1. Have Fun with English! A beginner EFL blog (An experiment in blogging with young EFL learners) A presentation for the EVOnline 2005 “Weblogging Workshop” Teresa Almeida d’Eça http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/ Parede, Portugal: 8 February 2005

2. What is Have Fun with English? 1  for me, it's a teacher-student blog  however, some may consider it a mix between a Web page and a blog (read an interesting comment)an interesting comment  then... why not call it "a plog"?! ;-)  as opposed to a "slog" (a 'slogging' blog) or a "thog" (a blog with thoughts in it)!

3. What is Have Fun with English? 2  Buth: When Tere created her T-S blog, blog providers were not as advanced as now, in the sense that the comment feature was not developed! Therefore, a blog is not the same as a webpage, at present, as it used to be, earlier; it has become a useful, pedagogical tool that helps students and teachers to communicate and interact with one another outside the classroom in an easy, fast, and simple way. This is why they are great tools to integrate in EFL courses, based on blended teaching and learning.  Bee3: I agree with you totally Buth...and think that it was difficult at the time to make the small kids open a blog by themselves and keep it...so Tere's idea was fantastic. It was a transition between the webpage and the blog as we know it now. They sent her mails which were pasted on a webpage she opened for this purpose and formatted as a blog. She even included sound. Blogger did not have a comment area or sound at the beginning either. So Tere is a precursor of the blog in EFL :-) A true webhead. (Comments taken from Webcollaborator project 114, in preparation for the co-presentation Bee, Buth and I did on Blogs and Blogging for the Belnate Conference in Minsk, Belarus, 4Nov2004)Blogs and Blogging

4. How did it start?  Aaron Campbell's Weblogs for Use with ESL ClassesWeblogs for Use with ESL Classes  first experiment in blogging with 3rd-year EFLers: Let's Blog!Let's Blog!  real challenge: Have Fun with English!Have Fun with English!  would I able to spark motivation in absolute EFL beginners?  would I be able to keep the flame lit?

5. Why a blog for absolute beginners?  generate a two-way communication tool in the target language outside of class: T  St  stimulate practice of the language learned in class 'anytime, anywhere' BUT class  have a place to give students a voice of their own, to speak about their own interests, etc  create an open door to an authentic and broad audience that can comment and suggest

6. Blog provider or custom-made?  a custom-made blog meant  more layout flexibility (we are talking about Mar 2003: things have changed quite a bit)  more control over content (young learners)  less hassle for me (I controlled homepage building, but not blogs!)  I chose 'custom-made' in spite of the additional workload!

7. What sort of layout?  simple  colorful  user-friendly (a 3-column layout)  attractive (to young kids): icons and images

8. What type of content?  anything!  things of interest to the students  always in English  the only 'obvious' imposition on my part

9. The first page  the first page (28Nov03)first page  announcement  invitation to send messages  interactive exercises (Hot Potatoes)Hot Potatoes  the first message (6Dec03)  online exercises now and then

10. Unexpected but welcome add-ons! BLOG exchange voice mail photosdrawingse-cards photo stories

11. A European exchange  a Portuguese-Polish exchange (10Feb04)exchange  bringing young people together online  linking them to the global village  started during the EVO BaW2004BaW2004  the Polish side replies in voice emails (accompanied by the corresponding text)

12. Voice mail 1  how it all began  HandyBits: very easy-to-use voice mail program HandyBits  'download & play'!  two versions standardkids  lately, Horizon-Wimba (EduVoice demo) has been used by me (25Dec04 & 7Feb05)Horizon-Wimba25Dec047Feb05

13. Voice mail 2  the first messages from Polandfirst messages  from Tommy (10Feb04)Tommy Hello, friends! My name is Tommy Warcholak. I am 7 years old. I like computer games. I am from Przemysl, Poland. Bye! Tommy  the first messages from Polandfirst messages  from Wojtek (11Feb04)Wojtek Hello! How are you? Thanks for your email! I'm Wojtek. I live in Przemysl, Poland. I'm 9. I like computer games and sports. I like football and basketball. Bye, friends! Wojtek

14. Voice mail 3  the first messages from Portugalfirst messages  from 5F (1Mar04)5F Hello friends! Thank you for your messages. How are you? We (half of 5F) are fine. Please send more photos! What are your favorite computer games? Good bye friends! Have a nice week.  the first messages from Portugalfirst messages  from 5G (1Mar04)5G Hi, friends! How are you? This little group of 5G is very well. Is there Carnival in Poland? In Portugal it's very fun: people with costumes in the streets. We like rabbits, but we are afraid of snakes. See you!!! :-)

15. Voice mail 4  the latest events in voice messaging (Feb05) Student  Teacher  Student  from Rodrigo to meRodrigo to me  from me to Rodrigome to Rodrigo  from João Vasco to meJoão Vasco to me Colleague  Students  from Leanne to my studentsLeanne to my students

16. Photos  a favorite fruit arrangement (Dec03) a favorite fruit arrangement  Tommy in the snow (Feb04) Tommy in the snow  Wojtek and sister in the snow (Mar04) Wojtek and sister in the snow  a Portuguese class (Mar04) a Portuguese class

17. Drawings  from João Vasco (9Mar04)  the Homework pageHomework

18. e-Cards (& singing)  Happy birthday!  to Wojtek (9Mar04) to Wojtek  to Tommy (6Jan05) to Tommy  singing 'happy birthday' to go with the cards  to Wojtek (9Mar04) to Wojtek  to Tommy (6Jan05) to Tommy  Christmas  from Susana (Dec04) from Susana

19. Photo stories: the latest trend ?!  a family holiday: Piodão, North of Portugal (6Feb05)Piodão (it may take a little while to download due to the high resolution)  created with Photo Story 3Photo Story 3

20. A final curiosity: the need for flexibility  a compromise between high and low tech (to allow all students the chance to send messages and see them answered online)  handouts of an email template (low tech)  the next best thing to the real email (high tech)  the students loved the idea  it really caught on!

21. Conclusion  a simple experiment in writing to practice the target language has taken on different dimensions in a year's time  all of them have contributed to added motivation and learning, and new horizons  the unexpected has become reality and has gone beyond my 'wildest dreams'!!! Thank you!

22. Resources  My Website http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/  Have Fun with English! (the current blog) http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/fun-with-english5.htm  Let's Blog! (the precursor) http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/blog7.htm