Using Multimedia in the Foreign Language Classroom | Page 29

Activity 5 min
4

Activity 5 min
5

Children work in threes.
They click on the
hyperlink provided which
leads them to a Hot
Potatoes
activity
containing a number of
True/false
questions.
Students can browse the
questions, go back in
order to read the text
again and, in the case
they do not answer
correctly, the program
helps them focus on a
specific part of the text in
order to find the correct
answer.
When
they
finish, they can close the
window and return back
to the Tasks page.
Children work in threes.
This is a crossword
activity
which
asks
students to guess the
meaning of some new
words from the context.
Students click on the
hyperlink and are led to a
Hot Potatoes activity, this
time in the form of a
crossword. They click on
the numbers in order to
get the rubric and type
the word which is asked
for. In case they need
help, the computer can
provide them with hint
letters.

This
activity
asks A hot Potatos
students to scan the text activity
for specific details. The The text
program is interactive,
and
the
corrective
feedback students are
provided
with
is
individualized and nonjudgemental It also gives
students the chance to
refer to the text again
each time they need
help. This helps students
learn to work without
the teacher’s control and
discover
things
by
themselves.

Guessing the meaning of A Hot Potatoes
a word from the context activity.
is a skill native speakers The text
usually make use of. It
also
helps
students
acquire
vocabulary
naturally, in its context.
The use of the computer
is facilitating as students
can collaborate and try
their guesses without
spoiling the crossword.
The
program
also
provides
scaffolding
through hints which are
available to students.
The feedback given by
the program encourages
shy students try their
guesses without being
exposed in front of the
whole
class
and
contributes
towards
autonomous learning.

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