Seminar 5: BOOKMARKS

Part 1. Evolution of bookmark services

Whatever service you choose, you can easily add to its catalog a new bookmark or edit the old sort bookmarks by tags assigned to them or place them in different folders. However, each service has its own pros and cons, which you encounter when you work with bookmarks directly from the browser without having to go to the bookmarks directory site.

The best way to show the comparison is to use the chart taken from one of the review sites:

Where:

 integration into the page services in the form of button-links

 it has a toolbar; bookmarks can be used without visiting the site, although some operations can be performed only on the website;

here you can fully manage the bookmarks from the browser without visiting the site;

service synchronizes the "native" browser bookmarks directory.


One minus of this research is the lack of studying Google Chrome browser. But still, using the Google Bookmarks in the native Google browser seems to me the best variant.

I oftenly use only Chrome, do the next step of my message I will make in Google Chrome browser using Google Bookmarks.

Part 2: Personal bookmarks

You simply attach your Google account to this plugin and do not be afraid of losing something you added.

Seminar 4: presentation feedback

1) SlideShare is one of my favourite services for creating presentations. While having been at work in summer, our marketing team used SlideShare every time when prepared presentations for public speeches. It's not only a nice stock but also a good interactive source for education, as well as for tracking the public interest in the chosen theme.

2) Speaker Deck is one more convenient site to share your presentations online. Here you simply upload your slides in a PDF format, and the system automatically transforms it into an online presentation. What is more, you may watch presentations on interesting topics in a convinient way as there is a topic division. 

3) Projeqt is a dynamic interactive source for creating more than presentations online. The main pecularity is that your presentation never stays static. For example, you use a twitter hashtag for showing results on some purpose. These results will never be the same, as the system automatically refreshes and shows the freshest twits with the given hashtags.

4) Prezi is the most popular service for creating presentations. You may use it freely online or try a 30-days period offline. Also, this service is in free access for unis and students (but you need a verification). It's a wide range of tools, which make you presentation more memorable and uniqe. All you need is your creativity.

And there goes the links to my presentations so you can see how some services work:

1. Old Germanic Alphabet (prepared for History of English language);
2. Usability (internet-marketing);
3.  Leg of lamb with amazing gravy (inspired by Jamie Oliver)

Some interactive services for studying at MFL department

Integration of some interactive services to "From&to English translation"

There are a lot of sources which I can propose you to develop your translating skills. Firstly, I want to emphasize www.puzzle-english.com website, which is really one of the coolest sources to train your abilities.

Here you can see the screenshot of the section "Day translator", where you personally suggest the translation of the phrase of the day:

This is the test which shows your vocabulary www.puzzle-english.com/vocabulary:

That is the approximate number of my English vocabulary:

The source where you can learn new words in different ways www.puzzle-english.com/words?new:

If you choose learning new words, you see this kind of screen where the speaker also tells you the correct pronunciaton:

After you watched the five new words, there goes the first stage of memorization, where the speaker reads the word and you must choose the correct translation:

Than you're to write or click in the right order the correct word shown you in Russian:

;

The next stage is where the speaker sounds the word and you must spell it correctly:

And the last stage is for the results, where you're shown the number of the correct answers and the countdown timer till the next training:

Learning with Splendid Speaking

Today's vocabulary quiz on www.splendid-speaking.com/products/wotd/index.html

1) You start from the task when you are to choose the right word to complete the idiom:

2) Then you complete the gaps printing the missing words:

3) And finally you answer the given question in order to fully remember new idioms:

Also you can sign up for their newsletter:

I wish you good luck in your learning English!

Seminar 2. CALL & Language Skills

I'll be as critical as I can to all the presented sources.

1) Listening, Speaking and Pronunciation

So, starting with the website www.manythings.org I was shoked with the front-end developing. It's awful! Taking into consideration that we live in an advanced society, this website left shadows of horror in my eyes. I did not want even to click any links. However, it's up to you to decide it's usability.

The next source is http://fsm-portal.net/video_lessons/1119-professor-xiggins-anglijskij-bez-akcenta-versiya-61.html. Well, despite the fact that this programs looks like early Nency Drew's games at the beginning of 90-s, it has an opportunity to record the sound of your own voice and compare with the original. To my mind, that's quite useful and helpful for your productiveness in phonetics.

At englishpronunciationcourse.com you can sign-up for free to try them and decide whether it's your cup of tea. In my point of view, this can help you to systematize your studies and get a better result!

I share the link of the demo version of the next link at once as I assume we should firstly try what we are to buy www.rosettastone.eu/demo. I find this source very bright and versatile in the learning methods, so I'm sure if I had enough time and money I would start learning German with this source.

2) Reading and writing

I liked eslus.com/LESSONS/READING/READ.HTM a lot because here you can find different genres and their examples. I liked US newspapers, especially Wall Street Journal (mostly the ability to see and read it for free =))

This source www.er-central.com amazed with the interface and usability in finding information. Also, I was glad to see the separation of the materials for students and teachers.

3) Grammar

Liked this grammar quizes www.grammar-quizzes.com (even if you can find some websites in Google, this source is convenient in its content much more than the others!)

I did not like www.esltower.com as there were too much advertising, and its content leaves a lot to be desired.

4) Vocabulary

When I was preparing for my FCE test, I liked this source to study new words, idioms and set expressions: www.splendid-speaking.com/products/wotd/index.html

So I advice it to you without any fear. It's really worth visiting every day and gain knowledge :)

These two www.ldoceonline.com and www.pdictionary.com did not inspire me on gaining knowledge. They look like an amateur IT-specialist made them for a school project. I definitely know that good content and conveniency of buttons are the main factors that provide the website's usability. And these two sites have the lack of such factors indeed.

NO! NO! NO!
www.lextutor.ca
I literally felt sick after coming to this site.
Not only that it looks like the time machine sent me in the middle of the eighties; also the color selection makes the eyes sore. Absolute defocusing of view, no assembly or system. I wouldn't succeed there in learning a language, if only my eyesight was spoilt.

Conclusion: free services for learning a foreign language - still a trash. Attend a language course and listen to audiobooks!

CALL

Hello, everybody! Today I start my blog with informing you that I'm to post different useful materials, documents and information which can help you to learn and improve your English.
This is the task I was given at my university classes and I'm going to be as creative as I can :)