VOICETUBE
Overview
Popular language learning apps teach language skills by having users read and write new vocabulary. They situate the learner in a fictional situation with made-up conversations that will rarely occur with real people, such as “without a doubt, I want to eat ham” or “whose robot ate my cake?”. To our knowledge, no learning app available offers a real-life scenario and conversation where users can practice their new vocabulary skills. Further, no learning app available has users talk to each other. Voicetube provides a context for users to initiate a meaningful, real conversation, as opposed to a fictional and controlled one.
LEARNING THEORY RELATED
Conversation theory:
Learning occurs through conversations about a subject matter which serve to make knowledge explicit. Voicetube is designed to be used for different topics by users’ interests.
Sociocultural theory：
Vygotsky argued that developmental change occurs via the internalization of socially shared processes, and social interaction is not merely an outside force that influences an individual’s learning processes. Still, to some extent, learning derives from social interactions. Voicetube created a socially shared environment where people can learn by interacting with each other.
Experiential learning theory:
Learning occurs through doing or, more specifically. Most of the current platforms on the market are based on dialogue scenarios that need to be more realistic and practical, so users usually can not get meaningful and useful reflections. Voicetube is based on real conversation scenarios and provides a system to automatically check and correct grammar mistakes, which helps users reflect on the conversation they initiated.
WHAT WE OFFER:
- Category. Language Learning App
- Target Audience Students that have basic knowledge of a particular language they are interested in practicing. People with limited time to meet in person to practice with an instructor or are embarrassed to speak in the non-virtual world.
- Problems the target audience have: Most of the existing applications are providing fake conversations. If users want to practice with a real person they depend on synchronous activity which is not viable with a busy lifestyle. Further, you might feel embarrassed about talking to people in a synchronous environment when conversations might be awkward if there is a risk of not being understood.
- Why are the problems important to the target audience? 1）embarrassment and lack of confidence in being understood. Speaking with a group of people is better than speaking one-on-one. 2) time-limitation. Join the conversation anytime and anywhere.
- Core Value Proposition: Providing readings and videos and allowing for spoken discussions among the community in the comments sections while offering grammar and pronunciation feedback.
- Made easy: Practice a new language by engaging in real life conversations, about topics that are relevant to you, with an online and non-threatening community.
- Why would the community stick around? We offer weekly selection of readings and videos for people to engage with the resources and with each other in discussions.
Thanks for putting this together! I was a Spanish major in college so absolutely appreciate the value of engaging in real conversations when learning a new language as opposed to simply writing/reading/listening. I’m a bit confused, though, as to how the learners will connect? And how they will engage in real conversations? I’m assuming these are live, synchronous interactions with real humans but I may have misunderstood something? Again really interested in this as a former language major because I think it addresses a true need!
This is a great idea, I would love to be involved into such a platform and engage with learners of languages worldwide. There’s just one thing that I think might boost your platform: to add a function of keeping track of users’ learning experiences and how far they’ve gone, so that they might be more motivated to learn more.
I like the idea. As an international student, I’ve been struggling with English classes in my country as we didn’t have actual real conversations to improve our English skills. I would like to know more details about how this idea works on apps. Would the app connect people across the world with different skill sets to connect and have conversations with each other?
Really helpful learning app for language learners, especially the pronunciation part. It is hard to find someone to check the pronunciation. This language learning app is kind of including all language learning needs!
Thanks for creating the Voicetube!
As a non-native English speaker, speaking up took effort and time without immersing myself in the English environment. And that’s when an online learning environment can significantly assist with the process. I am greatly inspired and believe this field has great potential to develop.
In addition, I also have similar questions as Caitlin says. How do you plan to facilitate the chatroom? Is it like a discussion board or a live class chatbox? How do students connect on the platform? Are facilitators grading their voice message?
This is a fascinating idea! I think this learning resource gives an ideal scaffolding. I think one of the major problems that people who have basic understanding of the language they are learning but still lack practically using it in the real-life situation is that they tend to struggle with both listening / comprehending what others say and speaking / delivering their own ideas. This resource can solve both struggles by visualizing the words spoken by others and allowing each student to have enough time to think about how to deliver their own ideas.
I think it is a great form of scaffolding and zone of proximal development !
What are some examples of readings?
This is a very popular field! In countries that don’t have English as their official languages, nearly all people need to learn English from young age.Thus, language learning apps are so popular in these places and many parents pay to get their kids talk with English speakers. I’ve never tried this before but I know so many children today are experiencing such condition. I think this app would have large user pool if it can truly achieve the introduced features.
I really appreciate this new form of communication. People can choose their interested fields and do voice communication in a chat group. It is easier for people to speak up related to their interests in a real conversation circumstance. However, I am wondering after users enter the chatroom, can they connect with each other?
Amazing language learning tool! As a language major, I will really appreciate if I could use it while learning!
I think there is a “real” VoiceTube website, right? What’s your journey’s difference from that one?
I think this would also be helpful to people who are simply just shy, more introverted as well. Providing a place to practice conversing. I am however curious about the chat portion. It is noted that “Join the conversation anytime and anywhere.” How do you monitor the conversation? Are you bound to join a chat while it is already at the end of a conversation?