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Spanish movie subtitles exercise project

2012/02/03 Leave a comment
  1. objective:
    1. To facilitate lesson delivery and student interaction in our Language Resource Center I have programmed a VBA- and MS-Word- based cloze quiz template with batch creation based on a simple markup language and rich autocorrecting functions that use string metric algorithms (Damerau-Levenshtein). image001The template supports typical activities in the digital language lab: digital audio- and video-based  listening comprehensions, e.g. Quiz Template with Chanson Lyrics, image003 and speaking and dialoguing activities for language learning or other examples):
    2. Teachers can use them as exercise-generating engines: the templates allow copy/paste of their own exercises into this template. To also automatically create language teaching materials with the required markup in French, German, Italian and Spanish (mostly based on movie subtitles) for this template, I wrote a C#-program that applies an expanding library of regular expressions which can match typical language learner tasks:
      1. function words, image002e.g for Spanish Movie Subtitling Exercise Creation, image005
      2. affixes/infixes
        1. and lexical subsets taken from corpus linguistic research on word-frequency (SUBTLEX, Opensubtitles)).
    3. This template support the learner by strengthening learner autonomy and providing immediate corrective feedback and – in conjunction with the grouping facilities of the Center’s classroom management system infrastructure – allow for custom-tailored instruction based on the immediately available outcome of formative assessments, and also automated summative feedback: image004
    4. A Spanish TA can provide meaningful vocabulary and grammar questions as input for cloze listening comprehension exercises that  I will create on the basis of subtitles  I have for Spanish movies being used in (= put on reserve for viewing in the LRC by) the Spanish program  consistent exercises that students can take while watching the movie in class adapted meaningfully to technical possibilities of template
    5. Screencasts Demos:
      1. making of template exercises
        1. manually marked up: Part II to minute 4, Part III
        2. alternatively, markup can be generated by regular expressions which we will try to develop:
      2. use of template exercises : Part II, from minute 4
        1. overview of sample exercises (German)
        2. sample application (exam setting)
      3. materials
        1. source texts:subtitle files for proof reading
            1. Amores Perros
            2. Pedro Almodovar – Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios
            3. Pedro Almodovar – Hable Con Ella
        2. ideas for exercise needs that fit into this cloze format
          1. grammar
            1. function words
            2. affixes
          2. vocabulary
            1. frequency-based wordlists from corpus linguistics
            2. word lists from current textbook
      4. Deliverables: combos of
        1. materials
        2. exercise ideas
Categories: audience-is-teachers, service-is-learning-materials-creation, Spanish Tags: , , , , ,

Collections of online dictionaries

2012/01/30 Leave a comment
  1. Here you can haz dictionaries. And if you use them in the Language Resource Center, you even have the chance to  run into someone who can show you how to use them well.
  2. http://linguistlist.org/sp/GetWRListings.cfm?WRAbbrev=Dict
  3. http://lexicall.widged.com/repository/listing.php?category=words
Categories: all-languages, Arabic, English, Farsi, French, German, Greek (ancient), Greek (modern), Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Vocabulary, websites, Yoruba Tags: ,

How a teacher creates audio recordings for use with Sanako Student Voice Insert mode

2012/01/24 Leave a comment
    1. One of the Sanako Student player’s useful features  geared toward language learning activities, is that it can save the teacher the time and effort for inserting pauses into their audio recordings,  so that students can record responses into them.
      1. Meaning the teacher can just press the red speak button sanako-student-player-speakand record through the entire file in one sitting.
      2. The teacher can still help students finding their way around the file, especially where to insert their own audio recording responses, by adding aural cues.
        1. This can be done in minimal time: I once saw a teacher use a bicycle bell – and why not, if it saves time.
        2. A spoken instruction “Respond”/”Answer in 10 seconds” is not more difficult to spot (unless only the voice graph is being browsed) and might be even better.
        3. If you have spare time: 
          1. You can post-edit the file with audacity, generating and inserting sinus tones.
          2. You can use the Sanako player to insert bookmarks instead of cues.
    2. As long as students have been instructed to how to use voice insert recording mode with the Sanako student recorder.
      1. This is for self access of students to teacher recorded files – be it during class or homework.
      2. If you want to record students under exam conditions, a similar insert recording feature is available within the activity: Model imitation, but not with a pre-recorded file, only when the live teacher is the program source students listen to for cues.
Categories: Arabic, audience-is-teachers, documentation, English, Farsi, French, German, Greek (modern), Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Listening, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, presenter-computer, Russian, service-is-learning-materials-creation, software, Spanish, Speaking, Student-Computers, Swahili, Yoruba Tags: , , , ,

