Podcast

"Songs as an Opportunity to Acquire Culture and Fluency in an ESL Classroom."

But also, I have transcribed what you already listened.

Language is a special system of signs, sounds, gestures, or marks that helps human beings to communicate ideas and feelings, and to understand meanings. In sum, Language makes possible that human beings create communities.

As Brown (1994) states, to teach a language implies to learn a new culture, new way of thinking, feeling and acting. Furthermore, to learn a new language is a challenge that will make learners to struggle many behaviors that they had acquired with their first language.

Consequently, it is clear that the teaching process must be a facilitation of learning.So, teachers must manage different variables that affect the learning process, such as teachers-students’ interaction; the language learned; classroom environment; affective; emotional; personal or intellectual reasons that learners pursue for the gigantic task of learning a second language. Thus, songs provide teachers with a great tool to transmit culture, practice fluency, and review vocabulary.

Moreover, this great source –the songs-- get students motivated, and raise their self-confidence in the learning process because they endow with a relaxing environment where their attention will be focused on the lyrics, the rhythm and cultural aspects that the song transmits.

Keegan (2011) shares some tips for ESL teachers to plan activities using songs in the class. Some or her recommendations refer to the language. It must be clear and suitable with the learner’s level. Also, the subject matter must go in accordance with the age of the students; and another important aspect is that the singer voice must be nice and clear.

In addition, Keegan (2011) points that teachers must plan pre-listening activities, for example: review vocabulary or do brainstorms about the topic of the song; during-listening activities where students can identify wrong parts of the song, or do multiple-choice activities. Also, it is important to plan post-listening activities such as “jigsaw readings” or to change a part of the song. Follow-up activities will allow students to create communicative tasks such as plan a video, write a letter or a mobile phone message from one of the characters in the song, writing a diary, a blog entry or a poem about the topic of the song.

As a final point, songs provide a great opportunity to work with grammar, fluency, self confidence and they raise students’ motivation of learning not only language aspects, but also they will experience idioms, believes, habits and aptitudes of the second language. As a result, learners will open their minds into the new culture.

Bibliography

Brown, H. D. (1994). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc.

Keegan, E. (n.d.). Celta-course.com. Using songs in English Teaching. Retrieved Octubre 13, 2011, from www.celta-course.com/songs.htlm

A Song to Share

I just believe that it is important to have some posts to remind me to smile, even if the climate conditions outside were challenging. Therefore, I decide to share this video that a friend has recommended. I invite you all to enjoy the rythm and lyrics, so sing the song ;)

Publish a Podcast in Your Blog

 

 First Part:
 You must download Audacity program at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Second, in the download tap choose the operative system of your computer.

The third step is to install Audacity program in your PC or Laptop.

Now, Audacity File is going to appear in your desk. 

The next step is to run the program,  as the following picture shows. Thus, you must follow the instructions, and click on the tab that indicates continue (in Spanish: siguiente).

The last instruction indicates to click on the tab that shows the word "End" (in Spanish: "Finalizar"). Look at the following picture:

Second Part: 

To continue with the process, it is important to download a Library that converts or exports the files into MP3, in this case I work with LAME Library. Download LAME at the following address: http://lame1.buanzo.com.ar/

As a second step, it is going to appear a web page with address of LAME. You must click on it. 

Third, LAME is installed at your PC or Laptop, as the picture indicates:

Then, you can run LAME.

Later, follow the different instructions to run or install LAME as it is shown in the following pictures:

Once you have installed Audacity and LAME Library, you can record your Verbal Practices such as dialogues, songs, lectures, readings, poems or instructions as it is shown. Remember, to keep the quality of your recordings it is important to install or buy a microphone.

When you finish your record you must export your file into a MP3.

It is in this moment that you can give a name to your file and save it.

The program is going to ask you for the description of your file, but if you want you can leave that description empty.

Finally, the file is going to be exported and save as the subsequent pictures show, and you can enjoy your production. 

Third Part:

To upload the program, you need the help of a web site like www.goear.com, to share your files in web sites as blogs, the first step is to open an account; look at the picture:

 

When you have opened your account, you can up load your file, but the web site will ask you for a brief description of your record like the name, its format, and you must accept some legal terms to share it.

You must give a moment, and "Goear" is going to show  the result of the uploading process. 

Finally, two addresses are going to appear, one refers to the link of the page of your podcast, and the second one is the htlm code that you must link in your blog. I hope you will enjoy reconding your practices and that you don't have problems with your future podcasts.

prueba

Oral Homework to Improve Verbal Skills

Bach. Elena Beatriz Madrigal Cordero

emaestria11@gmail.com

Homework is always something that teachers and students have to deal with in their currently study time. This is usually a written task set by the teacher out of class, in pairs or individually. Moreover, it is supposed that the teacher is the one who has to cope with the grading. But Elba Méndez (2010) in her article “How to Set Up Oral Homework a Case of Limited Technology” asserts the importance to change the traditional point of view about homework, and she emphasizes the way oral homework provides students with a great opportunity to practice and improve fluency in a Second Language because all the learners have the opportunity to produce speech, articulate English sounds, and practice listening skills.

In my opinion, oral homework gives great advantages because it can be completed in pairs or individually, it represents an easy way to give feedback and it could be turned by e-mail or with a record device such as a CD or a USB memory. In addition, it provides an opportunity to be listened and receive feedback by other students.

Méndez (2010) states that there are different requirements to take into account when an oral homework is assigned; one requirement is that recording devices must be feasible to the students; quite the opposite the teacher could work with different gadgets like cell phones, school’s computers or students’ computers at home. Also, it is imperative to set up a recording format as MP3 and the name of the file, for example: “OralHWK1-by student’s name ”. Related to this, it is important that the teacher become familiar with some conversion programs, as it is shown in the following website http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/gmm/fwaudiocodec.html. 


Obviously, teachers have to establish guidelines for handing in oral homework which includes the format, speech time –from one or three minutes—it depends if it is assigned individually or in pairs; grading aspects such as grammar or pronunciation aspects. And clearly, the oral homework has to match with the objectives and contents of the course.

Another variable of oral homework is the great variety of activities that could be assigned; it depends on the available resources, the number and type of learners per group perhaps more importantly, the program’s objectives. Some examples of activities are to record phrases to practice intonation; to read a story or a poem; to build up dialogues with specific vocabulary; to create the end of a story; to describe their closest relationship; or summarized something that they have read or listened to; to make discussions of different topics; tell jokes or give advices about social issues, among others.

As a final point, oral homework provides great integration and interaction. Besides, it enhances verbal production of all the students in a class; they can become autonomous and can expand their creativity. Students can learn how to monitor themselves while they are speaking. Even though, there are two aspects to take into account related to oral homework: technological devices must be feasible and grading is time consuming. However, feedback could be provided by the other classmates through comprehension questions, or different Table Ranks such as convincing-acceptable-unbelievable; or through discussions in groups. Regarding to the technological aspect, students can work with their cellular phones, or with their computers at home to find a way to record themselves or the teacher might negotiate the school’s equipment.

Bibliography

Méndez, E. (N° 3 de 2010). English Teaching Forum. Recuperado el 3 de Octubre de 2011, de http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/forum/archives/docs/forum-10-48-03/48_3_3_mendez.pdf

The following videos are examples of recording oral homeworks.