Teaching English through technology

http://www.cambridge.org/elt/resources/young/interactive/clock/index.htm

This link is appropriate when you are looking for foreign language learning activities for young children. In this case, this is an activity specially design for children of 7 years or less. This is a good page but it has also its advantages and drawbacks.

In relation to the considerations that classes should have, this website has the following characteristics:

1.- No interaction because in this specific activity children cannot speak or write to another person.

2.- There is no an authentic audience because as there are no interactions children have no opportunities to share their experiences in learning with another people.

3.- As the website is motivating for children (colorful, pictures, sounds) the activities that children have to do have a great impact upon their learning.

4.- There is a right amount of time for children to do the activity, of course the time for this activity has to specified by the teacher, considering children’s level. The amount of feedback is right due to the activity itself indicates if the answers children give are good or wrong, besides the teacher can tell the students how to improve their responses.

5.-The website doesn’t have appropriate activities for different styles personalities and intelligences

6.- This website is very motivating for young children due to this website has a great amount of pictures, sounds and colors.

7.- This is a student-centered activity because most of the work has to be done by the student. The teacher can act as a prompter and help the student with specific questions that the learner can have.

8.- Autonomy is developed by the learner in great degree, this is because students can work alone, obviously they have the opportunity for clarifying doubts with the teacher.

9.- Through this website teachers can do their classes with several resources, they can ask students to read, write and listen to suggested activities.

10.- Thanks to this website it is easy to get a comfortable environment. Children feel relaxed and they don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed of participating as they would feel in real time activities.

11.- This website is good but it doesn’t integrate the four skills. Speaking is not present at all in this website.

12.- Finally, this website has no clear objectives for each of its activities, however it has differentiated activities which consider children's levels.