Supporting Swahili – A running log

2012/01/18 Leave a comment
  1. Learned today that we will begin offering Swahili in the Fall. Here is the place to plan how the LRC can better support it.
  2. For starters, I am thinking of adding to the list of our custom configured languages for
  3. Windows 7
  4. Office 2010
  5. Learning materials?
    1. Existing?
      1. FSI, naturally.
    2. There should be more need for producing learning materials in this LCTL.
      1. automated?
        1. Note that the Stuttgart TreeTagger has a Swahili parameter file (gzip compressed, Latin1). The Swahili parameter file was trained on the Helsinki Corpus of Swahili (HCS) and uses a simplified version of the HCS tagset. The HCS was created by Prof. Arvi Hurskainen by means of his Swahili Language Manager (SALAMA) which uses Lingsoft’s TWOL compiler for constructing morphological analysers and Connexor’s CG2 parser for syntactic disambiguation.
  6. Keep an eye on the Swahili Category.
Categories: Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, mental-notes, Swahili Tags: , , ,

How a student reviews a Moodle MS-Word file upload assignment for writing

2012/01/18 1 comment
  1. The student can see the submitted grade in her user report:qw6-view-grading-as-permitted-student
  2. She can view the assignment: corrected-assignment-with-response-file-as-permitted-student
  3. from where she can open the corrected MS-word file w7-open-file-as-permitted-student
  4. for more detailed corrective feedback: w2
  5.  
Categories: Arabic, audience-is-students, documentation, e-languages, English, Farsi, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Writing, Yoruba Tags: , ,

How a teacher grades a Moodle MS-Word file upload assignment for writing

2012/01/18 1 comment
  1. Where students have submitted MS-Word files in the Gradebook, click (1) button “Grade”: writing-gradebook
  2. This opens the (2) Feedback window, with the (3) student MS-Word submission: gradebook2feedback
  3. Download the student MS-Word submission by clicking on the link: w0e-open-word-teacher
  4. open with MS-Word:  w0f-open-word-teacher
  5. Correct with track changes turned on (CTRL+SHIFT+E), and save: w0f-save-word-teacher
  6. YOU WILL SAVE under a different filename (suggest adding “_corrected”at the end) INTO YOUR DEFAULT TEMP DIRECTORY, here is a shortcut to get to it: key-combination WIN+R, %temp%, “ “OK”:w0g-upload-temp
  7. Back in Moodle, select your response file from the temporary directory: w0h-teacher-response-upload
  8. Provide (1) Grade and (2) comment, then (3) upload the file: w0h-upload2
  9. Done, you can move to “ Next” w0i
  10. Which is where you are here: now repeat as above (provided student has submitted his file already) w0h-upload4-next
  11. Or view the gradebook, where your results are visible,w0j-gb-last-modified1
  12. including to the student.
  13. Instead of using the Moodle Response File feature, can I just make my corrections in MS-Word and copy/paste the resulting track changes markup into the Moodle Feedback Window Comment textbox? I would not try this. This way, you are not giving the students the full functionality of the track changes feature in MS-Word  for them to continue working with the file. Moreover, whether the basic coloring of track MS-Word’s changes  get preserved, will likely depend on how the web browser that you (and possibly the student later) uses supports the rich edit control of the comment textbox. If you just want to preserve the colors, I would instead try and Save as PDf from MS-Word 2007 and up, and send the PDF as a Response File.
Categories: all-languages, audience-is-teachers, lms, Writing Tags: , ,

Sanako comparative recording exercises using Moodle

2012/01/13 Leave a comment
  1. Comparative recordings are one of the best-established practices in SLA with technology. We can implement them here using:
    1. The Sanako Study 1200 language lab software installed in LRCRoomCoed434 facilitates comparative recordings by students, based on a teacher-provided model audio, with its student dual track recorder software.
    2. Moodle’s Simple file upload assignment aids in managing the workflow,
      1. from delivering the audio file with the model recording to the student
      2. to  organizing, assessing and grading the student input.
  2. For the teacher
    1. to create such an exercise, she
      1. creates an audio recording that serves as a model for the student pronunciation – a special application of our Audacity recording introduction. It is advised, however, to insert clear cues for the student to start his repetition.
      2. creates a Moodle’s Simple file upload assignment to which she attaches the audio recording
    2. continue with How a teacher grades a Moodle simple file upload assignment

  3. For the students to take such an exercise:

      1. How a student takes a Moodle Simple file upload assignment
      2. TBA: Sanako Student Recorder
Categories: Absolute-Beginner, Arabic, audience-is-teachers, Beginner, documentation, e-languages, English, Farsi, French, German, Greek (modern), Intermediate, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, software, Spanish, Speaking, Student-Computers, Yoruba Tags: , ,

How a student takes a Moodle MS-Word file upload assignment for writing

2012/01/12 1 comment

  1. Find your file upload writing assignment and click on it: w0
  2. Read the assignment text, write an MS-Word file (format not required, but your teacher will likely send you MS-Word back if she uses track changes) and attach it, like so:  w0a
  3. If this shows, you have finished the assignment: w0b
  4. Wait for notification, then go TBA:review your teacher’s comments.
Categories: all-languages, audience-is-students, documentation, e-learning, lms, Uncategorized, Writing Tags: , ,