Listening practice with computers

Klasy IV-VI
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Nowadays, the role of the computers used in the classroom has increased. Technological and pedagogical developments allow us to put computers into the language learning process. Multimedia programs incorporating speech – recognition software can immerse students into rich environments for language practice. The internet also allows for a myriad of opportunities to communicate in the target language.
Suitable software programs provide an integrated teaching solution which will provide realistic, native – speaker models of the language in a variety of media, offer a language learning curriculum or record what the student has done. A number of software programs offer a variety of skills; reading, writing and listening as well. For example, most pronunciation programs now incorporate some sort of voice recording and playback to let students compare their recording with a model. American speech sounds from Speech Communication, have video clips and animations of the mouth making specific sounds.
Using appropriate materials taken from the internet or other sources connected with computers our students can develop their language skills through new ideas, individualization or variety in the resources available and learning style (Boswood, 1997).

1. Some examples of using the computer during the lesson.

To develop language skills such as listening we can use a computer which encourages students to work and make our lessons more interesting (http.//tech.worlded.org/docs/cia). And there are several examples:

The spelling bee
The aim of this exercise is to practise listening, vocabulary and spelling. We need several computers and a list of vocabulary that our class has been working on. First, the students open a document. We show the class how to access the spell check. As we read the words from our list, the students have to type them and to press enter after each word in order to create a list. After the students’ lists are complete we tell them that some words maybe misspelled. We instruct each person to put the cursor on the misspelled words, and check the spelling using the spell checker. After students are finished we pass out copies of the correctly spelled word list so that they can make sure they chose the correct word from the spell check.
Students can also dictate a short paragraph from a book or other source, to each other and after spell checking, check their typed document against the book.

Sounds good to me
The aim is to practice listening, pronunciation and vocabulary. We need several computers. We also have to create a list of at least four sets of three words that sound similar to each other. On a disk we create 12 new folders, in four rows of three. In the first row we name each folder with one of the three similar – sounding words.
First, we pronounce each of the words under the folder icons on students’ desktops. We tell students to point to each one with their pointers and repeat the word as we say it. Students listen as we say one of the three words in the first row. Then the students double click on the folder icon of the word we said. They continue with the second row, and so on. After that students repeat the activity with their partners. They choose one word in the each row and clearly pronounce it for their partners. Their partners must then double click on the word he or she thinks the student said. Students tell their partners if he or she was correct. If not they should check to see if their pronunciation was correct, or if their partner’s listening was correct. Partners then switch roles.