Format of skype practice

[ramblingjohn]

I thought i would open a thread to ask for suggestions of how people think skype practices could be used in what they think is a useful way. Yes practice is practice and very useful if i am to progress but do people think there is a format that would make the experience better.

Do people want to practice previous lesson material.

Do people want to practice current lesson material.

would people like to practice current lesson material but including a few words they wish to learn.
(basically, putting some new words into sentences they already know (in which case each person taking part would need to know in advance the new words).

One idea, are images useful, that is if i put a picture of a tree on screen with (branch, trunk, leaves etc labeled) would this give a subject to talk about. The image could be anything people like, a summers beach for instance.

Another question is, do people like the idea of one to one conversation or would they like to be in a group practice.

It seems by the end of course 2 people often start to read welsh (even if its just a dictionary) so as its possible to talk and text at the same time on skype, do people think that is useful to see the words they may have trouble hearing (one thing with this is that it is possible to click on skype and find previous sessions text (misspellings and all).

The long dark evenings are here so lets make good use of them.
all comments gratefully received.

Cheers J.P.

[seren]

I think I would be interested in developing my conversational skills in specific topics, because right now my vocabulary is extremely limited. Karla and I have been discussing music a lot, but we’re mostly doing it in Saesneg, as we don’t have the vocabulary to do it in Welsh.
What I would normally do during skype lessons with my students is – I give them some input in form of audio/video or a text on a certain topic + a list of vocabulary in a separate file. Having read the text, we then discuss it together trying to use the new vocabulary as much as we can. For example, I had a skype lesson today in Russian. We watched an old social advertisement about adopted children and then practiced the vocabulary by discussing some questions containing the new words like “to adopt”, “adopted children” and so on. Grammar can be very simple, the main aim is to remember the words by using them in personalized contexts. I can’t see why learners can’t do it together, if they don’t have a tutor.
I would find the visual aid like pictures and photos rather useful There’s also a tool that you can use with skype, iDroo. It’s a virtual blackboard, and can be quite useful for some specific purposes, like, for example, if you have a very strict No English rule, you can just draw a picture instead of saying the English word if you don’t know the Welsh one.

[tatjana]

Well, I see this is the main problem with me. I siarad and not ymarfer … and as much as I can take from @ramblingjohn’s post this can be taugh thing for most of us many times.

To be honest, I never really “practiced” something via Skype and now I almost feel guilty I was the only one who benefited from most of the conversations/practices I had but the other person couldn’t possibly have any benefit from me besides only the chance to talk. Since my sentences are many times more “inventions” of “non-existing” forms then being set in proper form at all it’s crystal clear it’s hard to gain anything from talking with me. (well just honest thoughts of mine, not moaning).

Not actually having the clue how one practice should look like at all resulted into me rejecting Skype conversations for quite a long time.

Well, when talkign to John I found written text super useful however I’m not sure how much would images actually be useful for me because they should be super simple for me to recognize them especially if the’d be little. Group skyping/practicing surely would have some benefits too…

Well, but you made me aware I never was too good with practicing obviously, at least not at those on Skype.

[seren]

Tatjana, there’s no need to worry. There are fluency-based practice sessions, where you just chat happily:) And accuracy-based exercises, where you have to practice certain patterns and you can even be corrected by your tutor or your partner sometimes. Both types are equally important, so don’t worry, you were practicing!

[ramblingjohn]

I completely agree, (Sadly Stella i know little about music).

@tatjana

I found written text super useful however I’m not sure how much would images actually be useful for me because they should be super simple

I’m glad the text worked for you, that’s a plus diolch.

Would this image be any good for you or do the words need to be bigger.

Castell tywod glan y mor - Sand castle beside the sea. (click image for full size).

Cheers J.P.

[Karla]

Yeah, all my Skype practices seem to be rather formless…we just talk about whatever comes to mind, with varying degrees of success. Maybe we should research some words pertaining to the topics we regularly talk about and email lists to each other, so that we can talk in more detail about the things we enjoy?

[tatjana]

As long as the picture would be as big as it’s now and the text as bolded as it’s now it’s fine. much smaller wouldn’t do though

[yorkshireend]

Yes, that’s great. I think anything like this is useful for learning or practising the Welsh because, being a picture, there is no need for translation from the English.

