New interest..

Since completing my essay, which was mostly based on whether CALL can help improve pronunciation, I have developed a new interest in researching programs which aim to demonstrate the correct pronunciation and I now want to improve my pronunciation as much as I can.

I haven't found any free online facilities for getting feedback on my pronunciation but there are many sites which demonstrate clearly how to pronounce difficult phonemes.

Using CALL gives me a sense of language learning becoming more achievable.. I always think improving is in my hands and is possible if I try harder!

I think at an early age language learners should be introduced to online language learning facilities to help them develop their autonomous learning skills.

Hold on one second!!

By the way I just realised my clock is set wrong!! It's not 4.35 p.m, I'm not lazy and still in bed in case your getting any ideas..

It's actually 00:41!

Anyone know how to change this? Comment if you do, much appreciated!

Guilty Conscience...

Today I had a language learning free day! It's the first day in 12 weeks as my class wasn't on and with other assignments I was, dare I say, TOO busy to do any autonomous learning..

And the result???

An OVERWHELMING feeling of guilt..

So, its very late and I'm lying in bed unable to sleep because I feel so guilty for not practising my language or learning anything new! I'm hoping that by blogging my feelings I'll have a sense of relief and as penance I'll do extra language learning work tomorrow.. (Maybe..)

Anyway, I'm not going to learn anything now so I'm off to my bed.. G'night! x

The act of blogging..

For the past 12 weeks I've been writing reflective blogs on my language learning. Initially I was very enthusiastic and had a lot to post, however as time passed I became more critical and found it more difficult to post as I felt I was repeating myself and wanted to be more specific .

I find between my blogs I am most reflective as I am thinking about what I'm learning and what useful information I could share with other language learners.

I like critiquing CALL and WELL sites and participating in online learning opportunities and feel they are of advantage for those who have specific language learning difficulties in certain areas.

CALL V Traditional Language Learning..

This is the general theme of my LI4113 essay.

I'm comparing certain aspects of CALL and more traditional language learning strategies. I think this is a very enjoyable topic to study as it's very interesting to examine whether there is an advantage of using one above the other.

I believe that if used correctly, CALL holds a wealth of knowledge and advice which can potentially make learning a language much more enjoyable, but I also believe there is a lot of useless programmes which do not help.

Similarly, traditional methods like textbooks have their positives and negatives.

If anyone has any personal experience or thoughts on this subject that they would like to share please leave a comment... :)

So the big Q: Am I actually learning anything??..

And the answer is... Yes :)

Using CALL is a positive experience for me. I find it stimulating to challenge and teach myself and to push myself to different learning levels. With CALL programmes I am giving myself the opportunity to improve my language shills which in turn is hugely motivating. (And sometimes addictive!)

Unlike in-class work, which I take a strategic approach to, I find that I take a deep approach to my CALL work. I want to find out more and want to understand underlying principles when I am learning for myself.

With class work, time is limited per subject and all work has a specific aim and outcome, for example, studying the imperfect tense, doing a test, passing the test and progressing, thus learning becomes forced. This type of learning is useful but is not conducive to optimum understanding. By learning in my own time and concentrating on my own needs I am beginning to relate ideas and concepts to other knowledge and I am more interested and able in what I am learning.

I do question if their is room for CALL inside the classroom as I feel it is more about the 'personal desire to learn' than learning for exam purposes. I feel that CALL would become artificial within the classroom with the majority of students, e.g. a situation where blogs or exercises are all rushed and completed together to pass an exam or be done before a due date, rather than a more reflective approach taken towards learning.

I like CALL but I feel it depends on personal tastes and interests to be successful.

A quick update!

I haven't posted anything in a while because I'm taking some time to go through the software I have discovered and to make the most out of them..

Livemocha is still dominating most of my CALL but I am trying to vary it as much as possible!!

A plustard....

Radio France Internationale

What an excellent website for language learners! http://www.rfi.fr/lffr/pages/001/page_59.asp

I was trying to find a site where I could listen to the French news in French when I came across this great site.

There are sections on sport, culture, science, music and many more! So I think all interests are covered..

I think that the most helpful section for a language learner is the 'French Language Section.'

This section has a great variety of resources to help learn French. It offers sheets for classroom learning, listening exercises, and specific vocabulary and phrases for different news themes, e.g. the environment.

