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Snorkl: An innovative voice interaction tool for foreign language education
C
Contenjoo
Introduction
Bla is a Technology Integration Specialist at Northern Lee High School District with over 10 years of experience as a middle and high school English teacher. She currently serves as the Foreign Language Club Advisor, exploring a variety of languages with her students, including Japanese, French, Italian, and Spanish. Drawing on her experience using Snorkl in foreign language instruction, Bla shares her tips for using the tool effectively.
Key elements of effective language learning
1.
Contextualization : Bla emphasizes the importance of learning language in real-world situations. Snorkl allows you to simulate real-world situations, such as ordering at a restaurant.
2.
Engaging and Fun : It’s important to encourage active student participation. Snorkl increases student engagement through features like the interactive whiteboard.
3.
Cultural Insights : Language learning goes beyond just learning vocabulary and grammar to understanding cultural nuances. Snorkl allows you to engage in culturally relevant activities, such as comparing artwork.
4.
Continuous Practice : Snorkl provides immediate feedback and gives students the opportunity to practice as many times as they want.
5.
Accuracy and Fluency : Through continuous feedback, students can improve the accuracy of their pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary use, while simultaneously improving fluency.
Level-based approach to foreign language classes using Snorkl
Level 1: Beginner
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Example: Learning Japanese Numbers 1-10
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Characteristic:
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Provide clear instructions in English
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Focus on practicing basic vocabulary
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Active use of visual aids (e.g. matching animal pictures with numbers)
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Short recordings of less than 30 seconds are recommended.
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Tip: When setting AI feedback, adjust it to elementary school level to provide simpler and clearer feedback.
Level 1.5: Beginner-Intermediate
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Example: Ordering at a restaurant in Spanish
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Characteristic:
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Instructions provided in English
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Use visual cues, such as menus
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Giving students the freedom to choose what they order
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Practice conversations that reflect real-life situations
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Tip: Include greetings and expressions of gratitude in your expected responses to reflect real conversations.
Level 2: Intermediate
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Example: Creating a story using Spanish past progressive tense
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Characteristic:
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Emphasize the use of certain grammatical elements (e.g. past progressive tense)
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Provides detailed feedback on grammar, syntax, and verb tenses
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Requires more complex sentence structure
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Tip: Encourage students to use the whiteboard tool to plan their responses in advance.
Level 3: Advanced
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Example: Comparing the styles of two painters in Spanish
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Characteristic:
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Provide instructions in the target language (Spanish)
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Choose a culturally relevant topic (e.g. compare famous painters)
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We recommend preparing your response in advance using a whiteboard.
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Encourage student-to-student feedback (using target language)
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Tip: Change the feedback language to the target language in Student Settings for a deeper immersive experience
Snorkl usage tips
1.
When setting up AI feedback, adjust language and grade level to match your students’ actual abilities.
2.
Individual student settings allow you to provide English Language Learners (ELL) students with feedback in their native language.
3.
Use visual aids to help students understand and engage them.
4.
Reduce the burden of recording by having students prepare their responses in advance using the whiteboard tool.
5.
Develop real-world communication skills by encouraging conversation practice through partner activities.
Conclusion
Snorkl is a powerful tool that revolutionizes foreign language teaching. It can provide a personalized learning experience for students of all levels, from beginners to advanced learners, and accelerates language acquisition through immediate feedback and repeated practice opportunities. Bla emphasizes that Snorkl is more than just a technology tool; it is an educational tool that simultaneously improves students’ language skills and cultural understanding. With tasks that reflect real-world situations, the integration of cultural elements, and individualized feedback, Snorkl can be the ideal platform to meet the needs of modern foreign language teaching.
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