3. Using Web 2.0 Tools ‘VOKT & VOXPOP’ for Enhancing the Speaking Skills --- Agravat & Raval

INTRDUCTION

Over the past twenty to thirty years the advancement in the field of technology has taken a long leap. Academic field is not an exception in it. There are fields like Law, Medical Science and Computer Engineering - I.T. which are ever growing and witnessing a change on regular basis. In academics where more emphasis should be given on the life-skills, there has been less attention given.Talking to language field, especially the global language - English, it has even seen wide spectrum oflearning in terms of policies, tools, assessment, acquisition and other development since past couple of years.

The traditional way of teaching English language entails the one and only usage of chalkboard, teacher-oriented classroom teaching and forcing students to attain the expected result through paper-and-pencil-test. ELT, since its descendent, has witnessed a variety in terms of material development, course curriculum, enhancing teaching techniques, motivating students and ofcourse developing new tools to make the classroom teaching and technique more learner-oriented and happening so that learners could get every bits of learning without losing their interest.

The current paper would seep into the details of using Web Tools 2.0 and will aim at developing speaking ability with the objective of attaining communicative competence. Initially, we would see the tool called Voki which is a free tool for creating one’s advertisement, text voice, adding voice and embedding, e-mailing it by changing voices etc. The second tool is Voxopop which is equally delightsome and interesting for online recording of one’s voice and share it in talkgroup.

VOKI

Voki is an online creative tool for expressing one’s ideas personally in one’s own voice and talking character. It gives chance to students as well as teachers to use different avatars so as to make the communicative task more interesting.

The best art of learning this tool is recording one’s audioand practicing it. The more one practice the more one gets acquainted with the usagesand benefits of the tool.The recording process is very easy and common like other audio-recording tool.

REVIEW

The learning part comes with the process of reviewing. Either one can review one’s own recording after listening it once or twice or one can start a talkgroup and ask others to review one’s task and make sure to comment on it. The tool gives ample chance to review your voice, volume and pitch variation, intonation, pause, stress, pronunciation etc. One may come across one’s hold/grip or lack of ability and can work over it.

SAMPLE TASKS FOR VOXOPOP:

TASK-1 COMPLETING HALF-MADE STORY

Background: In a class of 40, students could be given a half-made story(short story where either initial or later part is omitted to create a puzzle), either by written chits or taken printouts or mailing them. Students would have to make the full story out of the given half story sheets. The story could be an anecdote, an excerpt, a piece from persuasive speech etc. They would be asked to make the full story in their own way by using Voxopop and share it in the talkgroup. Sample tasks like,

OBJECTIVES:

• • Give shy and weak students a chance to express themselves

  • Helps students to use speaking as a tool for self exploration

  • Motivates students to share ideas personally and effectively

  • Aids in homework and other class assignments making more entertaining

  • Could help in understanding and developing pronunciation and accent

  • Assist to record and share with peers

The main usage of Vokis is that in it students, after registering, can record one’s audio-video, customize it according to one’s likeness and share with others to get the feedback. Some of the key features would be:

Managing students by giving common instructions

• • Managing classroom lesson or material by providing link of message on VOKI

  • Reviewing students’ Voki tasks and giving feedback

  • Sharing it in a team and getting peer feedback

EASY STEPS OF USING VOKI

• 1. One must register oneself by logging into the website www.voki.com and also explore the product page www.voki.com/products.php One has to type basic information in it.

  2. After login with id, click Create button

  3. Select your avatar and start recording your voice task

  4. One may change theme, clothes, voice (accent) etc.

  5. Teacher/Student can also review the task spoken by student

One of the samples of how a teacher has reviewed the talk done by the teacher.

GOAL:To encourage students to complete any complex idea or event

OBJECTIVES:

Sudents would learn to use and tackle Web Tools 2.0

• • Experience virtual scenario of using English language

  • Record and listen one’s own recorded tasks and review it

  • Develop art of regular communication in routine scenario

ACTIVITIES:

• 1. Students, by using Voxpop tool, would get aware about this creative tool

  2. They will record their full-made story and share with others

  3. They will get a chance to listen others’ recorded tasks

  4. One may review, reflect and write the improvements need to be made so as to make communication better

  5. Learners may comment and ask questions about others’ responses

  6. They may give the best possible answer of the tasks and can comment on the strengths and weaknesses of the performers if possible or teacher permits and gives feedback at the end.

  7. Teacher has, at last, to give feedback on the initiatives, importance of using the tool, strengths and weaknesses of the students.