I really liked the section which has an alphabetical list of phrases which occur in the news. When you enter this section and choose a phrase, it brings you to a news extract with this phrase in it. It also gives you the choice of listening to the extract or downloading the tape script.

I think its important to hear native speakers of a language using the language as it should be, i.e. spoken at regular pace and not slower for language learners and using authentic vocabulary and phrases.

I think it would be a good exercise to listen to one piece of news everyday on this site as then you would subconsciously pick up the natural language :)

More CALL! Perfecting pronunciation..

I think to pronounce your TL better you need to hear native speakers, I'm finding these videos helpful...

For Consonants : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJVxe4inqyg

For Vowels : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UftN73gl8sg

For the dreaded French R : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b920AesqDs&feature=fvw

And some tongue twisters, just for fun!! : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1S_g8YTzPs&feature=related

Improving your French, Understanding and Pronunciation, by using Vlogs.

Yet again I'm surprised by the great material available online to help with Language Learning. This site in particular http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/ provides excellent vlogs to practice listening to native speakers and for improving your own pronunciation.

There are a series of vlogs for each language level, beginner-advanced, which guide you through real life usage of the French language. What makes this site stand out for me is the tutor, a native French speaker, who makes learning seem easier by breaking down to the most essential phrases.

I have subscribed to this vlog and am going to try catch up on all the available material as I know I will benefit from it.

By discovering all this new material, learning French and attaining a higher level, has become so much more achievable for me. I really feel like it has made my learning more interesting, fun and enjoyable. I feel like I'm moving from a feeling of despair about my ability to learn French to one of hope and genuine love again.

I feel like I'm having a fresh start, a born-again French student! I just hope I get through all the material and make the most of it.

Update on my Online Learning Class...

Recently I started an online French course on LiveMocha. It is free to register and you complete it in your own time and at your own pace.

So far, I love it, but it's HIGHLY addictive!! I am really enjoying it though.

This software has great structure, you start at level one and as you complete exercises you progress. Each stage has a theme, e.g. Directions, and the theme is taught through vocab, comprehension, aural, oral and a variety of games. You can even submit a written and oral piece to be corrected and get feedback. The site is mostly presented through French but you have the option of seeing translations of the phrases if you click on the links. I like this as you are training your eye and your mind to read and think through French, but if you get really stuck you can check the English.

Visually this site is charming as it has a neutral brown/blue backround and no flashy pop-ups. It makes use of real life visuals to explain new vocab, which I find great for helping to remember new things.

As you go through the course you earn points and a percentage scale shows you your progress. I find this highly motivating as I love to see my own progress, and I'm sure others do too! The site also matches you up with a language partner who you can IM in the TL if you want. I have'nt tried this yet but I will soon.

I really think this site would be excellent for secondary school students as it would fit flexibly around their study, it's very enjoyable and it's a great learning aid! I would definitely have used it for my LC if I had of known about it.

I also think it's great for Uni students who want to practise and improve their French, especially pronunciation.

This site definitely gets a huge thumbs up, I couldn't recommend it enough!

Online Language Learning...

As I sat to contribute to my blog I was hit by sudden writers block! In desperate need of inspiration I googled, ' online language learning' and came across this site: http://www.livemocha.com/learn/view/l:2/n:1

As part of my blog I am going to take a crash course in French, through this site, and evaluate my experience through my blog.

Tonight is my first class so I'll keep you posted on my progress....


(Oh the excitement.....!)

This could be interesting...

OK so I'm going to take an online test to see what type of learner I am, even though I think I know..

Pre Test: I think I am a traditional read-write leaner. I am sure I am not a auditory learner as I never learn anything from just hearing it...

This is the test I am taking... http://www.quizilla.com/quizzes/7073446/what-type-of-learner-are-you-extreamly-accurate-results-will-help-you-learn-in-life

The Results: Results are in and I'm a........ 'Visual Learner.' This is the feedback I got..

"Visual learners like to arrange their space and their work; remember what they see rather than what they hear and don't relay on verbal messages. Write them down. Visual learners respond to color, art, and mapping; and may know what to say but have trouble difficulty coming up with the right words. Visual learners like to have to have plan, good organizers, and would rather show you than tell you. Visual learners usually don't mind outside noise, doodle during phone conversations, classes, and meetings. Visual learners are often good spellers, and usually need to have verbal instructions repeated. They enjoy reading and would rather read than to be read to; need to see the 'whole picture' before they have a clear idea. For making decisions you might list out the pros and cons. For asking directions you might prefer a map or landmarks. And for learning skills you'll probably respond better to diagrams or watch someone else do it"

(I'm not too sure how reliable this site is but it's the only free one I could find!!)

