Web 2.0 tools in foreign language classes

Foreign Language Faculty in the Age of Web 2.0 (EDUCAUSE Quarterly, July-September 2008) highlights the importance of using Web 2.0 tools and advantages they provide to promote communication and sharing - the two essential aspects in teaching foreign languages in class.

The Internet provides access to authentic language in print and spoken forms. Teachers can make a collection of theme-based articles, news articles, and books.
By using blogs, wikis, podcasts, VoiceThread, and social networks they can bring the target culture to the classroom without traveling to the country.

VoiceThread
is a great tool for Foreing Language and ELL classes. It is an online media album that allows a group of people to make comments on images, videos, and documents, really simply. You can participate 5 different ways - using your voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (with a webcam). It's easy to control who can access and comment on a VoiceThread, which makes it a secure place to talk about almost anything: business and academic presentations, travelogues, family history, art critiques, language study, tutorials, book clubs and digital storytelling. A VoiceThread allows an entire group conversation to be collected from anywhere in the world and then shared in one simple place. Try it, you'll like it!

Wikispaces: Now in French: Wikispaces is working on translations Wikispaces into many different languages. Their first language, French, is now available! So if "vous parlez français," you can change your language preference by visiting "My Account" and choosing French in the settings section. Learn more about this new option on their blog.

See a collection of links for French, Spanish, and Hebrew classes on Schoogle

Free Online Resources for Foreign Languages:
Livemocha - Language Learning: learn, practice, and share a variety of languages.
Mango Languages - free resource of learning languages online.
Wikibooks.com - the open content textbooks collection. You can save a book on the computer or print it.
FSI Language Course
Foreign Language House (Spanish, French, & ESL) - context-based, communicative language learning materials for all ages: *Situations, Stories, Non-Fiction Readings, Culture, or Content in Each Unit;
*Reproducibles Always Included; *Everyday Conversational Activities
Free Language Pods

Supplementary Links:
Blogs
Wikis
VoiceThread
How to type French accent marks
Le Notepad
Free Language Pods: French, Spanish, and other languages.

Articles:
Social Networks in Education: French Language
The Use of Web 2.0 tools to promote learners autonomy

Examples:Syllabus as a wiki
Blogs used in Foreign Language Classes - Spanish (Diane Vahab through Blackboard),
Podcast in Hebrew class - Nicole Chernick's class of Hebrew Beginners (requires AIS login)