Have Fun with English!A beginner EFL blog(An experiment in blogging with young EFL learners)

A presentation for the EVOnline 2005“Weblogging Workshop”

Teresa Almeida d’Eça

http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/

Parede, Portugal: 8 February 2005

What is Have Fun with English? 1

for me, it's a teacher-student blog

however, some may consider it a mix between a Web page and a blog (read an interesting comment)

then... why not call it "a plog"?! ;-)

as opposed to a "slog" (a 'slogging' blog) or a "thog" (a blog with thoughts in it)!

What is Have Fun with English? 2

Buth: When Tere created her T-S blog, blog providers were not as advanced as now, in the sense that the comment feature was not developed! Therefore, a blog is not the same as a webpage, at present,  as it used to be, earlier; it  has become a useful, pedagogical tool that helps students and teachers to communicate and interact with one another outside the classroom in an easy, fast, and simple way. This is why they are great tools to integrate in EFL courses, based on blended teaching and learning.

Bee3: I agree with you totally Buth...and think that it was difficult at the time to make the small kids open a blog by themselves and keep it...so Tere's idea was fantastic. It was a transition between the webpage and the blog as we know it now.  They sent her mails which were pasted on a webpage she opened for this purpose and formatted as a blog. She even included sound. Blogger did not have a comment area or sound at the beginning either. So Tere is a precursor of the blog in EFL :-) A true webhead.(Comments taken from Webcollaborator project 114, in preparation for the co-presentation Bee, Buth and I did on Blogs and Blogging for the Belnate Conference in Minsk, Belarus, 4Nov2004)

How did it start?

Aaron Campbell's Weblogs for Use with ESL Classes

first experiment in blogging with 3rd-year EFLers: Let's Blog!

real challenge: Have Fun with English!

would I able to spark motivation in absolute EFL beginners?

would I be able to keep the flame lit?

Why a blog for absolute beginners?

generate a two-way communication tool in the target language outside of class: T St

stimulate practice of the language learned in class 'anytime, anywhere' BUT class

have a place to give students a voice of their own, to speak about their own interests, etc

create an open door to an authentic and broad audience that can comment and suggest

Blog provider or custom-made?

a custom-made blog meant

more layout flexibility (we are talking about Mar 2003: things have changed quite a bit)

more control over content (young learners)

less hassle for me (I controlled homepage building, but not blogs!)

I chose 'custom-made' in spite of the additional workload!

What sort of layout?

simple

colorful

user-friendly (a 3-column layout)

attractive (to young kids): icons and images

What type of content?

anything!

things of interest to the students

always in English

the only 'obvious' imposition on my part

The first page

the first page (28Nov03)

announcement invitation to send messages interactive exercises (Hot Potatoes)

the first message (6Dec03)

online exercises now and then

Unexpected but welcome add-ons!

photostories

e-cards

drawings

photos

voice mail

exchange

BLOG

A European exchange

a Portuguese-Polish exchange (10Feb04)

bringing young people together online

linking them to the global village

started during the EVO BaW2004

the Polish side replies in voice emails (accompanied by the corresponding text)

Voice mail 1

how it all began HandyBits: very easy-to-use voice mail program 'download & play'! two versions

standard kids

lately, Horizon-Wimba (EduVoice demo) has been used by me (25Dec04 & 7Feb05)

Voice mail 2

the first messages from Poland from Tommy (10Feb04)

Hello, friends! My name is TommyWarcholak. I am 7 years old. I likecomputer games.   I am from Przemysl,

Poland. Bye! Tommy

the first messages from Poland from Wojtek (11Feb04)

Hello! How are you? Thanks foryour email! I'm Wojtek. I live in

Przemysl,Poland. I'm 9. I like computer games andsports. I like football and basketball. Bye, friends! Wojtek

Voice mail 3

the first messages from Portugal from 5F (1Mar04)

Hello friends! Thank you for yourmessages. How are you? We (halfof 5F) are fine. Please send more photos! What are your favoritecomputer games? Good bye friends! Have anice week.

the first messages from Portugal from 5G (1Mar04)

Hi, friends! How are you? This littlegroup of5G is very well. Is there Carnival in Poland?

InPortugal it's very fun: peoplewith costumes in the streets. We like rabbits, but we areafraid of snakes. See you!!!  :-)

Voice mail 4

the latest events in voice messaging (Feb05)

Student Teacher Student

from Rodrigo to me from me to Rodrigo from João Vasco to me

Colleague Students

from Leanne to my students

Photos

a favorite fruit arrangement (Dec03)

Tommy in the snow (Feb04)

Wojtek and sister in the snow (Mar04)

a Portuguese class (Mar04)

Drawings

from João Vasco (9Mar04)

the Homework page

e-Cards (& singing)

Happy birthday! to Wojtek (9Mar04) to Tommy (6Jan05)

singing 'happy birthday' to go with the cards to Wojtek (9Mar04) to Tommy (6Jan05)

Christmas from Susana (Dec04)

Photo stories: the latest trend ?!

a family holiday: Piodão, North of Portugal (6Feb05)(it may take a little while to download due to the high

resolution)

created with Photo Story 3

A final curiosity: the need for flexibility

a compromise between high and low tech (to allow all students the chance to send messages and see them answered online)

handouts of an email template (low tech)

the next best thing to the real email (high tech)

the students loved the idea

it really caught on!

Conclusion

a simple experiment in writing to practice the target language has taken on different dimensions in a year's time

all of them have contributed to added motivation and learning, and new horizons

the unexpected has become reality and has gone beyond my 'wildest dreams'!!!

Thank you!

Resources

My Websitehttp://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/

Have Fun with English! (the current blog)http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/fun-with-english5.htm

Let's Blog! (the precursor)http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/blog7.htm