englishandtech.com Clever ways of using mobile phones for learning Kat Robb Blog:englishandtech.com.

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Clever ways of using mobile phones for

learning

Kat RobbBlog:englishandtech.com

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Why use phones for learning?

How many times a day do you look at your phone…?

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Mobile phone uses

Make & receive calls Send & receive sms

Calculator Store contacts

Agenda Calendar

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Learning uses

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Using phones as a discussion topic

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Show learners a picture of a mobile phone

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1. In pairs/groups learners brainstorm words they know to describe features and functions of phones and write them on the board.

2. Teacher adds words until there are 10 or more words.

3. Ensure learners understand all the words.

4. Learners copy the words and definitions / translations in their notebooks.

5. Run a “Back to board” activity using the lexis.

New lexis could include: button, passcode, app, ringtone, volume control, turn on, turn off, silent mode, vibrate, text, texting, calendar, message, email, contacts, airplane mode …

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Debate1. Students discuss the functions of their phones.

2. Students discuss the uses they actually employ for their phones and how often they use.

3. In groups students consider how they could use their phones to learn English.

4. Students make a list of positive and negative attributes to using phones in class.

5. Debate: Divide class into 3 groups; Students (pro), Teachers (50/50), Parents (against).

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Find someone who…There are endless possibilities to explore this activity usingideas related to mobile phones:

Find someone who…

• doesn’t have a mobile phone• has more than 50 contacts on their phone• has more than 30 apps on their phone• has checked their messages during this class• has bought a new mobile phone recently• has found a mobile phone somewhere • has lost a mobile phone• has had a mobile phone stolen• uses more than one mobile phone

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Video activities

The video function on a phone is a fun and effective way to explore language learning activities. Learners are engaged, they develop productive and receptive skills and there are extensive follow up activities.

Making videos Watching videos

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About me

Students talk for 1-3 minutes about an interest they particularlyenjoy and create a short video.

Points to include:

• What is the interest?• How did the interest come about?• How much time do you spend doing it?• Why do you enjoy it?• A demonstration of the interest, if possible.

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Welcome to our city / countryStudents create a 2-3 minute video with a partner or group showing places they recommend visiting in their city or country.

Points to include:

• Why are the places worth visiting?• Background history• Access• Opening hours / best season to visit

Alternative: Students research a city / country on their phones and make a film based on the information they find.

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Students create a 1-2 minute promotional video about a product they use, or an invented product (the advertisement can be the final task in a Dragon’s Den style lesson).

Points to include:

• Picture of the product if invented, or the product itself• Description of the product • Why is it useful?• Where can it be bought?• Price

Advertisement

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Silent play

1. Give students the video link / URL and the clip times.2. Students play the clip without volume and write down what

they see - objects, places, people.3. In pairs / groups they compare their ideas and discuss what

precedes and / or follows the clip they watched.

Extension: Students write the script for the clip, or the precedingor following clip they have invented.

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1. Students stand back to back in pairs.

2. One student watches half of a short video clip (as indicated by the teacher), without volume and describes to their partner what they see.

3. The partner makes notes.

4. The pairs swap roles so the student watches the second half of the clip.

5. The pair watch the video back together and identify what they missed and what they identified.

Back to back

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Photo activities

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Digital flashcards to learn and remember new lexis

Students find an image on Google that is relevant for them to remember new lexis. Take a screen shot. Label the picture withPhoto Label Free (iOS).

Outcome: Encourages learners to input and store lexis becauseit is fun and visual.

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Nutshell CameraCreate short cinematic stories using 3 stored images, personalised captions and a voice recording (iOS8).

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Reading activities

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Reading race

Give learners a set of questions to answer by looking up the information on their phones using Google or another searchengine.

The questions could be related to a class / textbook related topic or general knowledge.

A variation could be for learners to find synonyms of words that appear in a text the teacher has previously selected.

