Ever since Joe Mazza encouraged me to sign-up for Voxer, I had been ruminating about how it could be used by my Beginning English Language Learners. But Alma Avalos, the extraordinary bilingual aide who is my colleague, came up with an even better idea.
Readers might, or might not, be familiar with the WhatsApp instant messaging app bought by Facebook. Alma suggested that, since many students already have the app on the phone, why not have all of them download it and use it for homework English practice?
So, we easily set-up a Group Chat for the class. At the end of the school day, Alma texts and records a simple audio question (“What did you eat for lunch today?”). She models a response in text and in audio, as do I. Then students have until the beginning of our class at 10:00 AM the following morning to write and record their response. Everyone in the group chat can see and listen to everyone’s responses. Students can receive extra credit for either asking another question or responding to an extra question.
We’re just beginning, and it seems to be going well. I’d love to be able to figure out an easy way to be able to post students’ recordings on our class blog, but there doesn’t seem to be a way. You can email a chat to yourself, but you receive a list of texts (which is useful), and a separate audio file for each voice message. It’s just too time-intensive to deal with clicking on each individual audio message. I wish there was some way to be able to access it on the Web, but that process seems to be a bit convoluted and won’t work with an iPhone.
Does anyone know of another way that Whatsapp can be accessed on the Web in order to play recorded messages for the class? Even though everyone in the Group Chat can already hear them on the app, people would still enjoy hearing them played in class. Plus, I think hearing what the Beginners are doing might inspire enthusiasm for doing something similar among Intermediate students.
How are others using Whatsapp for language learning?
I’m adding this post to The Best Resources For Learning About Homework Issues.
For language learning, try Zello, another walkie-talkie app. It works on Android, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Blackberry, WP8, Windows PC and it’s free. Create a password protected non-promoted channel, and invite all your students to the channel. No limit on channel size. All audio from the channel is recorded on everybody’s devices for playback whenever they want. You can also share messages via email, FB, Twitter. http://www.zello.com
If you need help, I’m at nancy@zello.com
Hi Nancy,
Regards,
My name is Caroline, I m an English teacher here in Costa Rica. I would like to see if you or any person that you know can help me choose 4 technology tools to enhance listening and speaking skills for the ESL learners at a vocational high school of Executive Customer Service. They are high beginners.
Thank you,
Caroline K.
Hi Larry, Have you tried accessing the web-based version? You can check it out at: https://web.whatsapp.com/ Cheers!
Hi Larry, I will use your idea. Here’s mine….
Here is an example of grammar practice using WhatsApp:
Teacher gives the name of a tense and a topic. E.g. present perfect & travel.
Teacher gives examples of sentences with that topic and that structure e.g. I have been to Mozambique but I haven’t been to Zimbabwe. These examples are said aloud to the class and typed into app at the same time.
Teacher asks students to make their own examples. Teacher types a ‘thumbs up’ for correct sentences and a question mark for sentences with errors.
After 5 mins, teacher asks students now to make sentences about other people (third person singular and plural). E.g. My wife has never been to Canada.
Strong classes can be given the option to introduce new topics etc.
Hi Larry
it was useful,i will try it in my class. i’m a teacher from Iran
Thank you, Andrew Drummond, for your post.
I am an English teacher from the U.S., and I have a group on Whatsapp. The problem for me is keeping members engaged and interested. I use voice notes for pronunciation. I post a topic for discussion every day, and a word-of-the-day for new vocab. I cover grammar, idioms, collocations, and slang. I even try to post exercises and resources. The group gets quiet often and I’m afraid the members are taking me for granted. What’s a girl to do?
Dear Larry,
Thanks for your useful article.
I use Whatsapp as a way to record texts for learning disabled students who cannot read. They listen to the texts and can participate in class.
I have a question: is there a good source of short reading texts for EFL students in HS with interesting topics for teenagers?
Most texts are not so interesting for teenagers.
I appreciate your help!
I have several Best lists for ELL readers. Check them out under the reading section after you click the “Best” list box on my blog’s sidebar
This could also work with group conversations in Remind (formerly Remind101). While Whatsapp isn’t approved for teacher/student conversations in my area, Remind is because it doesn’t reveal either party’s phone number.