Web 2.0 and Emerging Learning Technologies/Synchronous Voice Communication

Google Talk
This application offers many features for communicating instantly with people and learning different languages. Participants can rely on differents tools:


 * Instant messaging / voice calling: You can chat/ talk with all your contacts in real time.


 * Free PC-to PC voice calls: You can talk to any person being online that is already a client of Google talk. ( without cost)


 * Send and receive voicemails: The participants can leave messages when there is nobody available.


 * You can also send files of different sizes to your contacts.


 * Once participants have signed into Google talk, they will receive messages in their inbox.

GOOGLE TALK ON THE WEB


 * It is interesting that you do not need to download the programme. You can just begin chatting from any computer in real time. In addition, you can chat with various contacts at the same time and suggest the idea of chatting in a group. Apart from this, you can cut and send URLs from You Tube, Flickr into your conversations (chat window).

INTEGRATION WITH GMAIL The email service Gmail allows you to change from emailing to instant messaging with your contacts. As a result, if you receive an email from a contact who is online, you can reply to that contact directly by chat.

One of the advantages is that this tool is available in different languages; for examples UK, Korean, Chinese,Russian, Spanish, French, Dutch,Italian, Turkish among others. It also has an excellent voice quality and it is simple to use.

Among the drawbacks of the tool, we find that there is no video, no whiteboard and no audio conferencing. However, the fact that you have these features such as whiteboards can make the voice quality poor or get your line cut off. If you have fewer features, it is probable that the application will run smoothly.

Voice-me
Voice-me.com is a voice service structured as a free web service.

It allows the users to sent synchronous voice messages with no software installation

Minimum Requirements:

1. Working Internet connection.

2. Browser – Internet Explorer 5, Firefox 2, Opera or others.

3. Flash Client (the default that comes with windows) – any flash client that shows you advertising on any web site around the world.

Voice/Video Talkbacks

The service includes a "back-office" function that will allow you to review all comments/talkbacks before deciding whether to publish or deny them.

Send Voice/Video Messages

A send me a voice message button which is placed on your web page. Clicking the button opens a popup window which allows the user to send a voice or a video message directly to any e-mail address or a voice-me user name.

Video Chats

You are available to receive calls and visit the page may choose to initiate a live conference call with another user just by clicking a button. Once the call has started, a small window will appear on your screen telling you about an in-coming call. At that stage you may choose to answer, reject the call or forward it to you voice-me mail box.

Personal Video Greeting

This application is suitable for blogs, matchmaking sites. The application allows a user to record a personal video, review it and when satisfied, accept and place it by or instead of his picture.

Voiceme free to communicate

www.voice-me.com

Through this page users can send video and voice mails as well as calling a friend free on line without downloading the programme. They can also get a voice mailbox. Registration for this is needed. In addition, they have the possibility of downloading the programme if wanted.

Classroom 2.0 examples


 * Scribd - Publish to millions

http://eflclassroom.ning.com/

It's an interesting web site through which teachers can share academic materials and documents related to education and teaching English as a foreign and second language.


 * Forvo: All the words in the world pronounced.

http://forvo.com/languages-pronunciations/en/

Users can choose whatever language they want to and look for different words to see how they are pronounced by native speakers. A map is also provided to situate the users in place. They can also make a contribution recording words in their own language and uploading them in the page.


 * Movie segments to asses grammar goal

http://moviesegmentstoassessgrammargoals.blogspot.com/

Teachers will find segments of well-known videos and activities related to specific grammar points to be worked on class.

http://quizlet.com/
 * Flashcards, vocabulary memorization, and studying games.

Flahcards related to different topics can be found in this site. They can be an useful way to study vocabulary and study in groups. Teachers can also create their own flashcards according to their pupils' needs.


 * Wordia search refine area

Redefine the dictionary-wordia

This gives students an interesting opportunity to learn vocabulary, grammar and to have access to "real" language. They can listen to native speakers defining a word chosen by them and they can also enrich their vocabulary finding the synonyms and antonyms of that word. Apart from that they can upload their own video defining a word in their mother tongue.


 * Welcome to EFL classroom

http://eflclassroom.ning.com/index.php

This interactive page allows you to use dictionaries, flashcards and translators on line. There is a teacher bot and some student bots you can chat with. You can even talk to a God bot and other famous characters.