#16 Computers in Foreign Language Classes by Barbara Harper

Purpose of lesson:

• Language educators must have ability to use the Internet effectively in class. This lesson will offer specific guidelines and Internet sites to enable students and teacher to experience an innovative approach to language learning.

Description of material presented:

• Internet resources for the foreign language ciassroom (from Texas Foreign Language Association presentation by Karima Benremouga from the University of Houston).
• Develop uses for the Internet in foreign language classroom.

Lesson format:

In computer lab: Discuss the importance of using the Internet in a classroom Review the resources.

Develop scenarios: travel brochure, newspaper coverage of particular topic, weather reports, grammar review, and games. On the computer find Internet resources on-line and evaluate the possibilities for class activities.

Assessment:

Create a lesson using the Internet resources.

Internet Resources for the Foreign Language Classroom

Presented by Karima Benremouga

University of Houston Foreign Language Lab-click on Language Resources
http://www.hfac.uh.edu/mcl/fll

Foreign Language Lesson Plans

Juegos y Canciones:
http://www.hevanet.com/dshivers/juegos/

Proyecto Sherezade
http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~fernand4//index.html

60 Interactive Exercises
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/haberg/index.htm

Online Navigator
Contains information about metro travel throughout the world
http://www.subwaynavigator.com/

Spanish Resources

Learn Spanish: A Free Online Tutorial
http://www.studyspanish.com/

Learn Spanish page
http://www.lingolex.com/spanish.htm

Grammar Exercises
http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/exercises/index.html

A GUIDED READING of the song Ojala que llueva cafe
http://www.colby.edu/personal/bknelson/ojala/index.html

Jergas LatinoAmericana
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/1960/index.html

French Resources

L'Anibassade de France au Canada
http://ambafrance.org/Catalogue des Auteurshttp:l/cedric.cnam.fr/ABU/BIB/auteurs

Dictionnaire Freelang
http://www.freelang.com/freelang/dictionnaire/anglais.html

German Resources

German Language Resources@the FLL (U of H)
http://www.hfac.uh.edu/mcl/fll/Germ/home.html

ESL Resources

Learning English on the Web
http://www.rong-chang.com/

ESL Lessons
http://www.esllessons.com/

Instant ESL Lessons
http://www.English-To-Go.com/

Randall's Cyber ESL Listening Lab
http://www.esl-lab.com/

Free Internet ToolsQUIA
http:/www.quia.com

PuzzleMaker
http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/

Free Web Graphics

Roxy's Renditions

http://autumnweb.com/Roxys/

Full Moon Graphics
http://www.fullmoongraphics.com/

Pat's Web Graphics
http: //www. patswebgraphics. com/

Using the Internet In the Foreign Language Classroom Some Ideas...

Metro Link

Have students:

• write a journal on a particular trip
• build a travel portfolio by visiting several cities
• create a travel brochure of cool things to see and do in a particular city or what metro stops are near by, which may lead to a mini research project

Online Media Directory

Benefits

• Gives students a chance to become more familiar with the present day life abroad.
• Builds their public speaking skills In the target language.
• Helps them become more familiar with current events.
  Improves their reading skills and vocabulary.

Have (groups of) students

• read a different paper every month.
• read articles from different countries and compare how the same news are reported differently.
• read different columns of the paper. Have stronger students read more difficult articles, and have weaker students read the weather.
• videotape each other's presentations.
• compile new vocabulary lists.
• discuss bias.