By Lourdes Thomas
Fake Whatsapp is a website that allows users
to create a chat similar to WhatsApp.
Fake Whatsapp: Chat Generator is a great tool for language learners with "a disorder marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning of development", because it provides a different strategy to go about dialogues and written assignments.
In order to use this website in the classroom, follow these steps:
Step 1: Enter FakeWhats and complete the information on Phone Settings.
Step 2: Click on Battery Options and choose the phone's battery percent by moving the sliding bar.
Step 3: Click on Connection and decide the phone's internet connection details.
Step 4: Click on Messages and add the messages on the chat. In this step you have to choose every detail in the chronological order you want to see them.
Step 5: Scroll down and click on Download Image to save the final result.
Let's see how to use FakeWhats in lessons with SEN students!
Learners: Intermediate level.
Age: Teens, 13 to 15 years old.
Lesson duration: 1 hour.
Vocabulary content: Language & Communication.
ACTIVATION:
At this stage it is very important to start the lesson with an engaging activity that helps the students activate their previous knowledge. Therefore, you can start by setting two different groups and playing Baambozle: Real or Sarcasam? . This way students can work on different situations that are connected with real life communication and identify all kinds of details that are connected with language, body language and register.
PIECE OF DISCOURSE:
The best way to introduce a new vocabulary topic is to provide students with a text or video that contains certain words that they will have to pay attention to later on. Consequently, students will read a text called Endagered languages? (Gold Experience, 2018) .
COMPREHENSION AND CLARIFICATION:
First, it is important to discuss the text. Here are some questions:
1. How does the article argue that languages with few speakers are important?
2. What does the writer say about English in the first paragraph?
3. How did the writer feel about Welsh when he was younger?
4. What does the writer say about Gaelic Speakers?
After the discussion, students will be asked to find words or expressions that are connected with Language & Communication and they can be written on the board in a mind map with examples.
PSEUDO-COMMUNICATIVE ACTIVITY:
Using PuzzleMaker you can create a cryptogram with the vocabulary students had learnt in the comprehension and clarification section. They will have to find out the hidden words and then complete the sentences below.
QUASI-COMMUNICATIVE ACTIVITY:
In the same groups as in the Activation, students will play Charades. The game consists on one student coming to the front of the class, he or she will be given a word (for example: listen), he or she will have to create a sentence and do the mimics of it so that the rest of the group can guess the phrase.
FULLY COMMUNICATIVE ACTIVITY:
Students will have to write a short dialogue using at least five words discussed in today's lesson using FakeWhats. It's important to go about the step-by-step instructions on how to use this tool.