UNIVERSIDAD MARIANO GÁLVEZ FACULTAD DE HUMANIDADES Escuela de Idiomas Profesorado de Enseñanza Media en Idioma Ingles
ONLINE TOOLS FOR ENGLISH TEACHING TECHNIQUES IV Licda. MA. Lisbeth Ruiz de Castillo
Maried Lucero Ruano Carné: 0776 14 21385
Jalapa, March 19th, 2016
Maried Lucero Ruano
INTRODUCTION
There are a large number of online tools that can be used for second/foreign language learning and teaching. The increasing awareness of the tools generates a need for computer-assisted language learning (CALL) researchers and practitioners to develop and implement CALL widely by exploring, selecting, using and evaluating the tools in a variety of contexts. In this paper, it is discussed the place and role of online language teaching tools in CALL and present a categorized list of the tools, which provides a basis for further research and practice in CALL. In addition you will find a section where there are 12 online tools that will change the way you teach, making your class better.
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
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ONLINE TOOLS FOR ENGLISH TEACHING
TOOL:
ONLINE: Specific meaning in regard to computer technology and telecommunications, “it indicates a state of connectivity”.
An item or implement used for a specific purpose. A tool can be a physical object such as mechanical tools including saws and hammers or a technical object such as a web authoring tool or software program.
Over the past few years, the Internet has emerged as a prominent new technology. The influence of such a powerful technological tool has pervaded all aspects of the educational, business, and economic sectors of our world. Regardless of whether one uses the Internet or not, one must be clear about the fact that we have entered a new information age and the Internet is here to stay. Because the use of the Internet is widespread in numerous fields and domains, without a doubt, it also carries great potential for educational use, specifically second and foreign language education.
- Technology and Foreign Language Education: A Brief History Technology and foreign language education are no stranger to one another. In the sixties and seventies, language laboratories were being installed in numerous educational settings. The traditional language laboratory was comprised of a series of booths, each providing a cassette deck, and accompanying microphone and headphone. Teachers monitored their students' interactions by using a central control panel. The basic premise behind this technology was that if verbal behavior was modeled, and then reinforced, students would quickly learn the language in question. The language lab activities were therefore grounded in a stimulus-response behavior pattern. The more drill practice the students encountered, the faster they would learn the second language. While the language laboratory was a positive step in linking technology and language education, it was soon recognized that such activities were both tedious and boring for learners. Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
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Furthermore, the amount of student-teacher interaction was minimal, and individualized instruction was irrelevant. Besides the pedagogical deficiencies, the audio equipment was cumbersome and prone to breakdown, and had only one function-to disseminate auditory input. These factors put together led to a shift to the communicative approach to second language education, namely, computer assisted language learning.
- What is the Internet? While the computer is now used in some form or another in most language classrooms, and is considered standard equipment, the Internet is also gradually being introduced in the second language classroom as teachers become more familiar with it. The Internet is a confederation of thousands of computers from various sectors of society such as education, business, government and the military. It is a network of thousands of computer networks (Lewis, 1994). Each individual system brings something different to the whole (databases, library services, graphs, maps, electronic journals, etc), and the end result is a vast accumulation of information. It is a worldwide network of computers that interact on a standardized set of protocols which act independently of particular computer operating systems, allowing for a variety of access methods to the Internet. For example, the Internet can be accessed from an IBM computer in a student's home in Australia, or from a Macintosh computer at a school in Canada. It can therefore be conceived of as the equivalent of a telephone system for computers. It can be used to both exchange information through electronic mail, newsgroups, listservs, professional on-line discussion groups, and so forth, as well as to retrieve information on a variety of topics through the World Wide Web.
