Voice Thread----a good tool to express

Voice Thread----a good tool to express

Voice Thread is a Web 2.0 which can be used to describe pictures by recording rather than literature. I didn't think it is useful for our language learning until I found it can be used as a sound portfolio for learners' speaking activities.

First I'd like to introduce how to use it. It can be accessed easily. You just need to sign an account with an e-mail address and then sign in.

After you sign in, you will have your own page like this:

There are three column: Home, Browse and Create. Home is your home page where you can have your own file of voice. In the Browse you can search public voice thread by topics. Create is the most amazing part of this tool. When you click it you will see:

 Then click Add Media:

You can choose any media that you'd like to describe by this function.

After you up-load, you can see 'Add a little and description'. Here description is in written words. After you doing this, your friend and other people from the word can offer you some comments in audio and even in video. Of course, you can add comments as well.

After giving comment, you embed or ex-port.

Here is what I just recorded:



You can see how easy to use it.

Voice Thread has a another great function that you can invite people into a group and have a discussion. However, it only can be done after up-graded.

I think this tool is useful both for teachers and students who would like to create a portfolio for speaking activities. Compare to other web tools, its most functional use is that you can give audio feedback directly after someone's description. Teachers can use it as a way of peer-assessing speaking without too much time in class. What's more teachers can offer literal, audio or video feedback to students, which may motivate students learning.
Another important feature of this tool is that it does not just for high stake students but also for those lower stake students. Those students who do not have chances to speak out may find their own place here.

In my future teaching, I'd like to use this tool as way of invite students to participate in more speaking practices.