This sample pronunciation lesson is still a little rough, however, I think it illustrates what I'd like to do with this software. Here are the assumptions behind this approach:
1. Students appreciate the opportunity for independent structured practice in which they can listen repeatedly to sample audio. This came out of my discussions with students after my first pronunciation lesson involving instructional technology (see earlier post).
2. In the adult ESL context, pronunciation instruction and practice should be organized around meaningful and engaging content. In this case, the lesson is designed to tie into the current content-based unit on U.S. history.
3. Students need explicit, individualized feedback about their pronunciation. Imitating native speakers through "listen & repeat" exercises is not sufficient for forming correct pronunciation habits in the target language.
Here are some of the affordances that I think Voicethread offers:
1. Learners can listen and record repeatedly. It is easy to add new comments and erase old comments.
2. The video comment feature not only makes the interaction more personal, it also allows the instructor to give specific visual feedback about placement of the jaw, tongue, and teeth.
3. The technology promotes authentic interaction! Students can respond to the teacher and to other students.
4. The drawing feature makes it possible for the student or teacher to draw attention to a particular word in a script that they're having difficulty with.
The sample lesson above is fairly teacher driven and limited in scope. But once students are familiar with the format, I think there are nearly endless possibilities for interaction among students and instructor.
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