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Using technology with your Cambridge English C1 & C2 classes: focus on languageUsing Quizlet (flash cards)There are dozens of flashcard tools and apps, mostly with basic free versions and more versatile pay-for ones. One of the best is Quizlet: you’ll need to sign up (free) first. Today, we’ll use the web-based tool – there is also an app. 05461000Quizlet has a free version, which is all your learners need. As a teacher, you may want to invest in the teacher version. If so, ask me and I can send you a link that gives you a 20% discount (plus I get a couple of extra months added to my account).Your learners can use the sets to learn the items, test themselves, and play some games with the words. You can print out the sets as flash cards or lists, plus import data from Word or Excel documents to create the cards automatically.You can use Quizlet to do more than make simple flash cards with the target word on one side and the definition on the other. And with the teacher’s version, you can add your own visuals and your own voice to supplement/complement the cards, create unlimited classes, check student progress etc.There is an iPad app for Quizlet.Some ideas:48006006858000create classes with sets based on the specific course book create sets with and without example sentences make word-building setsmake collocation setsmake grammar transformation setsmake grammar “true or false” setscreate sets for idioms, phrasal verbs, fixed expressions etcmake sets of true and false friendsadd your voice for pronunciation work, including intonation and stressGroups: discuss more ideas for ways of using Quizlet > plenary: sharing your ideasHands-on time: now experiment with Quizlet for yourself - either individually or in pairs/small groups > plenary feedback: so how did it go?Using wordleWordle is a free online tool that creates word clouds: There's also Tagul and Tagxedo (these put the cloud inside shapes, such as clouds...)Tagul: Tagxedo: We’ll look at wordle for skills work tomorrow- today we’ll focus on language uses.Some ideas:create sets of antonyms – and highlight words you want to focus onhighlight collocationshighlight phrasal verbsGroups: discuss more ideas for ways of using wordle with a language focus > plenary: sharing your ideasHands-on time: now experiment with wordle for yourself - either individually or in pairs/small groups > plenary feedback: so how did it go?-22860056515Using the BNCThe BNC is the British National Corpus, accessible at natcorp.ox.ac.ukIt allows you to search for words or phrases, and returns a set of 50 random results drawn from the corpus entries (which may number several thousand). You can then select some items that meet your criteria. For example, you see that your students need to practise structures using the pattern I'd rather... First, simply search the BNC using that pattern - but note that it doesn't recognize contractions in the search box, so enter I would rather Some ideas:* select and copy/paste some examples into a worksheet and ask learners to identify different patterns (eg I’d rather do it myself vs I’d rather you did it.)* select and copy/paste some examples into a worksheet and use them as the basis for a productive task (eg sentence completion / gap fill / sentence conversion)* select and copy/paste some examples into a worksheet and mix them with other patterns using rather – the students have to sort themGroups: discuss more ideas for ways of using the BNC > plenary: sharing your ideasHands-on time: now experiment with the BNC for yourself - either individually or in pairs/small groups > plenary feedback: so how did it go?Using the English Vocabulary Profile (EVP)This is a must-have resource. You have to register, but it’s free.There is a YouTube video on the English Profile here: watch?v=L1-HREEDa70There is also a YouTube video by Annette Capel outlining the EVP here: watch?v=GwoSRuSqts0Some basicsyou can toggle between British and American Englishyou can search at one specific level (eg C1 only), or at a range of levels (eg A1 – C1)you can use the lists to check whether items are at the appropriate level for Cambridge Advanced / Business Higher (C1), or whether the item is graded at C2 in fact. Or should an item already be within your learners’ competence (B2 and below)?note that you can toggle between the outline view, which gives the basic information, and a full view that provides much morethe words in the example sentences and other on-screen data are “live”: if you click on them, you are taken to that word in the Profilesome entries provide a panel of derived words in the form of a word family at the top of the entryyou can copy/paste the examples and the word family panel into Word or other WP applicationsin addition to the basic search, there is an Advanced Search option. This provides a number