ELLLO: Your treasure trove of listening materials

Have you ever been anxious about finding the appropriate listening materials and exercises? 😐

Have you ever been left wondering how to respond when your students are hungry for more resources for autonomous learning? 😳

Especially in China, where students spend more time on English reading training while listening is often a weakness.🙉

Today I'm introducing a treasure trove of listening resources: the English Listening Lessons Online Library (ELLLO).

ELLLO

It is a website that provides both autonomous learnings for students and enrichment for teachers' lesson planning. The content is organised into three sections.

🌲 Natural Listening Lessons

The content in this section is related to real-life content or recorded by real people. It is further divided into three themes, each with a wide range of topics.

• Views

The listening content in this section is based on natural English conversations.

• One Minute English

This section features videos by English speakers on topics relevant to their lives.

• Mixer

This section features the responses of six different English speakers to the same question, reflecting cultural differences.

🌲 Grammar Based Lessons

This section features an added grammar module that explains in detail the grammar used in conversation. It is divided into two themes.

• SoundGrammar

This section features animated videos containing dialogues in four different scenes under each grammar topic.

• Grammar Talks

These are longer conversations that also involve essential grammar points.

🌲 Academic English

• News Centre

This section also features animated videos, with news and stories to help students practise listening and expressing themselves in different areas and topics.

• Idioms

This theme introduces idioms on different topics. Most of the videos are also animated.

• STEP

This part is based on standardised exam practice.

Strengths

• It seems that all the materials and courses are free. I haven't found any paid content yet.

• The navigation bar is divided into audio, video, levels, and search, which can meet different needs. Clicking on levels gives you a detailed level ranking of the material, so students can choose the right listening material for their level. The search function also provides a filter for specific subject requirements. Real-life or animated videos also cater to the different learning preferences of students.

• The homepage has a variety of guides on different topics. Students can choose topics they are interested in. Most of the content is based on real life. Authentic material will allow students to be better immersed in their learning. The materials also cover a lot of international content. Students can experience cultural differences, which might stimulate their curiosity and desire to explore.

• All listening resources are captioned and transcripted, with supporting quizzes and worksheets. A vocabulary or grammar board is also available, which lists key vocabulary and grammar points in the listening text.

• Students will develop their listening, reading, and speaking skills as well as their vocabulary and grammar levels. The variety of text content also allows students to improve their knowledge.

Limitations

• In terms of resource categorisation, the content of the Academic English theme seems a little different from what I expected, especially the idioms section, which doesn't seem to have a strong relation to academic English.

• There are numerous resources on different topics at different levels. Students might be unsure of how to choose materials or determine the right level of difficulty for them.

• Although this is a great opportunity for students to develop autonomy, it can also be a test of self-discipline and willpower. Due to the lack of supervision, interaction, and feedback, it is likely that students will be enthusiastic at first due to the novelty, but in the long run, they may slack off. Therefore, teacher guidance and supervision may still be required.

Finally, let's end our exploration by watching a video example. If interested, click here to give it a go! Feel free to share any tips or feelings in the comments section! 😜

Image source: screenshots from ELLLO (click)

Video source: video by elllo productions via YouTube (click)

Oh, the possibilities: Explore more possibilities with WebQuests!

Have you ever heard of WebQuest?

It's been in existence for a long time. It has been well proven and has accumulated many resources that you can use or learn from. But at the same time, it has never stopped innovating, following in the footsteps of a new era!

• WebQuest is an engaging and efficient approach for students to make the most of the web-based resources provided.

• By completing the interesting tasks set by the designer, students practise high-level thinking skills such as synthesis, analysis, problem-solving, creativity, and judgement.

• Faced with a real-life, tangentially relevant subject, students are more interested, active, and stimulated to explore. If you find that your students lack energy and interest in your courses, try WebQuest!

Today I will present a great WebQuest: Oh, the possibilities! 💖

🐧 Page composition

The student page has six sections.

• Introduction

This section gives a brief introduction to the topic: planning a language-learning trip.

• Task

The task section introduces the main requirements of the task, which is for students to choose one of six cities in the UK, USA, or Ireland and develop a detailed plan of travel activities.

• Process

The process section details the specific steps involved, including choosing a destination, identifying information on transport, accommodation, activities, and finances, and preparing the final written and oral reports required.

• Evaluation

The evaluation section details how the exploration process is assessed in terms of collaboration, written and oral reports, creativity, and overall impressions.

• Conclusion

The conclusion section elicits a summary and feedback from students on what they have learned and leads them to think about extended applications.

• Credits

The credits section clarifies sources of inspiration and author biographies.

🐧 Strengths

• Motivation

This WebQuest is certainly engaging!

As an ELF student, who doesn't have a dream of travelling to an English-speaking country to discover the culture behind the language? Not to mention immersive learning and experiencing culture while travelling.

• Culture

Students are required to find popular and interesting cultural activities, inspiring creativity in the process. Students' curiosity about different countries also drives their enthusiasm for language learning to a great extent.

• Roles

The activities were conducted in small groups, with each group being assigned the role of everyone, including transportation expert, accommodation expert, activities expert, and financial expert. Each role is fully guided and scaffolded by clues, outlines, and effective website sources.

• Groupwork

Although everyone has a clear division of labour, they all need to work together to complete the final project, which allows for communication and collaboration skills to be practised in small groups.

• Reading, writing, speaking, thinking

By visiting different websites for information, students' reading skills of filtering and integrating information are improved. Such reading is also more enjoyable than traditional paper exercises. Written reports, which are based on real-life situations, are practical and of great use. The oral presentations also develop speaking and stage presence skills. The process of developing a plan requires constant sifting, comparing, and analysing of strengths and weaknesses, which develops high-level thinking skills.

