Language Lab Software?
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Language Lab Software?
Can anyone recommend a good and cheap language lab-type software. I have found this program Interviewer and it seems pretty OK but perhaps a bit dated. I would assume that someone has created a better version...perhaps web-based? Any ideas?
Hi Barnis,
Perhaps you can clarify what you're looking for. The software you mentioned seems like it's for testing purposes. Is that what you're looking for? Or software for kids? for adults?
You can use my (free) site for interactive grammar practice: www.roadtogrammar.com It's pretty comprehensive for that purpose.
That's my personal project. My company develops Business English software for the Asian market. PM me if you'd like to enquire about that.
Emile
Perhaps you can clarify what you're looking for. The software you mentioned seems like it's for testing purposes. Is that what you're looking for? Or software for kids? for adults?
You can use my (free) site for interactive grammar practice: www.roadtogrammar.com It's pretty comprehensive for that purpose.
That's my personal project. My company develops Business English software for the Asian market. PM me if you'd like to enquire about that.
Emile
Clarrifiaction
What I'm really looking for is a program or website where students can go and record pronunciation that they can then play back and hopefully submit to the teacher for feedback. It would be fine if there was a site where students could just listen to a sample then record and playback themselves for comparison.
It used to be that many forign language courses used tape recorder-based "labs" to do this but I would have thought that someone would have created a more computer-based system by now.
Anyway the grammer thing is not really what I'm looking for tho it could be useful in some capacity for a future class of mine.
Let me know if you or anyone else has any thoughts.
-Barnaby
It used to be that many forign language courses used tape recorder-based "labs" to do this but I would have thought that someone would have created a more computer-based system by now.
Anyway the grammer thing is not really what I'm looking for tho it could be useful in some capacity for a future class of mine.
Let me know if you or anyone else has any thoughts.
-Barnaby
Hi Barnaby,
I´ve used a number of software packages over the years for teaching and learning languages.
The least expensive good ones I´ve seen come from Eurotalk and available in a wide range of languages.
Another inexpensive one is "Talk to Me" from Auralog which I think is more like what you´re looking for. It not only records but also analyses and grades your pronunciation.
The full version "Tell Me More" is a bit more expensive but includes a lot of games and other activities that are fun and absorbing. I used it to learn Spanish and it´s available in American and British English.
At the high end of the price range is "Rossetta Stone" which is a cognitive learning package which is extremely effective but I think over-priced.
I hope this helps!
I´ve used a number of software packages over the years for teaching and learning languages.
The least expensive good ones I´ve seen come from Eurotalk and available in a wide range of languages.
Another inexpensive one is "Talk to Me" from Auralog which I think is more like what you´re looking for. It not only records but also analyses and grades your pronunciation.
The full version "Tell Me More" is a bit more expensive but includes a lot of games and other activities that are fun and absorbing. I used it to learn Spanish and it´s available in American and British English.
At the high end of the price range is "Rossetta Stone" which is a cognitive learning package which is extremely effective but I think over-priced.
I hope this helps!
Thanks
yeah those applications seem to be more along the lines of what I was looking for. It's funny I spent hours googeling and never found any of those applications.
I'm not sure if my penny pinching school will ever want to fork over the money though.
I'm still quite surprised about the price of these applications and the fact that no one has created a 100% web-based version. The technology is there and not that difficult it would just take some programing.
Anyway thanks for the help and let me know if you think of any others.
-Barnaby
I'm not sure if my penny pinching school will ever want to fork over the money though.
I'm still quite surprised about the price of these applications and the fact that no one has created a 100% web-based version. The technology is there and not that difficult it would just take some programing.
Anyway thanks for the help and let me know if you think of any others.
-Barnaby
Re: Thanks
Yeah, I know what you mean. Schools are either committed to providing these resources for their students or not. There´s not a lot you can do to change that.barnis wrote:
I'm not sure if my penny pinching school will ever want to fork over the money though.
I think a lot of the problem lies in the fact that it´s difficult to get teachers to use computer based resources and schools don´t want to invest their money badly. In my school, our boss is committed to on-line and computer based language teaching and runs workshops and seminars but even then, there´s a lot of resistance from some of the teachers.
Also, computers are not the most convenient of resources to use. Most people don´t carry a laptop around with them and something as simple as changing from your regular classroom to a computer lab for a lesson can be a bit of a nightmare.
My school tends to set the computer stuff for homework (on-line) to avoid these problems but with younger students we still have to take classes over to the lab at least once a month.
On-line resources worth looking at:
OUP´s free support resources for English file. It´s particularly good for the lower levels. Intermediate and above are just printable handouts (I think they´re giving it an overhaul at the moment):
http://www.oup.com/elt/global/products/englishfile/
The Rossetta Stone sell their resources for on-line use.
My school has its own on-line resources but they´re subscription only:
http://www.supernova.es/
I hope this helps.
Matt