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
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-The Internet as a Teaching and Learning Tool In addition to the communication benefits of the Internet, the Internet can also be used to retrieve and access information. The World Wide Web is therefore a virtual library at one's fingertips; it is a readily available world of information for the language learner. While the Internet offers numerous benefits to the language learner, a few such possibilities are examined here, in the context of language learning. Perhaps one of the most essential pedagogical principles of language teaching is one that emphasizes the study of language in a cultural context. I, along with many other language instructors believe that language and culture are inextricable and interdependent; Understanding the culture of the target language enhances understanding of the language. To this end, the Internet is a valuable resource to both language teachers and learners. As discussed previously, e-mail on the Internet allows language learners to communicate with native speakers. In this manner, the Internet facilitates the use of the specific language in an authentic setting. The Internet can also be used to acquire information from language resources for a variety of purposes. For example, students can access current information from countries around the world. They can obtain geographical, historical, social/cultural, economic, and political information from the countries in which the target language is spoken. Students can read web versions of daily newspapers and same-day news reports from sources such as the French Embassy's gopher service, the daily Revue de Press (Armstrong and Yetter-Vassot, 1994). Such experiences can allow learners to participate in the culture of the target language, which in turn can enable them to further learn how cultural background influences one's view of the world. The Internet also serves as a medium for experiencing and presenting creative works. While students can peruse the information on the Net, they can also use it as a platform for their own work such as essays, poetry, or stories. Numerous public schools, for example, are making use of the World Wide Web for publishing student work which can be accessed by other web users. Students therefore become not only consumers of content, but in fact generate the content. The Internet provides supplemental language activities which can provide students with additional practice in specific areas of language learning. These include reading tests and comprehension questions, grammar exercises, pronunciation exercises possible through the available multimedia capabilities, cloze tests, vocabulary exercises, and so forth. Students can search the Web for such sites, or teachers may recommend specific sites on the Web. Published lists are also available from various sources. For example, Paramskas (1993) offers a list of sites for both language teachers and language learners, some of which relate to issues of language learning, others which use language as a medium for discussion of culture or current affairs, and others which assist in locating native speakers.
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
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-The Internet For English Language Teaching Many English teachers recognize the potential of the Internet for long-distance communication. It enables English learners to communicate with others across the globe. However, many teachers fail to realize that the Internet can be of great benefit not only for long-distance exchanges but also for linking students in a single classroom. Three types of electronic communication are possible within a single class: teacher-student communication, out-of-class electronic discussion, and in-class, real time electronic discussion. This lesson plan focuses on integrating four different courses under my instruction: English Composition, Journalism English, Word Processing, The Application of Computer Software. It consists of several learning modules, each of which has two teaching aims: one is in the realm of reading and writing skills (content aim), whereas the other focuses on using the Internet as a tool. In the last few years the number of teachers using Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) has increased markedly and numerous articles have been written about the role of technology in education in the 21st century. Although the potential of the Internet for educational use has not been fully explored yet and the average school still makes limited use of computers, it is obvious that we have entered a new information age in which the links between technology and TEFL have already been established. The development of the Internet brought about a revolution in the teachers' perspective, as the teaching tools offered through the net were gradually becoming more reliable. Nowadays, the Internet is gaining immense popularity in foreign language teaching and more and more educators and learners are embracing it.
-Why Use CALL? The Internet has tremendous potential as a tool for teaching EFL. Sayers (1993) mentioned that network-based technology can contribute significantly to:
Experiential Learning. The World Wide Web makes it possible for students to tackle a huge amount of human experience. In such a way, they can learn by doing things themselves. They become the creators not just the receivers of knowledge. Information is presented in a non-linear way and users develop more flexible thinking skills and choose what to explore. Motivation. Computers are most popular among students as they are often associated with fun and games. Student motivation is therefore increased, especially whenever a variety of activities are offered. This in turn makes students feel more independent. Enhanced student achievement. Network-based instruction can help pupils strengthen their linguistic skills by positively affecting their attitude towards learning and by helping them build self-instruction strategies and promote their selfconfidence. Authentic materials for study. All students can use various resources of authentic reading materials either at school or from their home. Those materials can be accessed 24 hours a day at a relatively low cost.
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
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Greater Interaction. Random access to Web pages breaks the linear flow of instruction. By sending E-mail and joining newsgroups, EFL students can communicate with people they have never met. They can also interact with their own classmates. Furthermore, some Internet activities give students positive and negative feedback by automatically correcting their on-line exercises. Individualization. Shy or inhibited students can be greatly benefited by individualized, student-centered collaborative learning. High fliers can also realize their full potential without preventing their peers from working at their own pace. Independence from a single source of information. Although students can still use their books, they are presented with opportunities to escape from canned knowledge and discover thousands of information sources. As a result, their education fulfils the need for interdisciplinary learning in a multicultural world. Global Understanding. A foreign language is studied in a cultural context. In a world where the use of the Internet becomes more and more widespread, an English Language teacher's duty is to facilitate students' access to the web and make them feel like citizens of a global classroom, practicing communication on a global level.
