Teaching Speaking: Video Conference

Assignment  10.1:

A. Teaching Speaking

The goal of language is communication. So what wever language we learn, wherever we learn, and we never we learn, the goal of language learning is always aimed at using it for communication. Although we may use it only for the receptive puposes such as listening and reading but it is also part of communication.

For the productive skills like speaking and writing, the communication function is even mre crucial. In this section we will look at why speaking skills is important, how to teach the skills? What teacher should know in order to better the speaking activities in a language class. Let's start by looking at the following sites which presents some usiful tipps on how to choose actvities in a speaking class, and some considertion that teachers should know when planning a language instruction focusing on the teaching of speaking:

1. Oral Production in th second language classroom

Teaching speaking skills in a classroom is not without problem everywhere there must be problem whether little or big. Yet as teacher at least we have to prepared for such any problematic situtions. The following site about overcoming classroom problem in a speaking class suggests some practical tips and insigth that is very helpful for us as teachers.

2.Teaching speaking skills: Overcoming classroom Problem 

There is also another article discussing some techniques that can be used for teaching speaking

3.Usefull techniques/activities for teaching speaking

B. Teaching Speaking with technology:

In recent years technology has beend used to assist both teaching and enhancing language learning. Certainly as language teacher we need to know when and how to use the technology for that purpose. The following presentation slides outlines some ideas about how the technology can be used to teach/improve speaking skills in an English class.

4. Using technology to teach speaking 

Now let's try and feel how it is like practising speaking/rehearshing with web-based leanguange learning technology.So, Go to this link below:

5. Web-based speaking practice  

You can login with your facebook account. having logged in you can start joining courses that you can select from various available ones. Then select a video. After that, you can start watching the video, learn the words, practice pronouncing the sentences, and record your own voices online. Then, you can compare your voice with the natives who speak in the video. Interesting right? Now...can you do that without technology? Will that be easier or more difficult without technology?

There are other alternative technologies that you can try and they are still counting I believe. Click below for such informations:

6. Teachnologies for teaching speaking 

Assignment  10.2:

Following Dr. Paula’s presentation above, there are four approaches that we can adopt in order to develop a speaking activities, authentic, creative, functional and reflective.

Now, in your groups (see the grouping page), choose one approach to adopt and to develop a speaking activity using technology. Just to give an idea you may record a short online conversation, a short drama, or a short onlie debate with your friends via Skype or Google hangout. You can have discussion/debate about the follwoing topics:

'What might be the problem for integrating technology in the Indonesia School Today? And How can we solve the problem?"

If you are not familiar with SKYPE check the following links:

1. A tutorial of what skype is (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMAeAeyh7zM)

SKYPE is a tool for making a video and audio call over the Internet, you can have personal audio/video call, audio/video conference call and even text based chat only by using Skype. Skype can be isntalled on PC, MAC, Iphone, Android devices etc.

SO, why not start downloading it now? Just go here http://www.skype.com/en/

Once you finished dowanloading it, you can then sing up, and when you are succesful already with the sign up process, you can then start adding contacts, making phone calls, text messaging, chatting, and even file sharing. So, check the video above again if you are still not sure with what to do with Skype.

Alternatively you can also use Google Hangout for Audio/Video Call. For information about Google Hangout tutorial click here:

1.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGHdqCkf9Ik

Google hangout is actually similar with SKYPE only it is a web based- and offers more features.  For further

information about the Google hangout, in addtion to the video above, you can click here:http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/

Finally, the best way to understand them both SKYPE and GOOGLE Hangouts is by trying them. So, go get them and try them out.

Once you understand how to use those tools you need to do the followings to record your online discussion.

A. IF you use skype click the following links to record skype call:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLuPvzoGK74 (for recording audio only conversation)

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrxrE_piVwQ and download the DVD SOFT file here: (for recording Skype audio-video conversation) See the tutorial of how to use it here

Or if that techniques is not easy to follow alternatively you may try to find other tutorials on how to record Skype call by inserting the keywords ‘How to record Skype call´ in the YouTube search box.

B. If you prefer using Google Hangout for Audio/Video Call click the following link to learn how to record your online discussion using Google Hangout.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dxREuMEF3Y

Once you finished recording your short Skype/Google hangout conversation. upload the file to youtube and subit the URL.