Although modern language teachers may be using mobile learning, they may not be aware of the various categories of mobile learning apps or of tools. The following list gives teachers new resources to use in their classroom. Teachers can use some mobile apps to help flip the language classroom since students can pre-study the vocabulary or pre-study a verb video. Likewise, the foreign language teacher can have students use specific apps if they display a learning gap on a formative assessment. Even more important, the teacher can have the students listen to native speakers, read target language newspapers, and see up-to-the-minute culture in the country. To find a particular app, the teacher searches with terms such as “Spanish radio app ipad” or “French verb forms android app”. Many apps and tools are free or have introductory lessons.
Words and Meaning: Dictionary/ Thesaurus
Translation including Google voice
Verb Forms
Vocabulary / Phrases / Traveling
Learn the Language (language study course)
Flashcards
Culture- General such as a city tour and specific such as French recipes
Radio and TV stations
Newspapers and magazines
Voice and Video recording
Camera pictures
Media production such as written text on a picture, talking objects, digital stories
Whiteboard Sharing
Communication (texting…)
Brainstorm / Graphic organizers
Search the web / search for images
Internet movies/ YouTube
Website Connectors
Collaboration – group writing/ project creation
E-readers
Calculators / Spreadsheets
Mobile videoconferencing (Skype)
Organizers / Schedulers
E Portfolios such as a student’s own wiki
Clock / Stopwatch / Timer
Learning Management Service Connectors
Phone
So what apps do you use?
My three formative assessment books, Formative Assessment: Responding to Your Students, Improving Foreign Language Speaking Through Formative Assessment, and Successful Student Writing Through Formative Assessment, are available at http://is.gd/tbook
My modern language blogs are now at http://bit.ly/imprml
I have developed many Spanish activities that allow students to begin to express themselves and to begin to move toward spontaneous speaking as in a natural conversation at Teacherspayteachers: http://bit.ly/tpthtuttle