Background/Motivation Many English teachers recognize the potential of the Internet for long-distance communication. It enables their learners to communicate with others. However, what many teachers fail to realize is that the Internet can be of great benefit not only for long-distance exchanges but also for linking students in a single classroom. Three types of electronic communication are possible within a single class: teacher-student communication, outof-class electronic discussion, and in-class, real time electronic discussion. Many students learn how to use the Internet as a tool in itself. However, I feel that the Internet can be better mastered as a means through which a content area can be taught.
-Types of Online Tools The Online Tools for Language Teaching (OTLT) list presented below is a result of my own explorations, experiences and evaluations. During the process of information collection, interestingly, I discovered the Directory of Learning Tools, which provides a comprehensive list of tools for formal, personal, group and organisational learning, including general computer applications, standalone software programs and Internet tools. While the directory itself is an excellent database of learning tools, its extra wide coverage makes it difficult for language teachers to use their online time effectively in choosing particular tools with direct relevance for language teaching. In this respect, my OTLT list takes a different approach by addressing the needs of a specific group of professionals (i.e., language teachers) and focusing on Web-based tools that can be exploited for language learning and teaching purposes. Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
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Based on their main functions and features, the online tools are classified into twelve categories:
1. Learning/content management systems (LMS/CMS) include Blackboard, Drupal, Joomla, Moodle and Sakai. Moodle, in particular, is a very popular free LMS adapted to online courses at many universities and schools. 2. Communication tools include Gmail, Skype, TokBox, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Jabberwacky, Verbot, MyBB, phpBB, Tangler and Voxopop. A good example of the communication tools is Skype, which is widely used for voice chatting and video conferencing. 3. Live and virtual worlds are used for delivering live meetings and virtual word communities. Elluminate, Livestream, OpenSimulator, ActiveWorlds, Second Life, Ustream, Wimba Classroom and WiZiQ belong to this category. 4. Social networking and bookmarking sites encompass Delicious, Diigo, Elgg, Facebook, Grouply, MySpace, Ning, SocialGo, LinkedIn, Twitter, Lang-8 and Livemocha. 5. Blogs and wikis, including Blogger, Edmodo, Edublogs, LiveJournal, WordPress.com, PBWorks, Wikispaces and Penzu, are collaboratively used in many language classes. 6. Presentation tools such as 280 Slides, Animoto, Empresser, Prezi, SlideRocket and Zoho Show offer innovative ways of presenting language-related materials. 7. Resource sharing tools are one of the most valuable tools on the Web. They encompass Google Docs, TitanPad, Zoho Writer, Box.net, Dropbox, VoiceThread, Xtranormal, Flickr, Picasa, MyPodcast, PodOmatic, Glogster, Screenr, Slideshare, PhotoPeach, Dipity, OurStory, Jing, SchoolTube, TeacherTube, VideoPress, Vimeo, WatchKnow and YouTube. 8. Website creation sites such as Google Sites, Jimdo, KompoZer, Mahara, Movable Type, SnapPages, Weebly, Webnode, Webs and Wix provide teachers and students with simple and easy ways to create their own Websites. 9. Web exercise creation tools such as ContentGenerator, SMILE, ESL Video, JClic, Hot Potatoes, Quia, Lingt and Listen and Write enable teachers to create language exercises themselves.
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
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10. Web search engines designed to search for information on the Web include Ask.com, Bing, Google and Yahoo! Search. 11. Dictionaries and concordancers are language reference tools, which include Dictionary.com, Merriam-Webster Online, YourDictionary.com, Compleat Lexical Tutor, Forvo, Howjsay, Visuwords, OneLook Dictionary Search and VLC Web Concordancer. 12. Utilities that can be useful for language learning activities include CalculateMe, CalendarFly, Doodle, ClustrMaps, Currency Converter, Dvolver Moviemaker, Google Earth, Lesson Writer, Storybird, Cacoo, Mindmeister, Mindomo, Remember the milk, SurveyMonkey, Voki, Time and Date, TinyURL.com, W3C Link Checker, Wallwisher, Wayback Machine and Wordle. NOTE: This list is not exhaustive and can be modified and updated in line with changes to existing tools and developments of new tools. Also, there are tools that can be listed in more than one category due to their integrated features (e.g., Wimba classroom, Jing).
