Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning

Scenarios

Here are a few common classroom scenarios to give you an idea of where you might be able to use RIAs in your own teaching. Five of the dozen available RIAs are demonstrated as ways to address the various scenarios.

Scenario	Pedagogical Goal	Approach	Technology
My students are intimidated by long reading passages. The content is too abstract for my students to really understand. My young learners need to review and practice colors online with their parents.	Enhanced input through technology	A web page with the reading passage, an audio recording of me reading it, and a comprehension exercise. http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/12251 A web page with a video and notes. http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/12498 A web page with text and audio. http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/2872	Mashups: container for media ViewPoint: video captions Mashups ViewPoint: record audio
My students sound like foreigners: their pronunciation is terrible. My students can’t answer a simple question, like "Where is the grocery store?"	Skill-getting	A web page with an audio file as an example, a list of words to read, and an Audio Dropbox for them to record themselves. http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/11764 A set of questions that are presented in sequence, imitating an oral interview or dialog. Student responses are collected automatically. http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/11766	Mashups Audio Dropboxes: collect students' recordings. Conversations: a series of oral prompts with automatic recording of student responses
My students are preparing for the AP test/OPI exam, and boy, are they ever not ready! I’ve assigned an in-class presentation, and I’m dreading listening to them as much as they’re dreading getting up and talking in front of the class.	Skill-using	A role play in which students must respond spontaneously to oral prompts. http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/11767 Students create a multimedia web page containing an audio or video recording of themselves giving the presentation, and visual aids such as text and graphics. http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/12267	Conversations Mashups ViewPoint
Assessment should include a measurement of students' ability to use the language in communicative settings.	Assessment	Picture description task. http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/12268 Simulated oral interview. http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/12269 http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/ 7531 Student projects shared with the target culture. http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/4012	Audio Dropboxes Conversations Mashups

Chart adapted with permission from “Empower yourself and enliven your classroom with free online tools," a session presented at ACTFL 2011 by Dr. Dennie Hoopingarner and Dr. Angelika Kraemer