For example, T can 
        introduce today's topic by using Present.me, and this is 
        definitely different from traditional warm-up activities. 
        Sometimes it is necessary to have new stimulus in class to 
        promote more student involvement. Ss can experience audio 
        effect, visual effect, and materials at the same time, which will 
        make teaching and learning much more interesting.
    4. It can also be used for listening, reading, and writing. For 
        instance, Ss have to perform all four skills well (read to collect 
        relevant data, write about main points for slides, speak and 
        listen for recording, etc.) to produce a successful presentation. 
        To reach the goal, Ss may practice hundreds of times before 
        they finish, which is what all the language teachers are eager 
        for.

How can Present.me be used in / outside classroom?

    1. It is definitely a great tool to train Ss' speaking ability, and it 

        can used in various circumstances. For instance, T can use it to 

        train Ss for speech contest; with video effect, T can check not   

        merely Ss' facial expressions but also their body language. 

        Also, T can implement it for discussion and debate practice, or 

        even hold a contest to select the best news anchor or the most 

        creative storyteller of the class.

    2. T can ask Ss to do some speaking tasks with Present.me for 

        assessment. In real classrooms, it is almost impossible for T to 

        evaluate Ss' speaking individually. However, Ss now can do it 

        and submit their work at home, and T can mark it and give 

        feedback online. Besides individual evaluation, doing group 

        presentations with Present.me is also a possibility, which is 

        helpful to promote cooperative or collaborative learning. 

    3. T can give online sessions for supplementary teaching or other 

        purposes (e.g. distance teaching and learning) by using 

        Present.me. Also, T can talk about some complicated concepts   

        in detail, give more examples, explain homework / tasks, or 

        even remind Ss of something important by just providing a link 

        or embedding the video in the blog. 

What limitations are there?

    1. It requires appropriate computer equipment and Internet 

        speed. The video I embedded above is over 9 minutes, and it 

        took relatively long time for the system to convert it. 

    2. With free membership, you can only publish at most 10 videos 

        in a month, and each should be less than 60 minutes. 

        (However, I think it is already enough for most teaching and 

        learning conditions.)

    3. Unlike My Brainshark, if you make mistakes during the 

        recording, you will have to go back to the beginning and do it 

        again from zero, which is a bit stressful for Ss, especially for 

        beginners and low achievers.

Wallwisher - A Wall With Lots Of Possibilities

What is Wallwisher? What can Wallwisher do?

Wallwisher is a free online web tool where everyone can build a wall and leave messages. The messages are presented as multi-function post-it notes on the wall, including texts, images, videos, maps, slideshows, documents, links, etc. If the wall is set to 'public', then every visitor has access to adding or editing messages on it. Wallwisher can be used as a tool to collect information; moreover, it can also be used for educational purposes.

How to use Wallwisher?

    1. Register a new account or log in with existing 'google' 

        account. Then you can start create your own 'wall'.

    2. Click 'Build a wall', then you can modify your wall in many 

        aspects such as portraits, titles, description, wallpapers, 

        privacy, web address, etc.

    3. After finishing setting up everything, you can start post what 

        you want on the wall. The following wall is an example I made 

        in class with my classmates (East, Karen, and Aileen), 

        introducing some great restaurants and museums in Madrid, 

        Spain.

Why is Wallwisher relevant to language teaching?

    1. It is colorful and dynamic for T to attract Ss' attention.

        Moreover, it gives Ss much more chances to participate in 

        discussion, which makes language teaching and learning more 

        interesting and interactive.

    2. It is simple to use and full of flexibility. It is absolutely 

        convenient for T to ask Ss to do some tasks with Wallwisher, 

        and then Ss can share their ideas easily. If necessary, T can 

        edit or even delete inappropriate messages.

    3. It provides opportunities for Ss to do cooperative learning. 

        They can use their wall to work with others (e.g. group 

        members) to attain a shared goal.

How can Wallwisher be used in / outside class?