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
Maried Lucero Ruano 1. Learning/content management systems (LMS/CMS) Blackboard
http://www.blackboard.com/
Blackboard Inc.
Drupal
http://drupal.org/
Free open source
Joomla
http://www.joomla.org/
Free open source
Moodle
http://moodle.org/
Free open source
Sakai
http://sakaiproject.org/
Free open source
Gmail
2. Communication http://mail.google.com/
Skype
http://www.skype.com/
Chats
TokBox
http://www.tokbox.com/
Chats
Windows Live Messenger
http://explore.live.com/windows-livemessenger
Chats
Yahoo! Messenger
http://messenger.yahoo.com/
Chats
Jabberwacky
http://www.jabberwacky.com/
Chatbot
Verbot
http://www.verbots.com/
Chatbot
MyBB
http://www.mybboard.net/
Forum
phpBB
http://www.phpbb.com/
Forum
Tangler
http://www.tangler.com/
Forum
Voxopop
http://voxopop.com/
Audio discussions
Elluminate
3. Live and Virtual Worlds http://www.elluminate.com/
Live e-learning
Livestream
http://www.livestream.com/
Streaming video
OpenSimulator
http://opensimulator.org/
3D application server
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
Maried Lucero Ruano ActiveWorlds
http://www.activeworlds.com/
3D virtual world
Second Life
http://secondlife.com/
3D virtual world
Ustream
http://www.ustream.tv/
Live broadcast
Wimba Classroom
http://www.wimba.com/
Live teaching
WiZiQ
http://www.wiziq.com/
Virtual classroom
Delicious
4. Social Networking and Bookmarking http://delicious.com/
Social bookmarking
Diigo
http://www.diigo.com/
Social bookmarking
Elgg
http://elgg.org/
Social networking
http://www.facebook.com/
Social networking
Grouply
http://www.grouply.com/
Social networking
MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/
Social networking
Ning
http://www.ning.com/
Social networking
SocialGo
http://www.socialgo.com/
Social networking
http://www.linkedin.com/
Professional network
http://twitter.com/
Information network
Lang-8
http://lang-8.com/
Language learning community
Livemocha
http://www.livemocha.com/
Language learning community
Blogger
5. Blogs and Wikis http://www.blogger.com/
Blog
Edmodo
http://www.edmodo.com/
Blog & wiki
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
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http://edublogs.org/
Blog
LiveJournal
http://www.livejournal.com/
Blog & journal
WordPress.com
http://wordpress.com/
Blog
PBworks
http://pbworks.com/
Wiki
Wikispaces
http://www.wikispaces.com/
Wiki
Penzu
http://www.penzu.com/
Personal journal
280 Slides
6. Presentation http://280slides.com/
Multimedia
Animoto
http://animoto.com/
Video slideshows
Empressr
http://www.empressr.com/
Multimedia
Prezi
http://prezi.com/
Presentation editor
SlideRocket
http://www.sliderocket.com/
Creating and sharing
Zoho Show
http://show.zoho.com/
Creating and sharing
Google Docs
7. Resource Sharing http://docs.google.com/
Documents
TitanPad
http://titanpad.com/
Documents
Zoho Writer
http://writer.zoho.com/
Documents
Box.net
http://www.box.net/
Files
Dropbox
http://www.dropbox.com/
Files
VoiceThread
http://voicethread.com/
Group conversations
Xtranormal
http://www.xtranormal.com/
Movies
Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/
Photos
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
Maried Lucero Ruano Picasa
http://picasa.google.com/
Photos
MyPodcast
http://www.mypodcast.com/
Podcasts
PodOmatic
http://www.podomatic.com/
Podcasts
Glogster
http://www.glogster.com/
Posters
Screenr
http://screenr.com/
Screencasts
Slideshare
http://www.slideshare.net/
Slides
PhotoPeach
http://photopeach.com/
Slideshows
Dipity
http://www.dipity.com/
Timelines and news
OurStory
http://www.ourstory.com/
Timelines and stories
Jing
http://www.techsmith.com/jing/
Visuals
SchoolTube
http://www.schooltube.com/
Videos
TeacherTube
http://www.teachertube.com/
Videos
VideoPress
http://videopress.com/
Videos
Vimeo
http://vimeo.com/
Videos
WatchKnow
http://www.watchknow.org/
Videos
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/
Videos
Google Sites
8. Website Creation http://sites.google.com/
Pre-built templates
Jimdo
http://www.jimdo.com/
Website editor
KompoZer
http://kompozer.net/
Web authoring
Mahara