LIMITATIONS:

• • Students might take more time initially to get comfortable with the procedure of using Voxopop

  • They might experiment recording their tasks twice, thrice or more time rather than once

  • Some might contribute or not fearing other could listen their tasks and give negative feedback etc.

TASK-2 RECORDING ORAL COMMUNICATION TASK FOR KET & PET

Background: In a heterogeneous class, for beginners or mediate level, a teacher can use the Voxopop tool for teaching students on how to give the best answer for exams like KET, PET. Teacher can give them initial speaking tasks from the Cambridge handbook and ask them to complete the task by using Voxopop. They would be asked to make the necessary changes at the end but initially they would be encouraged to record some tasks and share it with the talkgroup. Sample tasks like,

The advantage of using the tool is that students could use to develop their oral ability by starting a forum and getting answers from students on the same. Many times what we speak and what we think are two different things. Voxopop, here, helps one to record one’s own recording and have self/peer-assessment so as to how and what to change in one’s speaking skills. Another advantage is listening to and comparing with others’ tasks with your own and make the changes in the speech.

The tool, apart from classroom teaching where students are encouraged to use English for regular communication, could also be used for IELTS, TOEFL, KET, PET, CAE etc. where a teacher/trainer can post opening questions or give the related tasks for the above mentioned examination and have students respond accordingly to the oral questions. The best part would be feedback that teacher would give to them. At times when learners would not be able to speak openly in the class, he/she would best contribute from home, in isolation, on the discussion forum.

EXPLORE

Initially, it is preferable if students would explore through YouTubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGGeEFxwA54 about the manual of using the Voxopop. One can also listen to the sample audios available or try to record one informally. The website has a unique interface where one can have fun while exploring and understanding the specifications of the same.

Source: KET, PET Handbook for teachers, University of Cambridge, Cambridge English

GOAL: To help students to develop speaking ability for routine conversation

OBJECTIVES:

• • Pupils would get aware about the Web Tools 2.0, Voxopop

  • Aids on how to prepare answers for the exams like KET, PET

  • Record and listen one’s own recorded tasks and review it

  • Cultivate habit for making conversation in real-life context virtually

ACTIVITIES:

• 1. Students should be given and made aware about the task as how to use it

  2. They should be made aware about the question and then record the answers in a pair as KET and PET have paired format, as a pair task.

  3. After recording they will save and publish it with their group

  4. The recorded tasks should be made available on common talkgroup and others should be asked to assess tasks

  5. Teachers should review the tasks of all and be ready to give constructive feedback

  6. At the end, students would have to re-record the task with the given improvements by the teacher and share it

  7. Teacher could use proper rubric to give clear feedback to the students

LIMITATIONS:

• • Students might be unfamiliar with the method of using Voxopop. Teacher should give demo twice.

  • Many students might be more comfortable face-to-face rather than using online tool. Here teacher has to persuade and convince them about the benefit of it.

CONCLUSIONS:

In the classroom where formative as well as summative assessment is happening, the usage of such Web Tools 2.0 would create fun and entertainment in the classroom. Nowadays, students are rather crazier about exploring such online tools and experiment with their own learning. Language teacher should try to utilize students’ craziness for using social networking sites and other tools in a productive way.With the emergence of ICT and awareness about using such technological tools actually can create wonder. The students of the 21^st century are more prone towards witnessing themselves into this virtual world rather than into the four walls and contemplating about the syllabi content and examination result. Even soft-skills, life-skills, personality development related subjects are now collaborated with the English language teaching so as to realize learnersabout the importance of presentation, negotiation, critical thinking, communication and other such skills which are needed for survival. Web Tools 2.0 helps learners to learn oral skill in the most creative way rather than using through traditional way. Voki and Voxopop compensates the dearth for learning communication skills through different creative techniques.

QUIZ TEST

• 1. Voki helps speaker to express on the web using a _______ character.

     1. a) funny b) thematic c) talking d) voracious

  2. Voki, by design, are a visual and ______ point of reference for the lesson information.

     1. a) audible b) auditorium c) body-language d) vocal

  3. There are over ____ languages lets you to speak in Voki.

     1. a) 45 b) 25 c) 27 d) 36

  4. Can anyone share the video/audio through Voki by mail?

     1. a) Yes b) No c) Can’t say d) Don’t know

5) Voxopop is actually a(n)_________ e-learning tool that aims for engaging talks in

talkgroups with more fun and pleasure

a) audio-based b) cartoon-based c) voice-based d) None of this

6) In Voxopop one can make _____ talkgroups according to their demand.

a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) many

7) In Voxopop, one may write ___ mail-id per lineand total ______ emails in a day.

a) 2, 15 b) 1, 20 c) 4, 25 d) None