    1. After Russell introduced this amazing tool, the first thing I 

        thought of was that T could definitely use it for brainstorming. 

        Similar to TodaysMeet, however, Wallwisher presents the 

        results in the form of 'pictures' instead of 'flows', which means 

        T and Ss can get the whole ideas more easily without reversing 

        from bottom to top repeatedly.  

    2. Besides brainstorming, T can also use Wallwisher for other 

        warm-up activities. For example, if the topic of the lesson is 

        'sports', then T can paste some pictures or even videos about 

        sports to give Ss a general idea. It is more interesting than 

        traditional warm-up activities.

    3. After going through an article, T can ask Ss to discuss some 

        related questions, and then post their ideas on the wall. Or T 

        can ask Ss to write down some feedback or reflection on it. 

        According to my previous teaching experience, it was 

        extremely difficult (almost impossible) for T to engage all the 

        Ss in discussion, do reflection and give feedback in class due 

        to time limitation. With Wallwisher, classroom discussion, 

        reflection and feedback can be done more effectively and 

        efficiently.

    4. After class, T can also make good use of this wall to 

        supplement his / her teaching. For example, T can put some 

        useful web links or resources related to today's lesson on the 

        wall and send the link to all the Ss for references. Above all, 

        the wall will last forever, which means Ss can review or make 

        most use of the materials on the wall again and again 

        afterwards.

What limitations are there?

    1. It is necessary and ideal for each S to have a computer and the 

        Internet to use this tool. However, in my context, sometimes it 

        is hard for T to book a computer classroom due to time 

        conflict. (Nearly 50 classes share 3 computer classrooms.)

    2. It is more difficult to use Wallwisher in large class. Too much 

        information appearing on the screen at the same time may 

        become an interference. So it is better for Ss to use this tool in 

        pairs / groups.

    3. Because every participant has the right to edit or delete 

        information on the wall, it is possible that some Ss may delete 

        others' messages accidentally. What's worse, naughty Ss may 

        leave improper words or sentences on the wall or even abuse 

        classmates online, resulting in 'cyber bullying'. Thus, T must be 

        careful and had better monitor Ss' walls regularly.

Breaking News English - An Amazing Website to Teach Current Events

What is Breaking News English? What can Breaking News English do?

Created by Sean Banville, Breaking News English is a free website which provides current news regularly. There are numerous online teaching resources related to each piece of news. Ts can get printable and downloadable lesson plans and online quizzes for teaching; even Ss can learning News English by themselves. This is really an ideal language teaching / learning website.

Why is Breaking News English relevant to language teaching?

    1. In my context, current events are important for entrance 
        exams, and some cram schools even provide News English 
        classes. As for Ts in public schools, what they always do is to 
        copy newspapers or to use magazines as teaching materials. 
        However, sometimes it costs a lot and it takes Ts a lot of time 
        to do the preparation work. With this website, Ts can not only 
        save time and money but also make teaching more interesting 
        and interactive.
    2. It mainly includes reading, listening, and writing exercises. Ts 
        can add additional speaking practice based on time and Ss' 
        abilities. It is easy for Ts to take care of four abilities.
    3. It gives Ss more opportunities to do self-learning. Ss can 
        choose topics which interest them to do extra practice. It will 
        help promote their motivation and make them become more 
        autonomous learners. Furthermore, the materials can be 
        downloaded as PDF or MP3 files, so Ss can store them in 
        digital devices or smartphones which allow them to learn 
        anytime.

How can Breaking News English be used in / outside class?

