VoiceThread

The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn't think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential. Steve Ballmer

VoiceThreads allows teachers and students fulfil their needs and wishes.
It's a tool that encourages students to practice pronunciation, develop and memorize vocabulary, practice speaking, develop listening skills, and take tests.

Students will enjoy with an opportunity to use their imagination, socialize with peers, express themselves in a cool and smart manner.

Both teachers and students can use VoiceThread to remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create.

Examples of using VoiceThreads in teaching and learning foreign and second languages:

Alphabet:
Alphabet
Alphabet in French

Vocabulary:
Emotions
Au Restaurant
Tintin et les adjectifs

Grammar:
Como sera el mundo en el futuro?
Intermediate Language Practice
The Prediction Key
What if?
Prepositional Phrases
ESL Prepositions of Place Review

Desriptions and Discussions:
Landforms Where We Live
What Do You Value?

Creating stories about images, documents, and videos::
Atomic Tennis Lesson (I like)
Jose the Bear Travels to Egypt
Spanish Exploratory

Students write and record where they come from on a world map:
Tech Skills Class
Arab World
World Map

Group discussions weekly

Retelling:
Titanic Retelling Cards

Summarizing material learned in class

Demonstrating Projects:
E3's Speech Semi Finalists
Seasons of Change - Mosaic Project

Creating Students' Portfolios

VoiceThreads in WBAIS:
Library Technology Week Digital Projects

Lesson Plans:
7th Grade Spanish from VoiceThread Library

VoiceThread for Global projects:
ejourney with technokids

VoiceThread 4 Education Wiki

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)