• Autonomy

Students are motivated to seek knowledge instead of being pushed by the teacher to learn a particular point, which increases their autonomy in learning the language.

• Evaluation

Students can self-evaluate or peer-evaluate their performance after completing the task, using the assessment form provided to summarise their experience.

 

🐧 Weaknesses

• Deficiencies in the teacher page

A WebQuest typically has access to a student page and a teacher page, giving guidance and reminders to students and teachers respectively. The teacher page of ‘Oh, the possibilities’ does not seem to be very well developed and is mostly blank. Fortunately, the student page is detailed and includes almost all the information that teachers need to know. The lack of a teacher page does not affect the smooth development of this WebQuest.

 

• Too much information

The information covered in the task is so extensive and dense that it can be considered a huge undertaking. This leads to the fact that this task may be more suitable for more advanced students in middle and high school, where younger students might have difficulty understanding it or find it overwhelming. However, this situation can be well resolved by extending the duration of the task and refining the steps, giving them adequate time to understand and learn.

 

• Different cultural backgrounds

In this WebQuest, ELF students might be exposed to these cities and cultures for the first time. They may not know much about the cultural context and lack a certain amount of background knowledge. But that is one of the aims of this activity: to learn about different cultures and traditions as they integrate information and gather data.

 

If you would like to try out more WebQuests, click here to see more highlights.

Oh, you say you want to try creating your own fun WebQuests! Of course, you can! This video below can be a better guide.

And finally, if you've made a wonderful discovery or tried something new, feel free to share your feelings in the comments!💖

Image source: screenshots from WebQuest by Kerry Ann McKevitt (click)

Video source: video by Danielle Matzick via YouTube (click)

Wordwall: a must-have classroom atmosphere booster

For a well-prepared teacher, the sunken heads, averted eyes, and awkward silence of students in the classroom are enough to break the heart. In China, for example, students' silence in class has become a headache for teachers.

Have you experienced any of these classroom dilemmas? 

• Difficulty in breaking the ice
• Lack of student interest in the subject
• Low student participation in activities
• Silent questioning sessions
• Impatience and inattentiveness of students

Do you always put the blame on the content of the lesson, only to find that after some adjustments, the change is still small?

The truth is that such a situation may not be due to boring content, but simply a lack of interactive skills. The teacher's control of the classroom requires that the students' motivation and creativity be fully stimulated.

In this new era of technological advancement, classroom technology has brought perfect answers to such challenges. Teaching needs to keep up with the times, and the use of technology may largely inject fresh enthusiasm and energy into an otherwise dull classroom atmosphere.

Today I will introduce you to Wordwall, a tool that breaks the dull deadlock in the classroom.

Why Wordwall

• A wide selection of template resources

The basic version includes 18 interactive templates, while the pro version includes 33 interactive templates and 20 printable templates.

•  User-friendly procedure

Simply click on the button to create an activity, select the desired template, enter the required content and the exciting interactive images will be generated automatically.

•  Quick and easy content editing

Text and images can be added and modified quickly. It only takes a few minutes to design a classroom interaction! So efficient！

•  Fast switch between templates

A great highlight is that once you have edited the content of a template, you can switch between templates with one click if you find it inappropriate!

Each template also has different style themes to choose from. You can change the content and parameters at any time.

Examples

Let me show you a few examples of how I have used them in practice.

•  Open the box

I set up this activity in the warm-up and lead-in sessions of the lesson, with clues related to the content of the lesson.

For example, as my target group is Chinese primary school students, I set up word clues related to the topic of the lesson, namely Chinese festivals. The students are engaged by the freshness at the beginning of the class, and it breaks the ice well.

Click here for the full game.

• Random wheel

Regardless of the target group, the questioning is always a nerve-wracking session for the students. I enter the students' names into the random wheel and ask questions in class in the form of a big wheel draw. The chances of answering the questions become balanced, and the students' interest is stimulated by the draw. Answering questions is no longer a scary thing but a relaxing and enjoyable game.

Click here for the full game.

• Flip Tiles

I set up this interactive session at the end of the class to check what they have learnt. On the front of the Flip Tiles are festival-related foods or activities.When the Flip button is clicked, the name of the festival on the back flips over to check that the students have mastered the festival names they have learnt in the lesson.

Click here for the full game.

More templates are waiting for you to explore! 💖

 

Restrictions

It has to be admitted, however, that some limitations remain.

• Age range of the target group

Most of the templates are more suitable for teenagers or younger age groups in terms of the target group, as the animation and colours are better able to hook their interest. However, with the right timing and content, high-level learners can also enjoy this tool.

• Paid functions

Only 18 interactive templates are available in the basic version, and only 5 template resources can be created. For a fee, unlimited access to all 33 interactive templates and 18 printable templates are available. But clearly, the investment in such a convenient and versatile tool is worthwhile.

And the basic version still meets general needs. Although only five template resources can be created, the templates can be switched between at will, and the content can be modified at any time.

Take action now

Finally, I'm sure you'll all be eager to give it a go! For more detailed instructions to create activities, see this video below. Then click here to make a try.

Please feel free to leave any thoughts or ideas in the comments section. And of course, if you also have a great interactive classroom tool you'd like to share, please also let me know. I look forward to your comments! 💖

Image source: screenshots from Wordwall (click)
Video source:  video by Roe Rodriguez from YouTube (click)