Love them or loathe them, y'all accept to acknowledge that Google does offering us all trend of useful gratuitous tools. One of my favourites is Google Maps, specially useful on my strange trips to London (when I never look to last able to shout out upward my A-Z!)
So, I've been thinking nearly how nosotros could purpose this 'real world' tool to assistance our EFL students too to railroad train their abilities to seat too empathise directions. It's truly quite elementary to use. You simply acquire to http://maps.google.co.uk/ or http://maps.google.com/ Click on 'Get Directions' too and thence come inwards your showtime indicate too destination. Click the Google logo below for a quick video tutorial that shows some of the features.
Click for flash video tutorial (1.4 Mb)
So how tin nosotros purpose this alongside students?
Choose a place too finish too acquire Google Maps to practice your directions, too thence impress upward a map of London alongside the 2 destinations on too inquire your students to score the road on the map.
A variation on this would last to accept the map printed alongside the road on too cutting upward the directions too inquire your students to position them inwards the right order
Print upward a road map too directions too edit out some of the telephone commutation words, too thence acquire your students to write inwards the missing words.
Give your students a map showing exclusively the showtime indicate too read out directions for them to follow. They accept to nous too say y'all what the finish is.
Print out unopen ups of each phase of the journeying too purpose them equally flash cards. Get your students to tally each pace of the journeying to the right flashcard.
Print out a road map too inquire students to write their ain directions for the map (You could seat 2 groups unlike destinations too thence acquire them to commutation directions to meet if the other grouping tin purpose their directions to uncovering the right destination.)
To download an instance gear upward of directions + road map too blank map to impress upward too purpose for these activities click here: Example materials >> (500k pdf)
To impress upward maps too directions for yourself simply click on the Google maps 'Print' icon.
What I similar nearly it
Google maps is gratuitous too truly elementary to use
If y'all accept an i-pod deport on or an i-phone, at that spot is a fantastic Google Maps widget which y'all tin install (great for mobile learning)
Gives proficient clear instructions too slowly to impress maps (just purpose the 'Print' icon)
A truly useful 'real world' tool
You tin purpose it alive if y'all accept a figurer room or information projector / interactive whiteboard inwards class, or simply impress upward materials for purpose off line.
What I'm non thence certain about
The particular of the maps for some developing countries is pretty sparse
Hope y'all uncovering this tool useful too if y'all accept suggestions for other activities I'd dear o listen them.
If yous bask working alongside images alongside your EFL students, specially on an IWB (interactive whiteboard) or a information projector, thus PicLens is just what yous need.
PicLens is a plugin (small program) that plant inside your spider web browser (there are versions for Firefox, Safari in addition to IE 7) in addition to it converts many of the measure icon sharing websites, similar flickr, Photobucket, Google Images, Yahoo Images etc. into "3D immersive environments"!
To sympathise what that hateful conduct keep a aspect at this brusk flash video tutorial which shows how to role PicLens.
Click here or on the icon to persuasion the painting exhibit (5Mb Flash) OR Download a version of this painting exhibit for i-pod / i-tunes here
At the click of the mouse the normal 2D spider web pages are converted into a wall of images which yous tin explore in addition to enlarge.
How to role this alongside ELT students on your information projector or IWB
Pull upwards a wall of images in addition to pull i field your students endeavour to justice which i it is. Then larn a pupil to pull an icon in addition to the others justice which one. (This volition operate best alongside quite similar images). You tin thus larn students to exercise this inward pairs.
Type inward a search term in addition to inquire students to pull the connectedness / relevance of the icon to the term (This plant best when yous larn inward abstract nouns similar politics, alienation, paranoia etc.)
Use the resources for whatever novel vocabulary words that come upwards up inward your lesson. Simply collect the words, type them inward in addition to detect images that relate to the word. (This won't operate for every word)
Get students to compare in addition to contrast 2 images (A mutual chore inward EFL exams such equally FCE)
Play simply a infinitesimal in addition to conduct an icon for each student, they thus conduct keep to beak for i infinitesimal most that icon alongside repeating them selves or pausing (This is hard to do, thus don't aspect besides much) honour points for the pupil who manages to speak for the longest.
Put students alongside their dorsum to the images, conduct i in addition to the other students (in 2 teams or groups) conduct keep to pull the icon to the pupil who can't meet it. The pupil thus has to justice which icon they described.
Pull upwards a unmarried icon in addition to inquire students to mean value most the photographer's intention.
Why did the lensman accept the image?
What did they desire to say?
What is their human relationship to the icon content?
What were they doing before, afterwards they took the image?
Etc etc.
Students tin conduct their favourite icon in addition to explicate why they similar it, or the i they similar least.
Students tin endeavour to role their imagination to pull the infinite around the icon that yous don't see.
What's happening around the lensman that yous don't see?
What is the lensman wearing?
What's happening behind the photographer?
Describe the lensman (age, gender, nationality, personality etc.)
What I similar most it
The Plugin is gratis in addition to real uncomplicated to download in addition to install in addition to less than 2 Mb
The interface is actually slowly to role in addition to real attractive
It actually highlights the images in addition to frees thus from the textual distraction that yous oftentimes detect on a spider web page
There's no advertising on it
You larn access to some actually fantastic images inward bird without having to download them or violate anyone's copyright
The most recent version also enables yous to exercise immersive walls of videos from YouTube !!! Fantastic!
What I'm non thus certain about
As alongside whatever icon sharing / search depository fiscal establishment yous conduct keep to endure careful alongside younger students that inappropriate images don't appear. You tin larn around this though yesteryear setting upwards your ain delineate concern human relationship on something similar Flickr and alone using specific images from your account. This could endure fourth dimension consuming, but if yous got other teachers in addition to students to help, it could endure a fantastic resource.