of filters that you can set for your search, and which can be set individually or in combinationif a word isn’t found, you are given a link to Cambridge Dictionaries OnlineThe advanced search filters are: * category: any / words / phrases / phrasal verbs / idioms* parts of speech has 13 filters (including auxiliary verbs, conjunctions, prepositions, pronouns)* grammar also has 13 filters (including countable only, plural nouns, nouns usually plural)* usage: any / formal / informal / literary * topic has 23 filters (including crime, education, money, relationships, shopping, travel, work)* prefix: any /dis / il / im / in / inter / ir / mis / re / un* suffix has 28 filtersexample of a word family boxSome activities based on the EVPAt last year’s seminar we looked at numerous activities based on the EVP: I’ve put the handout in my web folder for this year’s seminar. Below is an edited selection of just a few.1 using the definitions and examplesEven at C1 and C2 levels, I find that words flagged at B2 (and even occasionally B1) can cause problems. So a certain amount of “recycling” is required.You can use the EVP to develop lexical items that are below C1/C2, in order to consolidate their lexical patterns, syntax, collocations etc. For example: worried. A search for this shows that it’s A2 in fact, with information about derived words (the word family panel) and some example sentences which include features such as a dependent preposition, an adj + noun collocation, and an idiomatic verb pattern. Copy and paste the sentences to make a more demanding cloze exercise.The worksheet task:She's really worried ........ her son.I'm worried ....... someone will find out.She was sitting behind her desk with a worried ................ on her face.You ........ me worried for a moment back there - I thought you wouldn't be able to stop in time.The EVP entry:She's really worried about her son.I'm worried that someone will find out.She was sitting behind her desk with a worried expression/look on her face.You had me worried for a moment back there - I thought you wouldn't be able to stop in time.Then do the same for two or three related items such as anxious and nervous, and combine them to make a complete worksheet. Note that anxious is flagged as B1 and B2 (in different meanings), and nervous as B1: this doesn’t matter provided the C1/C2 learners are being challenged by the collocations, patterns etc.2 using the word family panelAs noted above, some entries provide a panel of derived words (word family): you can use these to extend the core items.Here is some word family data: 2.1 remove the word class information, scramble the words, and then ask students to recreate the word families with parts of speech:strength / self-assurance / analyse / broad / assurance / strengthen / assure / broaden / self-assured / strong / analyst / strongly / breadth / analytical / reassure / broadly / reassurance / reassuring / analysisYou could extend this by asking whether they notice any patterns:strong / strength / strengthen but broad / breadth / broadenand/or whether a prefix can be extended to another of the core words:self-assurance / self-assured > self-analysis / self-analytical2.2 create sets of cloze sentences for the learners to complete using words from the word family panel2.3 work with Use of English word formation tasks to extend vocabulary range: take a word formation cloze task from a tests book and tell the learners to cover the text, leaving just the key words visible. They then try to form as many derived words as they can and write them down. Then give them a handout with the word family panels for the key words (this will depend on the EVP entry – some items may not have a word family panel), and they check their lists against the handout. 3 using the wild cardUse the * symbol to find phrases: in the search box type at* and in the Category filter, select phrases, at C1. This results in 20 matches. Choose 6 phrases which may be new to your students and put them on the board. Elicit or give the meanings and then ask how they could be used appropriately in a report or other business context.at the expense of at handat the very least at a glance at short noticeat face valueYou can also use the * symbol before the search term: in the search box type *ing and in the Category filter select phrases, at C1 – you’ll get 31 hits. What grammar-focus activity or activities can you devise using this data?4 working with collocations4.1 select “all verbs” in the Parts of speech menu and “formal” in the Usage menu. Match the words on the left to the appropriate selection of nouns in italics:acknowledgea reputation / efficiency / the quality of a productenhancea task / a project / an investigation / researchfacilitatethe receipt of goods / a need for s/t / the existence of a problemundertake conversation / growth / learning4.2 