http://mahara.org/
E-portfolio system
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
Maried Lucero Ruano Movable Type
http://www.movabletype.org/
Weblog management
SnapPages
http://www.snappages.com/
Drag-and-drop
Weebly
http://www.weebly.com/
Drag-and-drop
Webnode
http://www.webnode.com/
Website builder
Webs
http://www.webs.com/
Website builder
Wix
http://www.wix.com/
Flash Website
ContentGenerator
9. Web Exercise Creation http://www.contentgenerator.net/
Flash-based
SMILE
http://clear.msu.edu/teaching/online/mime a/smile/
Flash-based
ESL Video
http://eslvideo.com/
ESL video quizzes
JClic
http://clic.xtec.cat/en/jclic/
Java platform
Hot Potatoes
http://hotpot.uvic.ca/
JavaScript authoring
Quia
http://www.quia.com/
JavaScript authoring
Lingt
http://lingtlanguage.com/
Spoken exercises
Listen and Write
http://www.listen-and-write.com/
Dictation exercises
Ask.com
10. Web Search Engines http://www.ask.com/
Ask Jeeves
Bing
http://www.bing.com/
Decision engine
http://www.google.com/
PageRank
Yahoo! Search
http://search.yahoo.com/
Yahoo! Slurp
Dictionary.com
11. Dictionaries and Concordancers http://www.dictionary.com/
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
Free online
Maried Lucero Ruano Merriam-Webster Online
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
Free online
YourDictionary.com
http://www.yourdictionary.com/
Free online
Compleat Lexical Tutor
http://www.lextutor.ca/concordancers/
English and French
Forvo
http://www.forvo.com/
Pronunciation dictionary
Howjsay
http://www.howjsay.com/
English pronunciation
Visuwords
http://www.visuwords.com/
Graphical dictionary
OneLook Dictionary Search
http://www.onelook.com/
Dictionary search
VLC Web Concordancer
http://vlc.polyu.edu.hk/concordance/
Server-based
CalculateMe
12. Utilities http://www.calculateme.com/
Conversion utility
CalendarFly
http://www.calendarfly.com/
Free scheduling
Doodle
http://doodle.com/
Easy scheduling
ClustrMaps
http://www.clustrmaps.com/
Hit counter map
Currency Converter
http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/
Currency calculator
Dvolver Moviemaker
http://www.dvolver.com/moviemaker/
Animated cartoons
Google Earth
http://earth.google.com/
Virtual globe
Lesson Writer
http://www.lessonwriter.com/
Lesson plans
Storybird
http://storybird.com/
Collaborative storytelling
Cacoo
http://cacoo.com/
Collaborative diagramming
Mindmeister
http://www.mindmeister.com/
Mind mapping
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
Maried Lucero Ruano Mindomo
http://www.mindomo.com/
Mind mapping
Remember the milk
http://www.rememberthemilk.com/
Task management
SurveyMonkey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/
Online survey
Voki
http://www.voki.com/
Speaking avatar
Time and Date
http://www.timeanddate.com/
Time zones
TinyURL.com
http://tinyurl.com/
URL shortening
W3C Link Checker
http://validator.w3.org/checklink/
Links and anchors
Wallwisher
http://www.wallwisher.com/
Sticky noticeboard
Wayback Machine
http://www.archive.org/web/web.php
Internet Archive
Wordle
http://www.wordle.net/
Word clouds
Related to the use of the online tools in CALL contexts, CALL research and practice can be initiated and improved by asking and answering the following 5W1H (who, when, where, what, why and how) questions. These elemental questions lead CALL researchers and practitioners to choose and test certain tools with clear aims and objectives. (1) Who uses it? – Learners? Teachers? Other users? (2) When do we use it? – Class time? Self-study time? Meeting time? Free time? (3) Where do we use it? – In the classroom? In self-access rooms? At home? Outdoor areas? (4) What do we do with it? – Reading? Writing? Listening? Speaking? Course management? Communication? Collaboration? Social networking? Resource sharing? Website creation? Web exercise creation? Web search? Entertainment? (5) Why do we use it? – To manage courses? To communicate with others? To collaborate with others? To experience virtual worlds? To share resources? To create Websites? To create Web exercises? To collect information and resources? To have fun? To make learning and teaching easier?