    1. T can ask Ss to listen to the news on this website carefully and 
        give them some questions to check their comprehension, or 
        invite Ss to share what they have listened with other Ss.
    2. T can make Ss to do "sentence jumble" and "no letter" after 
        listening to the text. By doing this, Ss can get good results due 
        to their fresh memory. If possible, T can make Ss pair up to 
        see which pair could finish the mission first. To me, these two 
        exercises are interesting and exciting. Thus, Ss' may have 
        higher motivation towards language learning and more 
        involvement during class.
    3. Besides, there are still a lot to do based on this website. 
        However, it is important to note that T should choose suitable 
        materials and use them appropriately according to Ss' language 
        proficiency. 
    4. Actually, I tried to use this website when I was teaching. It 
        was two years ago, after my Ss finished the Basic Competence 
        Test (the standardized entrance exam for ninth graders), I used 
        this website to teach News English. However, there were only 
        two computer classrooms in my school. What I want to   
        mention here is that T can use the lovely materials on this 
        website to teach whether each S has a computer or not. The 
        following is my brief description about how I used it in a 
        normal classroom, presented by My Brainshark.

What limitations are there?

    1. There are too much information on this website; sometimes it 

        looks too complicated. On the one hand, it provides Ts a lot of 

        teaching resources. Nevertheless, on the other hand, Ts should 

        select materials wisely for each class. By doing this, Ts can 

        make their teaching more effective and efficient, or going 

        through too much unnecessary materials may become a waste 

        of time.

    2. Basically speaking, it requires better English abilities to learn 

        the materials of this website. If T use it in a mix-ability class, it 

        is possible that the low achievers may lose their confidence 

        and interest in learning English.

    3. This website is already good enough, but if some visual     

        elements related to the news can be added, this website will 

        definitely be more attractive.

TodaysMeet - A Free Online Chatroom

What is TodaysMeet? / What does TodaysMeet do?

TodaysMeet is a free instant online chatroom which can be used for interaction. Users can create and enjoy chatrooms immediately without registering in advance. It is a very convenient tool for Ts to use for interaction with Ss. 

How to use TodaysMeet?

For Ts

1. Link to www.todaysmeet.com
2. Name your room (e.g. Class305), check its availability, and then copy the web address (e.g. todaysmeet.com/Class305)
3. Decide how long you want the chatroom to last (from 2 hours to a month)
4. Press "Create your Room" and tell Ss the web address.

For Ss

1. Link to the right web address (e.g. todaysmeet.com/Class305)
2. Enter your name then press "Join" to enjoy chatting

Here's a demonstration video about how to use TodaysMeet.

Why is TodaysMeet revelant to language learning?

1. It creates more chances for T and Ss to have more instant interaction, especially for large classes. Moreover, the interaction is not only between T and a single S but also among the other Ss.
2. It provides a relatively-friendly and attractive learning environment. For most Ss, learning online is interesting, and it may promote Ss' language learning motivation. For 'shy' Ss who are not willing to speak in class, they can also express opinions by using TodaysMeet. For Ts, it is easier for them to collect Ss' feedback.
3. It dismisses the limitation of time and space. Learning can last after class and it can happen in various places. For example, Ts can implement TodaysMeet to 'distance instruction'.
4. It is extremely simple to use and totally free. For most Ts, simplicity and cost-effectiveness are two significant factors when deciding whether to use technology in class. After discussing, T can easily print the whole transcription for further use.

How can TodaysMeet be used in / outside class?

1. For warm up activities, T can do 'brainstorming' by using TodaysMeet. T can see Ss' thoughts clearly and immediately, and everyone can also bring up comments on one another's ideas.
2. Through typing, it is also useful for Ss to review spelling. Also, Ss can practice making sentences, or even they can take turns to make stories (cooperative writing).
3. Ss can do reflective writing or give T feedback at the end of class. Using TodaysMeet is helpful for Ts to collect these data in an easy way.
4. Ss can organize group discussions after school. If necessary, T can also participate in their discussion to give suggestions.

What limitations are there?

1. Passive Ss may keep silent and have little involvement; it is also possible that they choose to ignore some of the information.
2. It is inevitable that in large class, Ss' response would disappear soon on the screen because the flow is too fast.
3. Naughty Ss may easily type something improper in chatroom if T does not manage the class well.
4. Though it is free, it still requires computer equipment and Internet access for every participant.