set the search box to *ing, set the Category filter to any, and the Part of speech filter to adjectives: you’ll see 25 matches. Make a worksheet using some of the items – for example making collocated pairs of adjectives and nouns.4.3 repeat the activity, but set the search box to *ed.As noted above, see the 2014 handout for more details and more activities.Groups: discuss more ideas for ways of using the EVP > plenary: sharing your ideasHands-on time: now experiment with the EVP for yourself - either individually or in pairs/small groups > plenary feedback: so how did it go?Using PowerPoint or Keynote – or PreziThese well-known presentation tools can be useful in the classroom – for example, to introduce a grammar point. Because they can incorporate bullets, you can set the presentation so that the info is released point by point, rather than all at once. Plus you can include visuals and/or audio or video into the presentation. And of course use colours to highlight key features of form etc.The presentation can also be exported as a pdf that your students can view or download from an online source, such as a wiki, web site etc, or via a cloud such as Dropbox or Wuala.Also, have a look at Prezi, which is an online presentation tool: creates a flowing movement between the slides, and can be more dynamic that conventional slide-by-slide approaches (though be careful not to overdo the effects!). Again, presentations can be exported as pdfs, and into PowerPoint. There is an educational version (you need a school e-mail address).There are iPad apps for Keynote, PowerPoint & Prezi.48006002286000Some ideas:develop noticing skills using marked-up text extracts introduce a grammar point such as inversion or wish patternsfocus on word formation using affixes etcGroups: discuss more ideas for ways of using PowerPoint or Keynote with a language focus > plenary: sharing your ideasHands-on time: now experiment with PowerPoint or Keynote for yourself - either individually or in pairs/small groups > plenary feedback: so how did it go?Using screencastsThere are various apps that allow you to make screencasts - in other words, make short movies of what you see and do on your screen. They range from free to pretty expensive. Jing is free from TechSmith: jing.htmlYou can use it to record screencasts, which can then be uploaded to Jing’s web site at - you send the link to your learners. Videos are limited to 5 minutes in length.Jing is available in Mac and Windows versions.Snagit is a “pro” version of Jing and costs?€27 in the educational version. It allows you to record videos of any length: snagit.htmlSnagit is available in Mac and Windows versions.Camtasia is a super pro version, and costs €68 for the Mac version, and a whopping €163 for the Windows version (which has more features). I would recommend starting out with Jing! gives you a limited amount of hosting capacity for free, which will be sufficient for most purposes: 2 GB of storage and 2 GB monthly bandwidth (= "download time"). Should you need more, it costs $100 a year for 25 GB of storage and 200 GB monthly bandwidth. Another video capture tool is screenr: This is a free tool that allows you to record up to 5 minutes of video. However, it’s buggy in Mac – I can’t speak for Windows. For example, the microphone won’t enable, so no sound – not quite the idea...You can also host your videos on other web sites, such as Vimeo: basic version is free, and the Pro version costs CHF 53 a year – you can host more content and stream a lot more video per week.Some ideas:* you can analyze a Cambridge exam writing task and "talk the students through it", while recording what happens the screen (eg highlighting etc) along with your voice. Remember that in Jing, you have a maximum of 5 minutes, so if you need more time you'll need to split it into two screencasts, or use Snagit. Then you upload it to the Screencast web site, so that your students can view it.* you can analyze a sample answer, following the same procedure, with the focus on language aspects such as range of grammar and vocabulary, register and appropriacy, linking etc* similarly, you can analyze and comment on a student script, explaining corrections etc. This can be viewable just by the learner in question, or be made more widely available (with her/his permission, of course).