Unhappy Blogger! :(

I have to be honest and say that I'm not very good at this 'online language learning.' I keep getting distracted and opening new tabs and procrastinating, its really frustrating me as I cant help it!!

I think I learn much better with a book as I don't waste nearly as much time. I do enjoy using the online software but I think overall its not beneficial to me as I just keep wasting time :(

I am trying to make an effort though! I changed my bebo and facebook profile settings to French. I'm hoping that subconsciously I'll learn some new vocab and that I'll pick up a little bit of extra language practise..

I'm still hoping that I can come around to successfully using online language learning, but its going to take a while!

Interesting language site for learning French online!

This week I've been looking at a nice site for learning French online, its called "Bonjour De France!" http://www.bonjourdefrance.com/. I hadn't heard of this site until recently in a 'Language and Technology' lecture and have since spent a few minutes, here and there, trying it out.

As a future language teacher I liked this site and would consider incorporating its usage into some of my future lessons.

It is very easy to familiarise yourself with how the site works as it is very clear and simple. On the homepage there are links for grammar, vocabulary, comprehensions, idioms, business french..etc. which bring you to a range of options. These options include your level of french, theme of lesson, topic of the theme, different games and different materials. By being so manageable the usability factor is increased!

The site is well presented, using subtle colours rather than anything flashy and has nice images which I think makes it more appealing to students. I think this site caters for all as there are activities for visual, auditory, read-write and kinesthetic learners.

Bonjour De France makes certain aspects of learning more fun with games and activities. I enjoyed testing and trying them out and I was surprised to discover how much elementary vocab, that I wouldn't use often, I had forgotten! I also liked having the option of hearing the French vocab be pronounced as some sites I've tried don't offer this.

I have practised some grammar using this site and I think it is a great form of revision as you can submit answers for grading and get the results immediately. I haven't went through any of the grammar lessons yet, so I cant comment on them, but I imagine they would be aimed at beginner/elementary learners...

(To be continued.. I've run out of time!)

Lab Task: Week 1

Now that I have set up my blog I have looked at some other blogs related to my target language.

• The first blog I looked at was ''Laura's French Language Blog'' http://french.about.com/b/

I am familiar with this blog as I frequently look at Laura's posts. It is an excellent blog full of tips for learning grammar, improving pronunciation and how to become more fluent. There are sections designed for beginners, students and teachers.

For each section of the blog there are lessons and quizzes to test what you have learned and to see if you are ready to progress to the next stage.
There are regular updates to the blog and a different verb is chosen weekly to be studied.

I really like this blog as it is student friendly and a great study guide. The only thing I don't like about it is that at times it can be difficult to navigate around.

Overall I would give this blog 8/10.

• The next Blog I looked at was the ''Learn French Blog'' http://www.200-words-a-day.com/learn-french-blog.html

This Blog has some good information, however it seems to be outdated now as the last post dates back to 2007. This blog uses quirky ideas to help students learn, eg. to remember La mèche: Imagine a mesh of candle wicks!

This site is slightly bland as it is not bright or colourful, it does have some nice tips though.

Overall I would give it 5/10

• The next Blog I had a look at was ''Learn French Blog'' http://www.learnfrenchblog.com/

This was another interesting blog which had a series of posts that you could follow on the home page.

There also was a list of the most popular posts which makes it posible for new followers of the blog to look at the most useful posts written in the past without having to search for them.

This site has the potential to be a great resourse but has a major fault. The blogger gives excellent advise on why certain topics should be learnt but no help in HOW to learn them.

I think that if this blog had more advice on how to improve your language skills it would be perfect.

I would rate this as 7/10

• Lastly I looked at ''Vardhman's Blog'' http://vardhman.wordpress.com/learning-french/

This blog does not have a lot of information about French but instead offers advice on how to learn the French language.

Vardhman lists some sites which he recommends as helpful to students who are studying the language. He also allows comments which facilitates feedback from followers of the blog.

I think this blog deserves 6/10 as although there is not a lot of information, what is there is very helpful.

My favorite of these blogs is ''Laura'a French Language Blog'' as it is the most helpful and has the most information.

I will continue to follow this blog ('',)