What interactive activities can be used in a second langauge classroom using Web 2.0 tools?

I have been teaching languages for 12 years now and I know with web 2.0 applications we have countless opportunities for students interaction with native speakers and with each other to do certain assignments. What applications do you know that are the most reliable and convenient to use in this regard? I can think of a few: Quizlet, Voice thread, and Skype, but what are the activities you tried before and improved your students skills?

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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Shuman on March 13, 2012 at 12:32pm

I know of a teacher who is currently using ePALS. (http://www.epals.com/)

If you click on this link, you will be taken to a webpage that has “Latest Videos” on the right hand side of the screen. The video “ePals:Where Learners Connect” is a brief overview demo about how the program works. Basicallya teacher can connect with other teachers across the globe. If they want their students to correspond with each other (practice a language, learn about a new culture, conduct interviews etc), then the teacher can create safe "email address" for the students through the website. All communications between students can be completely monitored by teachers. For example, when a student sends a message to another student, the teacher has the option to read the message before it is actually sent. The same thing happens when students receive messages, a teacher has the power to read all messages before they go into a student’s inbox.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Baird on March 17, 2012 at 6:59am

WordChamp is well loved and used by the the foreign language teachers in my school. It has a lot of flexibility in the type of assignments you can provide. The option to hear the audio for words is really nice. Teachers can find and use flashcard sets that other teachers created. This helps save time. It will take those flashcards and allow you to set up a verb conjugation review allowing you to pick the tenses and pronouns to practice. It used to be free but now costs $25 a year per teacher. It's worth every penny (imho). It's not interactive in the sense that students can communicate with each other but it does a great job of helping students learn vocab, read difficult text, and work on conjugation.

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Permalink Reply by Colleen Young on March 17, 2012 at 1:47pm

I'm not a languages teacher (Maths) but have a general interest in what's out there to support various subjects. Are any of these (all free!) resources of any interest?