In general I found the website to be quite well designed and user friendly, the availability of different languages was also quite impressive. The language categories were well defined with pictures to help choose an area of interest.
I checked out the French section and the translations offered were of good quality. I also liked the fact that there are audio recordings of the texts in the various sections.
I think that the website could be improved if there were more categories in the Spanish learning section. For example, in the Spanish section one can only learn about the catering industry. This is a bit of a stereotype as in the French section one can also learn about cars etc.
I think that the exercises offered could also be improved as they are very basic. More multimedia exercises could be offered in order to generate and maintain interest.
Sunday, 23 February 2014
Content Management System examples
After checking out all of the various websites that were created using website templates I have come to the conclusion that I do not like the format of these websites - the reasons for my decision are many. Firstly, I do not like the fact that they are templates as they all look generic and uninspiring. Secondly, I do not like the fonts, or the white backgrounds that are used on many occasions. There are so many user friendly websites that these ones look inferior in comparison. I also dislike the cheap graphics that are used for the icons and the fact that there are few visual design features that are easy on the eye.
In addition, I do not like how the menu options of these sites treat every choice equally. When I visit a website I want the most common task to be the one that is most easy to identify. In these sites one has to search patiently for all the options instead of them 'jumping out at you'.
I am aware that the 'beauty' of these websites is the fact that they are easy to set-up and maintain but I personally do not like them.
In addition, I do not like how the menu options of these sites treat every choice equally. When I visit a website I want the most common task to be the one that is most easy to identify. In these sites one has to search patiently for all the options instead of them 'jumping out at you'.
I am aware that the 'beauty' of these websites is the fact that they are easy to set-up and maintain but I personally do not like them.
Joomla
I have chosen the Text Scroller extension because I think that it could be useful to put a new scrolling idiom on a web page everyday for visitors to a site to learn.
The idea of Joomla seems interesting as it seems flexible and, most importantly, free. However, although I regard myself as tech savvy, I find some of the jargon to be difficult to understand. I think an entire course on such an application would be useful in order to take advantage of its resources fully. I also wonder about the technological capabilities required of a computer in order to work smoothly with the package. At the moment I have a netbook and it can be painfully slow in executing even the most simple tasks. Therefore, I wonder how much raw processing power would be needed to create and manage content efficiently.
The idea of Joomla seems interesting as it seems flexible and, most importantly, free. However, although I regard myself as tech savvy, I find some of the jargon to be difficult to understand. I think an entire course on such an application would be useful in order to take advantage of its resources fully. I also wonder about the technological capabilities required of a computer in order to work smoothly with the package. At the moment I have a netbook and it can be painfully slow in executing even the most simple tasks. Therefore, I wonder how much raw processing power would be needed to create and manage content efficiently.
Sunday, 16 February 2014
British Council newsletter
I recommend the British Council newsletter because the British Council is a reputable institution and the newsletter provides links to interesting ideas and resources that are found on the website. Therefore, one can keep up to date with the latest developments in the English teaching world.
Reflections on resources
Reflections on resources
1. Voxy
I
found this app to be easy to use and it has an attractive interface. It’s simple to sign up to using a Facebook
account. It allows you to choose the
topic areas that most interest you. This
facet would bolster learner autonomy and increase motivation. As it’s an app it can be used on the go using
a phone or tablet. The only downside is
that in the end you have to pay for the package. Also, it tends to crash quite
frequently.
2.
ESL podcast
This
website allows learners to practice their listening skills. This is an important skill that is often
lacking in Spanish learners of English.
The podcast can be accessed in a slowed down version for people that
find it hard to understand. The website
is easy to use but there is distracting advertising. There are also parts of
the site that are only available if you buy a subscription.
3.
1984
My
favourite eBook is ‘1984’ by George Orwell because it is a book that has the possibility
of generating lots of discussion. Lots
of the predictions postulated in the book have actually come to fruition. Therefore, students could be asked to
identify elements from the book that they can see in their real lives.
4.
Weather whiteboard activity
T The
whiteboard activity is made of a series of flashcards with audio. It isn't very spectacular and the voices used for the audio to not inspire much interest.
5.
London tour worksheet
This
worksheet is relevant to many learners of English as many people have spent
time in London or at least they would like to spend time there. It is a communicative activity because the
students have to adopt the roles of a tour guide and a tourist.
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