[seren]

That doesn’t matter, I’m interested in most things in the world, from art to science, so we will find some common topic, I’m sure.

[henddraig]

I do not yet have the faintest idea how to skype or whether we yet have fast enough broadband to do so, but I had thought in terms of ‘just chatting’. A lot of gesturing would come into it!! Maybe draw/write with black marker pen to hold up to camera a hint when stuck? I suspect my mind would go blank as soon as I saw the person I was meant to talk to… "Shmae, helo, Jackie dw’i. Wi 'ti 'n iawn?..

[tatjana]

"Shmae, helo, Jackie dw’i. Wi 'ti 'n iawn?..

Helo. Dwi’n iawn, diolch … Sut ywt ti? Dwi’n gobaithio ti’n da iawn heddiw.

I suspect my mind would go blank as soon as I saw the person I was meant to talk to.

Should we try one day? I bet you’d surprise yourself with a lot more then just “going blank” …

[ramblingjohn]

Maybe we should research some words pertaining to the topics we regularly talk about and email lists to each other,

Maybe post the lists here so we all get an idea of what other learners wish to practice, this may be like cloud sourcing the language and a real benefit to many. (where are you with the lessons).

much smaller wouldn’t do though

Wnes i deall.

being a picture, there is no need for translation from the English.

That is a good point Ray, would people like the English i brackets beside the welsh,
I was thinking of writing the Welsh - English below the images plus plurals and other variables.

I do not yet have the faintest idea how to skype

Oh, you must try it sometime (an hour with Tatjana will exercise your laughing muscles, can you cope with that much fun)!

[seren]

I think that posting here lists of topical vocabulary would in general be a very good idea. We could do some research in music vocabulary together with Karla, if she doesn’t mind?

[tatjana]

an hour with Tatjana will exercise your laughing muscles, can you cope with that much fun)!

Haha!

Yah, i invent many stuff which structurally don’t even exist in Cymraeg - lol and then John asks me if I can see the message window and I say (all in Cymraeg of course) “No, it’s dark here especially if I look through the window. I can’t see anything out there!” and even then (when he has written down what he asked) I realized what he had in mind!

Yah, I’m really brilliant! This for one thing was hillarious! Oh, dear! I only now came to laugh about this!

[Karla]

[quote=“ramblingjohn, post:12, topic:3828”]
Maybe post the lists here so we all get an idea of what other learners wish to practice, this may be like cloud sourcing the language and a real benefit to many. (where are you with the lessons).
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That’s a great idea, I didn’t think of that before. I’m around halfway through course 3, but still very deficient on vocabulary. Should we post the vocab as PDFs, so everyone can download them and study them if they want to?

@stella, I wouldn’t at all mind doing some research with you!

[seren]

Should we take music and art then and do some worksheets?

[ramblingjohn]

This is sounding good, i will have to find some time over the next few days and try to post something useful. (from what i see you writing on the ymarfer thread, my knowledge is going to be stretched which is good).

Oh, dear! I only now came to laugh about this!

I’m so pleased you found the experience fun, and yes dw i’n dal chwertin amdani.

That’s a great idea, I didn’t think of that before. I’m around halfway through course 3, but still very deficient on vocabulary. Should we post the vocab as PDFs, so everyone can download them and study them if they want to?

I don’t mind how they are posted.
I was going to post material straight into this thread but hadn’t thought about people wanting to print them, i gess they could just use copy and paste to printer, anyway all material welcome and thanks for your intput, (i’m somewhere near the start of course 3 and seem to be eternally distracted by other welsh stuff)

Cheers J.P.

[seren]

Is it ok if I add this thread to my list of useful posts in the How-to section? I think people could benefit from the ideas and the vocabulary lists that are going to be published here.
I also think it’s a good idea if we can post photos together with the words and make a sort of a visual dictionary like you and other people are already compiling in my favourite What’s outside thread.

[Karla]

Sure thing. I’ve collected a couple of words already in a notebook which I’ve forgotten to study! I’ll look further into it as soon as I have a spare minute today. Do you want to take one topic and I the other, or compare notes at the end and see if either of us missed anything?

[seren]

No, let’s do them both together if you’re ok? That would be much more fun:)