CALL Software Evaluation

 

Software/Website Title: “English Listening”

Website URL: Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vn.scdgroup.bbclearningenglish&hl=en)

Grade/Age/Proficiency Level: Three levels: Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced

Language & Content: English with a focus on listening and conversation

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“English Listening” is an android app for English language learners created by BBC Learning English.  The main reason I chose this app was the variety of the programs and tools inside.  Compared to other apps, this app has a huge selection of items to listen to and different genres of English to learn, including formal English, informal or conversational English, prose and drama.  There are different lessons on language skills, including listening, speaking and conversation, reading, vocabulary, and grammar.  This app has a high rating; 15,000 out of 20,000 viewers gave the app a five star.  Going through it myself, I would definitely give it a five star too.  I will start the review of this app by describing the general format.  To give the reader an appreciation of the app, I will talk about the first level in detail, followed a brief description of some of the interesting programs found in this app.

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   Here is a general outline of the app and the programs it contains:

Three Language levels:

1) Beginner:  a) English Conversation, b) News Report, c) Express English

2) Intermediate:  a) The English We Speak, b)Words in the News, c) LingoHack,  d) English at Work

3) Advanced:  a) 6 minute English, b) 6 Minute Grammar, c) Drama

Two more section:

4) Practice: a) English Chat, b) Vocabulary Quiz,  c) Pronunciation

5) Playlist: My Playlist; download and listen offline.

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       The main page has a drop-down menu and a link to a built-in dictionary.  Both of these features appear in every page, and that makes the app easy to navigate.  The sections are well-organized and thus easy to follow and use.  In the menu, there are three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced, each level in turn has subcategories.

  I noticed three distinguishing features about the app: it is interactive, fun to use and very authentic.

  First, many of the programs are interesting and funny and are sure to keep the listener engaged.  Moreover, the narrators involve the listener in the conversation by frequently asking the listener direct questions.  In this way, I would describe the app as interactive, as it does not simply present the material but also aims to engage the listener. 

 Second, every level has different programs. So it is not the same program with different levels of difficulty, rather each level has different programs.  Thus, the new programs are more fun to explore and learn.  And the more advanced the level, the more complicated the text and conversation.  For example, Level Intermediate has a program called 'English at work', which describes real scenarios of some real life situations related to work.  Another example is the drama program featured in the advanced level.

  And third, the app is authentic.  No conversation is contrived, rather it is presented in its natural context, with real people.  Furthermore, the conversation is not simplified, but consists of everyday English.  But to scaffold learning for English language learners (ELLs), the narrators usually explain the difficult vocabulary at the end of each episode, and also provide a short comprehension quiz.

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            I found three other ‘Plus’ features for this app.  First, each episode can be downloaded and saved in “My Playlist” found in the drop-down menu, to be heard later at anytime, with or without network connection. I thought this feature was a plus, especially in some countries that may have problems with internet connection.  

Second, there is a section for grammar and pronunciation.  I thought that was essential for students who are used to the bottom-up approach to language, and may like to study each language skill separately.  

And third, there is an “English Chat” section where learners can chat with other students or experts and practice using English in real life. One last plus feature is that each section is not limited to a handful of episodes.  Rather, there is plenty of material to listen and study.  Some programs feature different years, from 2009 to 2016.  I counted the number of episodes in “English conversation, 2106”, and found 53 episodes there! 

            On the negative side, the only thing I did not like about the app is the lack of videos.  It only uses voice and text, more like a podcast.  However, one of the viewers commented that videos usually distract the learner from focusing on the sound and the vocabulary.  After reading this remark and listening again, I tend to agree.  Just the voice and text in this app seem to provide better concentration than images and voice. 

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            Next, I will describe the first level or beginner level in some detail.  As mentioned above, the beginner level has three categories: a) English Conversation, b) News Report, c) Express English.

First, “English Conversation”: Includes real-life situations with authentic conversation, both of which generate genuine interest in the listener.  Not only does that make the listener follow with interest, but also provides an opportunity to learn the language.  The ELLs can listen and follow the conversation in the text.  After the conversation is over, the narrator explains the difficult vocabulary and grammar found in the conversation.  Once an episode is listened to, a ‘Completed’ icon appears beside the episode. Titles of conversations include: “Winter activities”, “Take a class and learn a culture”, and “Communities in the US”.