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Listening activities

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Podcasts

Free BBC podcasts divided into radio stations and genres http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts

Desert Island Discs 40 minute interviews with “castaways” from 1942 to the present, classified by occupationhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr

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• Answer comprehension questions

• Identify unfamiliar lexis / teacher selected lexis

• Pay attention to discourse markers

• Listen for gist

• Recognise the features of connected speech

• Predict what comes next

• Identify accents

Podcast clip activities to…

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1. Give each student different 30 second clip each of the same podcast to listen to on their mobiles.

2. Students have to remember the main points of the clip so willneed to listen at least 3 times.

3. Mingle activity to order the clips until the complete transcript has been pieced together.

4. The entire class present the summary of the entire clip openclass.

Class collaborative listening

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Audio guide activity

Learners create a museum, monument or city tour audio guide

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1. Teachers secretly nominate each pair / group with a famous museum, monument or city for example: The Louvre, Big Ben, New York.

2. Groups look up any information they need using their phones, and make notes with the final objective of creating a short audio guide using their phones but without mentioning the name of the place they are creating the guide about.

3. Groups swap their guides with another group who listen to the information 2-3 times and try to guess the name of the place the audio guide has been created for and check with the audio guide creators to see if they are right.

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Writing activities

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Fun dictationsDemonstrate activity by dictating a question to the students letter by letter excluding any punctuation or spaces, e.g. W-H-A-T-W-A-S-T-H-E-B-E-S-T-P-A-R-T-O-F-Y-O-U-R-W-E-K-E-N-D

Students use their phones to write down the dictation in the notes or in a message.

Once the dictated message is deciphered learners can discuss their answers to the question and continue by inventing their own questions to dictate to each other.

Particularly effective for distinguishing correct pronunciation of vowel sounds.

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Who am I ?

1. Students choose a famous person and ensure theyhave information about their career and personal life.

2. Using the text message function of their phones in Englishlanguage mode, students text each other in pairs / groupsassuming the personality of the famous person they havechosen.

3. The objective is for the other student/s to guess who the person is.

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DescriptionsIt’s white on the inside and brown on the outside.

It’s smooth inside but rough outside.

It grows on trees and is round.

It’s edible.

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Social media

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Class blog

Creates a sense of community.

Supports group interaction.

Encourages learners to engage with English in their own time.

Makes learning mobile by taking it out of the classroom.

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Blog acivitiesTeachers can create the content:

• Prompts learners with questions and tasks.• Monitors participation.• Oversees content.• Can create learning opportunities with ease.

Students can create content:

• Creates a meaningful learning experience.• Promotes a sense of freedom.• Allows space for learners to grow and develop.• Generates peer learning from content.

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Discovery

1. Imagine you are a famous scientist who has discovered something new.

2. Write a short post to summarise your findings.

3. Explain clearly what you have discovered and how.

4. Remember your classmates are free to add comments so be prepared to answer their questions!

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Description

1. Find an item that you use daily.

2. Write a description of it in no more than 30 words without saying what it is.

3. Your classmates will add comments to guess what your item is!

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Social networking sites

Encourage learners to engage with English in their own time.

Make learning mobile by taking it out of the classroom.

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Twitter

Excellent for developing and improving editing skills dueto 140 character limit.

Character limit means it can be used by ALL learner levels including beginners.

Good for practising written receptive and productive skills.

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Twitter reading practice1. Students think of a famous person that interests them

and who tweets in English (sports personality, actor/tress, politician singer, T.V. personality).

2. The learners ‘follow’ the celebrity on a daily basis.

3. Once or twice a week as classes permit, allow students 10-15 minutes to discuss in groups/pairs the tweets and activities of their celebrity.

Outcome: Encourages students to engage with Englishoutside of the classroom using technology that they may already use regularly in their L1.

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Facebook

Can function in the same way as a class blog.

Encourages learners to freely interact on a personal levelin English.

Effectively motivates visual learners to interact by commentingon pictures, video clips, music.

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Follow my Blogfor more teaching ideas

& workshop slides

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