Sound Resources for Language Teachers

Digital sound recording and editing is now affordable and easy to achieve in a computer environment in schools. As a teaching strategy sound is a rich resource in the area of language and literacy. For example in the area of oral literacy students can have the opportunity to record the sound of their own voice with the benefit that they have instant feedback on their accuracy of enunciation, pitch and timbre etc. Through the editing process students can correct errors and produce high quality narration for use in presentations such as CD audio, CD ROM development, web pages, Powerpoint presentations etc.
Technology in this way can assist students to gain self confidence in public speaking and to develop good oral literacy skills.

Why are so many surprised at the sound of their own voices? Selective hearing may be the answer.

Information about the physics of speech from the University of NSW

Kate used her Japanese language skills, downloaded music and sound effects to create a story about animals (313Kb mp3 file)

There are very few completely fluent speakers of Australian Aboriginal languages like Arabana of the Lake Eyre Basin region. Greg Wilson from DECS Curriculum has been recording Arabana Elders using Audacity.

For language teachers the subtleties of correct pronunciation can be clearly demonstrated. In the following example Chris Simpson from Unley High School demonstrates the incorrect and then the correct pronunciation of the French phrase "je voudrais" (96Kb mp3 file)

Chris used the multitrack capabilities to record his own voice into 4 tracks to create a vocal harmony of a French song. (632Kb mp3 file)

Stanca liked the vocal harmony idea that Chris used and created her own French song.

Further examples of sound as a resource in language teaching are listed below:

Chinese educators visited TSoF in 2004 and Qu Linming sang this short love song (411 Kb mp3 file)

Naty is a teacher of Spanish and she can sing in Spanish (439Kb mp3 file)

Italian - Marisa, City of Turin - visiting Adelaide (102 Kb mp3 file)

Vietnamese - teaching a song (1.2Mb mp3 file)

Greek - music (511K mp3 file)and song (968Kb mp3 file)

Japanese visitors to TSoF sang this song (632Kb mp3 file) - it is called "Hana" which means flower. The song is about a spring scene of the Sumida river in Tokyo and the song was written about a hundred years ago.

Japanese exchange student Nakogi (201Kb mp3 file) recorded her singing using two tracks in Audacity.

Cristina Ortega, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Philippines to Australia recorded her thoughts on her visit to TSoF (538Kb mp3 file)

Educators from the Philippines sang their national anthem (1.9Mb mp3 file)

Kane wrote a rap lyric as part of his class exploration of the theme "Identity" (308Kb mp3 file)

When Jack was nearly 4 years old he used audio recording to improve his speech (284Kb mp3 file)

Jack also used Powerpoint and Audacity audio software for learning his "Snap Words" - or sight words in his first year at school

Lauren had just turned 8 years of age. She composed the music, recorded the narration and sound effects and used Clay animation for digital story telling.
Audio (641Kb .mp3) See the Animation (1.2Mb .wmv file)

At the age of 11 Lauren joined the school debating team and used Audacity to practice her debating speech (1.2Mb mp3)

Singers (2.5Mb .mp3) from Woodville High School

For more information email Jim Edson.