Speaking homework: Illusion or reality?

Speaking homework has always been deemed impossible. Not any more! This workshop will examine current drawback to setting up speaking homework and demonstrate technology tools, ideas and strategies to implement speaking homework with any level and age group.



Presented at ACINNE 2013 in Recife, Brazil on October 13th, 2013

Exploring identity and culture through creative tasks and technology

This workshop aims at showcasing and discussing different ways in which creativity and technology can be used to explore identity and cultural diversity issues. A brief theoretical framework of culture and identity will be outlined and then followed by practical advice on how to develop creative tasks using technology. Examples of such tasks and projects done by students, including the tools used, will be showcased to demonstrate how they can be introduced into different contexts.

Presented at FAAPI 2013 in Buenos Aires, Argentina on September 27th, 2013

Meaningful Use of Web 2.0 Projects

Meaningful Use of Web 2.0 Projects from Vicky Saumell

Presented at Casa Thomas Jefferson Conference in Brasilia, Brazil on July 19th, 2013
Presented at Pearson TDC+ in Sao Paulo, Brazil on July 26th, 2013

Attracting a real audience for learners through e-publishing

This session is about the benefits of attracting a real audience for your learners through the use of e-publishing tools. I will define e-publishing in a language learning setting and we will brainstorm and discuss benefits such as motivation, more attention to accuracy, ownership and the importance of purpose on the part of the students, among others.  We will also try to identify drawbacks and ways to minimize them and address the issue of reciprocity (the importance of becoming a real audience for other learners as well).

Examples of a variety of free e-publishing tools appealing to teachers with or without experience in the integration of technology will be presented. The tools will be shown through samples of actual students’ projects. Some of the tools to be shown are: Bookr, Issuu, Calameo, My Ebook, Brainshark, Storybird, wikis and blogs.

We will also look at some tools and strategies for spreading the word about your students’ work as well as for finding interesting projects for which your students can be a real audience.

We will finally work on the relationship between these benefits, the tools and pedagogically sound practices in the classroom to allow teachers to make effective choices regarding e-publishing in their unique contexts.

Attracting a real audience for learners through e-publishing from Vicky Saumell

Presented at IATEFL 2013 in Liverpool, England on April 9th, 2013
Presented at Cultura Inglesa, Casa Forte in Recife,  Brazil on April 29th, 2014