If yous are on a irksome connectedness it could accept a fighting longer for the images to load.
If yous desire to role PicLens thus yous tin download it from here:
This is a actually smashing tool for the connected ELT classroom in addition to also smashing to role at home. I promise yous are able to bask using it alongside your students. Do drib me a lne alongside whatever other ideas in addition to activities yous role alongside it.
Product review sites are becoming ever to a greater extent than pop on the internet, too why non later all? If you lot are going to pass coin buying something, it's ever a skillful thought to encounter what other people who bought that same production recall of it.
ExpoTV is only that sort of site. It has a collection of, by too large abode made, video clips made past times ordinary people, by too large from North America, talking close the products they convey bought. There is a huge collection of stuff hither on a whole attain of products from estimator accessories to clothing, brand up, cars, video games, children's toys too fifty-fifty trucks!
Here's an instance production review. This i is of i of my favourite products, Apple's i-pod touch
What I liked close the site
The clips are reasonably curt too download quite quickly.
It's gratuitous too you lot don't convey to register unless you lot desire to add together comments or upload your ain video.
The site is rich amongst the kinds of linguistic communication too vocabulary that students detect quite useful inwards their 'real lives' particularly if they exercise convey to purchase things from websites or spell traveling inwards an English linguistic communication speaking country.
The videos are made past times existent people hence the stuff is really authentic amongst a broad multifariousness of voices too accents.
The site is good designed amongst a skillful search facility, hence it's tardily to detect the kinds of products you lot are looking for.
There is a brief guideline on how to brand a skillful production review hither which students tin utilisation every bit a guide. Also some how to video clips that are handy.
There is a bully potential hither for existent tasks every bit registered users tin submit their ain video reviews too fifty-fifty brand coin from them!! (I would go really careful close advising students to exercise this)
There's an embed code for each video hence if you lot don't desire students wandering around the site, or if you lot desire to utilisation alone specific clips you lot tin choose handgrip of the embed code ( every bit I convey above) too only add together the clip to a blog, spider web page or tidings processing document.
How should nosotros utilisation this amongst students?
Get students to picket videos of a type of production too determine which i they would purchase too why / which ones they wouldn't desire to buy.
Get students to create their ain production video too include all the relevant data (this could go done really easily using anything they convey amongst them inwards shape from shoes to stationary, phones bags etc.) If your students don't convey access to a video camera, you lot could all the same teach them to exercise this for each other inwards shape every bit a sort of curt presentation. You could fifty-fifty enter competitive too encounter who tin best convince the shape to purchase their shoes or telephone etc.
Get the students to picket iii or iv clips too brand notes of fundamental data close each product. They could hence percentage this data inwards minor groups too determine on the best product.
Give pairs or minor groups of students a budget too a shopping listing too inquire them to select the best collection of products inside their budget. They should hence utilisation the production data to justify their choices.
Ask the students to brand notes of fundamental tidings or phrases / judgement structures used when describing products
Get some pictures of products too teach students to picket / heed to i clip too determine which production was beingness described.
Prepare a listing of production features from a selection of videos, hence teach the students to picket the videos too jibe the features to the product.
Give students a selection of clips to picket too inquire them to determine which was the best made clip. Ask them to determine why. (This is a skillful activeness to get-go amongst if you lot intend to teach students to brand their ain clips or presentations)
Have a shape give-and-take close production review websites. Here's some possible give-and-take questions.
Have you lot ever used a site similar this before?
Do you lot recall the sites are useful?
Do you lot know of whatever skillful sites similar this (in English linguistic communication or other languages)?
Are the reviews unbiased?
How much confidence exercise they convey inwards such sites?
Why exercise people add together videos to sites similar these?
How exercise the sites brand their money?
Why exercise they pay people to brand video clips?
Would you lot brand a review of a bad product? Why / Why not?
What I wasn't hence certain about
Students tin submit their ain videos too teach paid for them, but I would go really wary of encouraging this particularly for younger students. Be certain to protect your students privacy too personal data too cheque on whatever damage of utilisation earlier letting them register on this or whatever other website.
The site carries a lot of advertising hence go wary of letting students click circular all over the place. It may good go ameliorate to create your ain page that alone uses the clips you lot convey selected embedded into the page (especially for younger students).
Students should go aware of the fact that non all the data given inwards the video is necessarily correct. These are only amateur video makers giving their opinion.
On the whole I recall that sites similar this are a actually useful root of authentic materials, existent linguistic communication utilisation too authentic existent life tasks that tin go useful to students beyond the classroom.
there are some things to go wary of when using them, but on the whole I recall making students aware of the possible dangers, traps too pitfalls, is a valuable operate of their instruction inwards itself, hence I don't encounter this a argue non to utilisation these sites.
Well I promise you lot detect these tips useful, too delight exercise add together a comment if you lot convey whatever other ideas for using production review websites, or if you lot convey used them amongst your students.
Here's the URL of the site inwards instance you lot missed it: http://www.expotv.com
Text to Speech (TTS) applied scientific discipline has come upwards a long agency inwards recent years as well as this is nowhere to a greater extent than evident than on the Dictation goes Web 2.0
I've ever flora wise (and sometimes non in addition to hence wise) quotes actually useful, both inside the classroom amongst students in addition to every bit a mode of introducing a theme when writing materials. I've used lots of dissimilar websites to honor quotes over the years, simply Get the News Through Images
Click for flash video tutorial (1.4 Mb)
