Teacher and tech with Leo

Memorising words can be a painful process for those who want to expand their vocabulary. They may find it hard to stick on and are much in need of supervision to check their progress. Nowadays, the software helps solve this problem and thus promotes learner autonomy, focusing their attention. So today, I am going to introduce Memrise as a tool for vocabulary learning. What is Memrise? Memrise is an online version of traditional flashcards, where words and translations are written on both sides. Through spaced repetition and review, students can gradually remember the difficult words. In this app, learning new vocabulary is characterised as planting a seed in your memory, and finally turning it into a flower when all finish. But Memrise is not simply words and translations, there are also some features that help students focus: - A range of language practices (e.g. spelling, putting words in order, and choosing the correct answer) -Authentic video clips for particular expressions Below ...

If you are a language instructor, what could you do to make students understand and apply the words and expressions that relate to the topic? When I was a learner in my home country, the answer could be simple: show them, explain them and remember them. However, things could be different when it might start with some slightly more engaging questions, for example, "Do you want to plan for a journey?" or “What would you like to prepare for a birthday party?” These, relatively, can be designed as what we called tasks during the class. That means students need to reach a real-life goal through working out a problem collaboratively. Meanwhile,   task-based learning (TBL) exercises students' higher-order thinking as well as simple knowledge comprehension and use. They need to find reasons for their decisions, make a discussion, and finally come to an agreement. Source from: Center for Teaching Vanderbilt University In the era of information, students can get access to whatever...

For language teachers, one headache problem could be the demotivated students in their classes, especially when they are learning new vocabularies and grammar rules. While nowadays, technology could help them out of it, one digital game-based online learning platform-Kahoot, has become increasingly popular in classrooms. Research also shows that Kahoot has a positive effect on promoting students' interest and engagement ( Wang, 2015 ). So what is Kahoot? Kahoot is a game-based interactive platform where students have to quickly respond to the questions by pressing the button with different shapes on their phones or tablets. Compared with traditional printed materials, it could be more engaging to students when funny music rings and colourful options appear in their sights. Competitive nature can be the greatest feature of this platform, which is proved as the key factor to keep students' attention ( Wang, 2015 ). Students should not just correctly answer the question at a limit...