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
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(6) How do we use it? How does it work? – By contextualising? By creating learning spaces? By contacting others? By working with others? By exploring online communities? By sharing information and resources? By publishing Websites and Web exercises? By reflecting on learning and teaching? By developing language learning activities? By integrating certain online activities into the curriculum? In terms of facilitating the second language acquisition (SLA) process, Bush (2008) asserts that we need to find out “where and when during the SLA process each technique and tool can be applied to achieve maximum benefit” (p. 453). In a similar vein, Garrett (2009) states that “the availability of tools and resources that make possible student use of such aids does not guarantee that students will, in fact, use them in the way or to the extent that developers intend; only carefully structured assignments and follow-up work can effectively promote such use” (p. 722). She also says, “Being familiar with digital tools is not enough; students need guidelines on how to use them specifically for the purpose of acquiring greater language proficiency” (p. 730). This implies that teachers need to be knowledgeable and skilful enough to guide students when and how to use which tool for effective language learning. Best CALL activities are likely to be planned and conducted by competent teachers utilising online tools effectively and efficiently.
Teachers must become familiar with using the Internet and its various functions such as e-mail. They must also learn how to use specific search tools in order to access information, search for lesson plans, or material and ideas to supplement their lessons. For the language learner, the Internet offers a world of information available to students at the touch of a button. While it must be recognized that the Internet cannot replace the language classroom or the interaction between the language teacher and student, if offers a vast amount of information and lends itself to communication possibilities that can greatly enhance the language learning experience.
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12 Tech Tools That Will Transform The Way You Teach! 1. Collaborize Classroom– a free collaborative education platform with a highly developed discussion component. Perfect for engaging students in structured discussions. Collaborize Classroom is a free, online learning platform for teachers and students to create structured discussions in a private online community. Students can expand on discussions as well as interact with online lesson plans that allow for deeper participation inside and outside the classroom.
2. Prezi– a cloud-based presentation software that has the ability to zoom in and out to show relative importance of ideas and group concepts together. Prezi is visually stimulating; a great alternative to Power Point which can feel static.
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV
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3. Evernote– a way to capture, index and remember information using a computer, phone, and web. Students can take notes, capture favorite videos, save webpages, and collaborate on projects using Evernote. It is the notebook of the 21st century.
4. Glogster– an online interactive poster/collage maker. Students can combine text, music, pictures and video to create a dynamic poster or collage online to share. This is an alternative to the classic scissors, glue and magazines approach to poster and collage making.
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5. Socrative– a free student response system that can be used with smart phones, iPads or laptops! Teachers can take polls, give quizzes, play with space races or end the lesson with an exit ticket. Results of quizzes can be exported into an excel sheet to make grading infinitely easier!
6. WillYou.Typewith.me– is an easy way for students to collaborate on a single document online. It is an alternative to Google.docs.
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7. Storybird– is a collaborative storytelling tool. Students can create short art inspired stories that can be shared or printed. Students can pair their writing with images to bring their stories, poetry, songs, etc. to life!
[Note: StoryJumper is another online digital storybook maker worth checking out!] 8. JayCut– is a free online video editing tool. [Note: I was unable to create an account because they are currently not accepting new users- hopefully this is temporary.] This looks like a great alternative to iMovie for people working with PCs.
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9. Wordle– a fun online tool for creating colorful word clouds from text you provide. This is an easy way to highlight the main points from an online conversation, speech, article, etc.
10. Tiki-Toki– an esthetically pleasing web-based timeline tool. Students can create interactive multimedia timelines using images, text and videos that are easy to embed.
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11. StudyBlue– an online tool for making flashcards with video and audio elements, taking notes, and preparing for exams.
12. Pixton– an online comic maker that allows students the creativity to design their own characters, add sound, upload pictures and images, use a variety of speech bubbles, and print, download or embed the finished comic.
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CONCLUSION With the widespread use of the Internet, many online tools are increasingly available for use in educational and non-educational settings. Due to the abundance and sophisticated features of the tools, however, it is often difficult to select the right tools for specific purposes. In view of the need for CALL researchers and practitioners to find, choose, use and evaluate educational tools for further development and implementation of CALL, it should be meaningful to have a categorized list of selected tools that can be used for language learning and teaching.
Online tools for English Teaching – Techniques IV