Internet Resources for Pronunciation Teaching
Holly Gray and Sharon Alayne Widmayer
TESOL 2000
All right reserved.

 

Don't panic! Strategies for overcome tech-related problems:

Problem

Strategy

web site is down

Bring a back up lesson plan.

Plan lessons that could be carried out on more than one site (watch movie clips on the Screening Room or Video Link)

computers don't have the right plug-in to listen to the clips you've selected

Try out your activities in the lab before class to make sure the plug-ins work.

Choose sites offering more than one format (Shadow theater, Billboard)

there are not enough computers in the lab for all students in a class

See if it is possible to plug 2 sets of headphones into each computer (sometimes it is) & have students work together on one machine. This is especially effective if they can work on the listening activity together (for example, work together to write a summary or write questions for another pair).

Students are having problems accessing the video/ audio. Only some are able to.

You probably have too many students trying to listen/ watch the same thing at once. Plan lessons that involve more than one clip (students choose a clip to summarize, students watch a series of short clips to prepare for a discussion) so that different groups can be listening to different clips.

There is only one computer in the classroom.

If there is a lab students can use outside of class, you may want to save Internet listening for homework activities.

If your computer has good (& load speakers), you may want to choose an audio clip & play it for the entire class. If you have access to a computer projector, video can also be shown to the whole class (but video quality is normally not good on a large screen)

Plan a variety of listening activities in small groups, including one using the computer. During the lesson, have students rotate to different stations to do different activities.

Video stops or slows down in the middle when using RealVideo.

The website is probably pretty busy. There's not too much you can do about this. Be Patient.

Students are not staying on task & are just "surfing the net"

Don't just stand at the front of the classroom. Walk around the classroom frequently to make sure students are on task.

The sound isn't working.

Make sure that the speakers are turned on & the volume on the speakers & headphones is turned up.

Check the volume control on your computer (in Windows 95/98, click on the little speaker icon in the bottom right & the volume control will pop up.

Everything is going wrong & I give up.

Don't give up! Technology takes patience. In case of a real emergency (your lab loses power, your Internet connection is down, etc), ALWAYS bring a non-computer-related activity with you that you can use in a pinch, such as a peer dictation exercise.

 

A list of useful websites

(These sites were active as of March 13, 2000)

Sites for pronunciation

Sites with general ESL listening activities

Sites with Authentic Materials

Interviews and news

Weather

Radio Drama

Speeches

Film and TV

Songs

Poetry