Youtube and Flip Recorders

While studying abroad in Florence last summer I, as well as three other students, conducted and Independent study that focused on Italian culture. Each week covered a different aspect of Italian culture and by using Wordpress, our instructor communicated preliminary reading materials with us. We would read the literature provided and then post blog entries related to the research we conducted. Then the real fun began: we were required to find an Italian and conduct an interview with them in Italian relating to the week's topic. We were issued two Flip recorders from the university to document our interviews, and after the interview was conducted we then posted each video to Youtube. 

In my opinion, this is a great way to incorporate technology in a foreign language setting. Unfortunately, Florence is now extremely tourist based and as a consequence many Italians prefer to speak English over Italian. At first I found this very frustrating but after time I found that if I insisted on speaking Italian with someone, it would happen. Additionally, the interviews were a great way to speak the target language with natives. I was lucky enough to interview a variety of Italians and be able to hear different accents and dialects. Furthermore, after each student posted their videos on Youtube, the rest of us were able to view the videos which was really beneficial. Not only was I able to learn all I did through my own interviews, but I also learned a great deal from the interviews conducted by others. The other students were also able to find a diverse population of interviewees, which further expanded my horizons.

In the future I plan to use each of the tools listed above to facilitate learning. Through Youtube and Wordpress, students are able to learn from their own products as well as from the products of others. Moreover, both tools address essential elements to learning a language: reading and listening. By using these websites in the classroom, students will truly be able to improve their language skills. Moving forwards to the use of the Flip Recorders, the fact that the recorders have a built in USB connection is really beneficial. This feature makes it quite simple for students to upload their videos to a computer and website. In addition, recording a student speaking as well as acting out address the critical skills of acquiring a language: conversation and cultural acquisition. Ultimately, each technological tool listed address essential aspects of foreign language learning in a simple manner as well as address NETS standards. I can honestly say that I cannot wait to use these instruments in my future classroom.