* you can talk your learners through a grammar or vocab presentation* you can annotate a visual by adding vocabulary "flags"* your learners could also make short videos to share with the class - Jing is fine for this, as five minutes is sufficient timeGroups: discuss more ideas for ways of using Jing > plenary: sharing your ideasHands-on time: now experiment with Jing for yourself - either individually or in pairs/small groups > plenary feedback: so how did it go?Using (online) mind-mapsMind-maps are a good way of organizing vocabulary – and also grammar too. There are some online mind-maps that you can use in real-time in class – and which can also be accessed by learners outside class. Have a look at text2mindmap: You can download the mind-map as a pdf or jpg, or mail the link to students. You can also integrate it into a handout, embed it into a wiki page etc. Groups: discuss ideas for ways of using text2mindmap > plenary: sharing your ideasHands-on time: now experiment with text2mindmap for yourself - either individually or in pairs/small groups > plenary feedback: so how did it go?There are iPad apps for various mind-maps: iThoughtsHD, MindMeister, SimpleMind etcUsing EdmodoEdmodo is a web platform where you can create and host classes/groups of students. You can add content such as Word docs, pdfs etc, create quizzes, link to Blendspace and other apps, set assignments etc. You can also monitor their progress (eg their assignments etc).Groups: discuss ideas for ways of using Edmodo > plenary: sharing your ideasHands-on time: now experiment with Edmodo for yourself - either individually or in pairs/small groups > plenary feedback: so how did it go?Using BlendspaceBlendspace is a free web tool where you can create multi-media lessons on a “board” – pdfs, visuals, audio, video, quizzes etc. It has links to YouTube, Google search etc, so that you can find online content quickly, plus you can upload your own materials, add text directly, etc. You can alter the layout a bit too.Then you can share the board with students and classes (and with other teachers).Groups: discuss more ideas for ways of using Blendspace > plenary: sharing your ideas 5257800000Hands-on time: now experiment with Blendspace for yourself - either individually or in pairs/small groups > plenary feedback: so how did it go?There are iPad apps for Edmodo & BlendSpace.Cloze and puzzlesIn case you don’t already know these resources:PuzzlemakerCreates a range of puzzles (eg crosswords, word squares etc). careful to save your puzzles to a folder and/or print them when using Puzzlemaker, as it seems to overwrite the previous puzzle with next one that you create.Cloze MakerCreates cloze activities: MakerCreates crosswords: of the above are via Oxford University Press’ Teachers’ Club: you have to register, but it’s free. The tools are part of the online resources for OUP titles such as New English File, New Headway etc – but you don’t have to be using those titles in order to use the tools. Simply click on any of the levels (eg NEF Elementary) in order to get access to the resources, and then select “I want to use my own text”.Some iPad appsIf you have an iPad, there are numerous really useful apps for the classroom. Here are just a few: many are free, and the pay-for ones cost only a couple of francs.52578006032500Some teacher appsGlogster - pin-board app – has an edu versionLecture Tools - intended for large class presentation and lectures - could be useful in further ed contextsLino – pin-board app - an online canvas for sharing sticky notes, pix, video clips, web links etcOnestopenglish - well-known ELT websiteSocrative - a classroom Q&A app for quizzes, T/F Qs etc. There are two versions: Student and TeacherSticky - another online canvas for sharing sticky notes, pix and web pages TeacherKit - it includes a time-table planner, class register, grades organiser, seating plan etcTeacherTool - in several versions - includes a planner, class register, grades organiser, seating plan etcSome note-taking appsAudio Memos – write, record and share notes/memosEvernote and Pocket – note-taking, sharing and web clipping apps FileManager – create multimedia folders for specific lessons Moleskine and Noteshelf – apps for classy journals & note-booksNotability – note-taking combined with audioNote Taker HD – note-takingOutline+ - notebook/journal with customizable sectionsPenultimate – note-takingUPAD – note-taking, pdf annotating and moreSome voice recording (+ sharing) appsHokusai Audio Editor – you can trim and edit audio in various waysiTalk – make and email voice recordingsMailVU – send video mailSound Note - write, record and share notes/memosVoiceThread – shares audio, video and docs Some whiteboard (+ sharing) appsEducreations Interactive Whiteboard – draw and record whiteboards for sharingExplain Everything – another whiteboard appShowMe Interactive Whiteboard - draw and record whiteboards for sharingSkitch for iPad - draw and record whiteboards for sharingWhiteboard HD – for more sophisticated whiteboards (CHF 5)We’ll have a look at one or two of the above, focusing on whiteboard apps.Groups: discuss ideas for ways of using an iPad > plenary: sharing your ideasHands-on time: now experiment with some apps for yourself - either individually or in pairs/small groups > plenary feedback: so how did it go? ................
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