Step 1
SELECT LANGUAGE AND
TOPIC OF INTEREST
You can select the language you want to practice from a range of languages on the home screen. Once users select the language, they’ll be able to access a wide range of topics according to their interests, which are sorted according to popularity within the community of users. Users can see how many users are engaging in every topic. You can also search any topic using the search bar and, if your topic of interest is not available at the moment, you can suggest adding it.
Step 2
SELECT THE SUBTOPIC
Step 3
DO YOUR WEEKLY READINGS
Each topic will have a different subtopic that allows users to choose. There are two usable buttons for each subtopic, “Join Now” and “Read More.”
The “Read More” button will take you to a reading/video weekly selection, where users can read about their topic of interest in their appropriate skill level. After each reading/video they can interact with other users in the comments section of the resource (more about this on Step 3).
The “Join Now” button will move to a Chatroom page for all users interested in the same topic (more about this on Step 4) .
Once you select a topic of interest, you will receive a selection of videos and readings
appropriate for your knowledge level and your desired reading/viewing time. After each reading you can interact with other users in the comment section of the resource. This comment section is similar to the chatroom described in Step 4.
You will also have a choice of often-used words in the field each week, where you can expand your vocabulary. You can translate, hear the pronunciation and practice the pronunciation for each of these words. The resource selection and popular words and phrases will change each week to keep you engaged and practicing.
Step 4
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
IN THE CHATROOM
After people entered the chatroom of a specific topic they were interested in, they could share relevant resources such as short videos, news, and pictures. Others can express their opinions or give comments based on these contents.
Participants will practice conversation skills by using the voice function. Their voice message will then be automatically converted to text so other people who entered the chat room can know what people have talked about and join the chat quickly. A grammar checker button is available to check and correct grammar mistakes automatically. A pronunciation checker will also be available, and users can practice their message until they are comfortable sending it to the rest of the users. Participants in the chatroom can both read and hear other users’ comments and use the save the chatroom button on the top right to collect the chatroom they are interested in for a last look.
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?