VoiceThread, a cloud-based platform, is used to assess and provide feedback in an online asynchronous pronunciation course for adult English Language Learners (ELLs). As an interactive collaboration tool, VoiceThread allows for an online classroom where students and instructors can see and hear each other via recordings. Using VoiceThread in this online asynchronous pronunciation class students are given direct instruction on targeted features of American English pronunciation via a recorded lecture on VoiceThread. One key advantage of using VoiceThread in a pronunciation course is the access to instruction. Watching an up-close video of an instructor explaining pronunciation strategies is more effective than a traditional classroom setting.
Additionally, students use VoiceThread to record themselves completing pronunciation tasks. Students benefit from more individualized feedback from the instructor who reviews student recordings one by one. Moreover, traditional in-person pronunciation courses use choral responses (all students together) for much of the pronunciation practice, making individual assessment during the class meeting time difficult. Choral responses also make it difficult for students to hear themselves and self-correct (a key aspect of learning pronunciation). Using VoiceThread provides the opportunity for both the instructor and student to understand their own pronunciation challenges. This makes it an ideal for instructing and learning pronunciation in a language course.
VoiceThread recordings reduce what Krashen (1982) describes as the “affective filter,” the anxiety that inhibits language acquisition. The affective filter is the way emotion and environment influence learning a new language; it is that nervous feeling of standing in front of a group of strangers and trying to make a sound that is unfamiliar and new. The ideal way to practice and learn a new language is in a setting free of hindrances from the affective filter. A stress-free environment enhances the language learning experience and learners have more productive outcomes in completing tasks (Kalanidhi & Kavitha, 2020). With VoiceThread, learners have a positive experience working on pronunciation tasks because they have the flexibility to record themselves in an environment of their own choosing–at home, in a study room—wherever they feel comfortable. Additionally, students have the opportunity to listen to their own recordings and self-correct in real-time before submitting an assignment. This is another key condition for learning a new language and is supported by Schmidt (1990) who explains “noticing” one’s own language is key to language acquisition. Once a recording is submitted, the instructor provides individualized feedback in the form of a video response, where the students can see how to adjust their own pronunciation.
Strategy Implementation
As an interactive collaboration tool, VoiceThread enables users to create presentations by uploading images, documents, and slides and then recording voice comments. It has applications across curricula, as well as in business settings. When an individual or group creates a VoiceThread, viewers engage with the content by adding comments in the form of text, voice, or video directly onto the media elements within the presentation, facilitating interactive discussions. Its versatility and interactive nature make it applicable and beneficial not only in specific subjects like language arts or science but also across a wide range of disciplines such as mathematics, social studies, art, and beyond.
In an education, VoiceThreads can be shared with specific individuals (instructor-student) or among an entire class, allowing for collaboration and feedback. For example, when an individual uploads a presentation to VoiceThread, and records comments, others can respond with voice, video or text comment or question. This creates an engaging asynchronous learning setting. VoiceThread is designed to be accessible across different devices and platforms and integrates directly into DLE’s for as a third-party tool. As a SaaS third-party tool it requires a subscription by a college or university, but there are no fees or memberships required by the instructor or students if a VoiceThread subscription is provided by their institution.
Artifact
In a fully online asynchronous course for English pronunciation VoiceThread is used for weekly assignments. This pronunciation course is offered at a community college and is an elective for the 18 ELLs enrolled. The course takes place over 15 weeks and each week a targeted element of American English pronunciation is introduced. VoiceThread is used in a variety of ways for weekly activities and assignments. Below is an explanation (with reference to artifacts) of the ways VoiceThread is used:
- Weekly Assignments are consistent in format and vary only by topics covered. Students know what to expect and what to do for all of the assignments in a weekly module. Artifact 1-List of VoiceThread assignments
- Using a VoiceThread Watch Only assignment, students watch a recorded lecture of a targeted element of American English pronunciation. Students see an up close and personal demonstration of how to form the mouth for certain sounds. Students can pause the video and re-watch as many times as necessary. VoiceThread is integrated with the DLE (Digital Learning Environment) D2L Brightspace, and students receive a “completed” grade when they watch the entire video. Artifact 2-VoiceThread Watch Only assignment
- Using a VoiceThread Comment assignment, students complete a task related to the pronunciation area of focus. This assignment is set up in a way that students can see and hear each other’s comments. The tasks center on identifying words or sounds and are where students apply what they learned from the recorded lecture. For example, during the unit on Voiced and Voiceless sounds, students see a list of words and are asked to circle (with the VoiceThread drawing tool) and pronounce the words that begin with a Voiced consonant. The instructor responds to each comment with positive feedback and encouragement, and students can respond to one another. Artifact 3-VoiceThread Comment assignment
- Using a VoiceThread Comment assignment, students work as a group to complete a task related to the pronunciation area of focus. This assignment is set up in a way that students can see and hear each other’s comments. For example, students will see the stanzas of a poem and each student will record themselves reading a stanza. The end result is a complete work read out loud by many voices. The instructor responds to each comment with positive feedback and encouragement, and students can respond to one another. Artifact 4-VoiceThread Group assignment
- Using a VoiceThread Create assignment, students upload slides and record themselves explaining a topic. For example, one-week students explain the meaning of their name. This assignment is set up in a way that students can see and hear each other’s comments, and students are encouraged to interact and ask questions by posting a comment on each other’s presentation. The instructor responds to each comment with positive feedback and encouragement. Artifact 5-VoiceThread Presentation
- Using a VoiceThread Comment assignment, students read a paragraph that is posted on VoiceThread. This assignment is set up in a way that students cannot see or hear each other’s comments, and the instructor provides private feedback to each student. This is where specific and direct feedback on the targeted area of pronunciation is given. The instructor records a video for each student and demonstrates ways to improve their pronunciation of specific words and sounds. Artifact 6-VoiceThread Read Aloud Assessment
Artifacts are screenshots of various assignments, and student and instructor information is masked. As an interactive tool, engaging with commenting and listening to audio or seeing video cannot be captured via the artifacts. However, they help create a picture of how VoiceThread is used in this course.
Student and Faculty Feedback
In the broader discussion of the pros and cons of online learning, using VoiceThread in this pronunciation course has more advantages than disadvantages. Students are regularly provided individual feedback to help them improve their pronunciation, while still being a part of an engaging community that supports and encourages each other. Students complete a survey and thus far have strongly agreed that the VoiceThread assignments help reduce the stress of learning a new language while maintaining a classroom connection.
Scholarly Reference(s)
- Kalanidhi, L. R. S., & Kavitha, K. (2020). Reducing the Affective Filter in Tertiary Level ESL leaners-Some Effective Strategies. UCG Care Journal, 31(23), 91–99.
- Krashen, S. (1982). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition.
- Schmidt, R. W. (1990). The Role of Consciousness in Second Language Learning. Applied Linguistics, 11(2), 129-158.
Citation
Betti, A. (2024). Using VoiceThread to Assess and Provide Feedback in a Pronunciation Course. In deNoyelles, A., Bauer, S., & Wyatt, S. (Eds.), Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository. Orlando, FL: University of Central Florida Center for Distributed Learning.