See it Say it! Many learners we teach rely on visuals to help them interpret and process information. Today, I am going to share a resource for images and how I use them as a springboard for speaking activities in the world language classroom. The site is supported by the University of Pittsburgh. This[…]
If your institution uses Schoology, we’ve got great news! You can now integrate Extempore assessments into Schoology directly. What does that mean? This integration allows you to connect an Extempore Assessment to a Schoology Assignment and send grades from Extempore to your Schoology Gradebook. Additionally, your students are now able to complete Extempore assessments directly from[…]
The Collaborative Language Program In May, Extempore was invited to present at a workshop organized by the Collaborative Language Program at the University of Wisconsin System. The Collaborative Language Program (CLP) is a cutting edge way for UW System to staff and support language programs at schools that would otherwise not be able to[…]
Triangle Talk/Triángulo de Tertulia This is not only a great speaking activity for world languages, but also a student-led activity. The first time I did it this year, the students were scared, but they grew to love it and it became almost a weekly occurrence in the classroom. By the end of the year, students[…]
The Extempore team has been busy over the summer. As we do every year, we use the break to push updates to the platform. Some of these updates are major new features (teaser: a BIG one is coming in late July!) but many others are small tweaks, performance and usability improvements that are reported to[…]
No one can deny that technology plays an important part in our teaching practices these days. The new generation of students, the so-called “digital natives”, usually welcome state-of-the-art lessons that integrate technology with great enthusiasm, as it is a great motivation booster. Yet, when we come to think about what makes an effective language lesson[...]
Posted on 2020-03-03 by Thomas Murr
Nowadays technological developments have affected our lives, how we communicate, how we learn and, of course, our way of teaching. Indeed, it is almost impossible to find a language class that does not use some technological support. Computer assisted language learning has changed the practice of teaching (Chapelle & Voss, 2016). Technology in Language[...]
Posted on 2020-02-10 by Thomas Murr
Here is a great activity for reading comprehension, listening and speaking. It can be for any level of instruction and for almost any topic… and it allows for some artistic creativity in the classroom as well. Ok, so there is a little prep… make sure you have blank pieces of paper, colored pencils and/or markers. [...]
Posted on 2019-11-18 by Thomas Murr