Second, “News reports”:   A selection of real short news reports, mostly from BBC News.  After the short story, key vocabulary are presented.  And finally, a multiple-choice question about the gist of the story is given.  And finally the answer to the question and explanation are provided. 

Third, “Express English”: Here is how the app describes this program: “Every week we ask you a different question.  Hear what people in London say, then join in the Conversation!”  Again, the authenticity of the conversation is a plus feature.  The listener is really interested to hear the views of other people.  Titles include: “Do you show self-restraint?”, “Sweet or Savoury?” and “Coffee or Tea?”  The student can then share his own opinion on the given link.  The only thing to be noticed here, is only Londoners are interviewed and the accent is very British.  But most of the conversation section is spoken by American speakers.

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  Next, I will briefly describe some interesting programs in the app. 

“LingoHack”(Intermediate level): This program features short episodes of headlines news, then reviews key vocabulary.  Finally one-word fill-in exercises are provided.

“English at work” (Intermediate level): This program features real conversation between two characters, Anna and Paul, related to the workplace.  Again authentic and very interesting conversation is provided.  There is a leading question at the end of the episode, left for the student to think about, but would be addressed in the next episode.  This program is a series that will keep the listener interested and eager to follow the developing story which becomes more intriguing with each episode.  I had to follow three episodes to see what happened!

“6 Minute English” (Advanced level): Neil and Alice discuss different topics.  They also explain the meaning of key words. Then a quick quiz is given.  The conversation is very interactive and keeps the listener engaged.

“6 Minute Grammar” (Advanced level): Callum and Catherine discuss different grammar rules.  They first describe the rule, then give examples, and finally they explain the rule using the examples.  For practice, there is a quick quiz.

 “Drama” (Advanced level): Gordon, Mary, and Peter work in a restaurant, and their adventures are recounted.  Some stories are funny, and it is a sure way to keep the interest of the learner.

“Pronunciation” (Practice): Only shows consonants and vowels pronunciation.  The speaker gives the letter, then describe how it is said, then gives examples.  A video is provided for each letter.  No full words are given.

A link to other apps is given as well.

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    Finally, here is my impression of the app:

      I think the variety of programs and the authentic conversation should prove interesting to any English Language Learner (ELL).  There are stories, real news stories, headline news, and drama among other things.  It is remarkable that most of the passages are taken from real-life situations and provided as lessons.  In other words, the programs provide authentic conversation.  The news story and headlines news are taken directly from real news broadcast, then broken down for the student. And in each case, difficult vocabulary are explained, and at the end of the lesson a quiz is provided. The drama section is very authentic and entertaining, and the student is expected to enjoy and learn at the same time.  

      The app focuses on listening and conversation.  But I believe it goes much beyond that.  I think they added new features later on to make the app more encompassing.  New features include grammar, pronunciation, and quizzes. The grammar section is entertaining and provided in context.  It is not simple a grammar lesson, but a grammar lesson taken from a real life conversation, something that will engage the students and keep them entertained, while conveying the lesson at the same time.  The quizzes also challenge the students and make the program more proactive by involving the student in the conversation.  Thus, the students does not only listen passively, but now the student must be ready to answer the quiz questions.  This in turn will generate more attention and interest on the part of the listener.  The pronunciation section is limited to vowel sounds and needs to be improved further.     

     I think the teacher can benefit greatly from this app in many ways.  The grammar section can prove interesting to some students who have difficulty with some grammar rules.  The conversation section can be used in class to improve students’ comprehension and speaking skills.  The students can be encouraged to use the vocabulary in their writing.  And finally, the built-in dictionary can be used for other new words.

   I also like the link to other sites, as it provides additional resources for students interested to search for other similar sites.  There is also a chat link where students can practice their language skills.  Apart from the security risk, chatting with other students and native speakers provides an opportunity for students to practice what they learned and even ask any questions about a word or expression they do not understand.  

    I think this app is worth a five star rating.  However, I think a section for videos would be an added feature for some learners who are used to audio-visual learning.  Another area for possible improvement is the grammar and pronunciation sections, which seem to be brief and just focuses on the grammar rule and vowel sounds.  There should be more examples and more explanations in this section.