A tour of the development of the state of the art in web materials for language learning:

Circa 1995: Text and Graphics. GO

Circa 1997: Embedded Audio. GO

Circa 2003: Inline Audio Recording. GO

Circa 2005: Simulated Interview. GO

Circa 2007: Mashup (data from multiple web services). GO

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Individual Tools:

SMILE

• SMILE is a program that lets you create text-based language structure exercises.
• There are seven question types: Multiple-choice, True/False, Matching, CLOZE, Sentence Mix, Paragraph Mix, and Multiple-Select.
• A reporting function lets students record their progress through an exercise.
• SMILE exercises can stand alone, or be combined with other media in a "Mashup."
• See a sample SMILE activity

Audio Dropboxes

• Using an Audio Dropbox, you can easily collect student recordings and listen to them at your convenience.
• A dropbox can be placed in any web page, blog, wiki, or in a CMS like Blackboard.
• Students just click and record. The system saves and uploads their recordings automatically.
• No matter where you put a dropbox, the recordings are automatically sent to your account.
• You can listen to recordings online, or download them in MP3 format for mobile listening or archival purposes.
• This is what a dropbox looks like. This is a live dropbox - go ahead and try it.
  
• The teacher is able to view student recordings later:

Conversations

• Conversations allows you to create a virtual interview. Teachers record questions, students access the Conversation later to listen and respond to the questions.
• If your computer has a web cam, the program will also capture and present video as well as audio.
• Practice Mode allows students to listen to questions in isolation. Real-Time Mode resembles a face-to-face conversation.
• Students' responses are collected for later review.
• See a sample conversation here.
• Teachers can view students' responses later
  

Viewpoint

• Viewpoint is an online recording studio and repository for your audio and video recordings.
• You can record audio or video right from your browser window using your computer's microphone and camera.
• Upload audio and video clips to your Viewpoint account.
• Link to or embed recordings in web pages.
• Viewpoint is integrated with other RIA programs.
• See an example of a Viewpoint audio recording in a web page.
• See an example of a Viewpoint video recording in a web page.

Worksheets

• Worksheets can be so much more on the computer. Using this program, you can create a worksheet that includes self-correcting interactivity and multimedia elements.
• Worksheets can contain objective sections such as multiple-choice or drag-drop matching. These sections are graded by the computer automatically, and students receive feedback on their answers.
• Students complete Sentence Completion items by recording themselves. Vocabulary items allow students to listen to the word and record themselves.
• Teachers can monitor students' recordings.
• See a sample worksheet

Mashups

• A Mashup is a combination of data or media resources from multiple web servers onto a single web page.
• You can put a video from YouTube into a Mashup and add your own text, interactive exercise (such as a SMILE exercise), and pictures. Mashups is a way of making pedagogical use of the rich media resources available on the Internet.
• A mashup with listening and speaking.
• YouTube video plus language practice.
• Text, audio, graphics, and a SMILE activity.