zeynep_baser

Zeynep BAŞER

VOCABULARY TEACHING

www.wordchamp.com

wordchamp is seen as a really efficient and amazing language tools by the users of it. Wordchamp has several features which most of them are free. Its features are really amaizing. For instance, you can read a website by using wordchamp so that it gives the meanings and explanation of unknown items when you click on the word. You can also easily access to the largest and fastes growing language learning library including flashcards and audio recordings of native speakers via it. Wordchamp even provides twelve different drills for the language learners to practice on what languages they want. Moreover, teachers can create a class and assign the assignment to the the students on the internet. However, although teachers do not pay for enrollment, students have to pay 12.50 dolars ( to access for up to six months). Just after they pay for it , the students can acces to the interactive class and assignments. Besides these, people can create their flashcards lists and share these. They can also find language partners here.

Gerry’s Vocabulary Teacher

It was created by ESL teacher Gerry Luton, and Martin Holmes, formerly an ESL instructor and now a software designer. It was designed to make teacher’s work easier. In a very short time, teachers can create a variety of vocabulary activities such as gap-filling or vocabulary test. Furthermore, the program also allows users to edit or delete sentences contained within the database, and users can even add to their personal database collection with words and sentences of their own. Any changes or additions made are automatically saved to disc. Moreover, Gerry’s Vocabulary Teacher includes different contexts for keywords, and they are exemplified as different forms such as noun , adj., adv., verb, etc. Actually, it is not a free software and the prices are as the following:

• Pricing is: One single-user registration Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher: US$50
• Extra seat (allows downloading of the program onto a 2nd computer): US$35
• CDRoom One single-user registration: US$75

Text- to- speech Technology

There are some programs such as Natural Voice and TextAloud Mp3 which aim to produce real human voice according to the wrriten text. They have several advantages for language learning. For example, the teacher can create his/her own listening content and pronunciation activity. However, there is also a disadvantage, as well. As Kılıçkaya (2006) said, intonation and stress might be problem because they won’t be certainly like natural speaking.