Time to Enhance Your Knowledge of Vocabulary With Mobile Learning Apps

Vocabulary Learning Applets - Use them to your Advantage

Today I wish to give a brief outline of vocabulary learning apps. Those of you who do not like the old school learning approach, but have a flare for the latest tech inventions, will probably fall for those small pieces of software. Maybe you are not a great fan of old-fashioned ways of learning new words by means of writing them down and making long lists of new vocab units that sooner or later would end up in your waste bin. Or on the contrary, you don't feel to be that tech savvy?

Don't fear as installing the apps and using them is as easy as 1,2, 3.Well, why not go tech, and think of using those gadgets to your advantage? Your mobile phone is surely part and parcel of your everyday existence, so pack it with the app of your choice and start browsing, revising and learning new language stuff with it. Don't waste your time as you can learn new words everywhere: in a bus when going to work/school, even when being in a queue, and still have fun.

There are many apps of this kind for learning not only vocabulary, but also grammar, pronunciation, or conversational phrases in different languages (even for Hindi, Urdu, Turkish, Arabic), but today vocabulary applets will be my main focus. Of course, you can choose among the free apps or opt for paid versions with more features available. I tested some of them for you. Unfortunately, some major drawback of free apps is that they do have limited access to the content and other features. That was the case with Learn To Speak Italian; the app contained merely 15 phrases, and the user was obliged to pay for further access.

Free vocabulary learning apps:

CardLearner. Flashcards!

Definitely my favorite one. I started using it to improve my still basic knowledge of Italian, and I do like it. You can create your own dictionaries. You can download a demo version to see if it works for you. (The latest full version costs 5 EUR, although the demo mode works pretty well, and also allows you to create dictionaries).

Pros:

- Good features for a low price
- More dictionaries can be downloaded from the web site
- The Reader function allows you to read foreign literature to learn languages faster.

Cons:

- It is available for Symbian ^3 (Symbian S60 v5 [i8910HD/5800/N97/Mini/X6] Apps Symbian^3 [N8/C7/C6/E7] - suitable for Nokia smartphones.

WordSteps Mobile

Learn words anytime anywhere and track your progress.

It is probably one of the most popular vocabulary learning apps. Moreover, it can be used on cell-phones, smartphones (Microsoft Windows devices as well as Nokia Symbian platform).

To get new words straight to your phone for download, you will have to set up a user account on WordSteps web site:
Word Steps and probably buy premium subscription (starting from $5 a month) to be able to download the dictionaries to your mobile phone.

Pros:

- It is free of charge and available for learning 25 languages
- You can practice vocabulary from dictionaries in WordSteps web site for free
- You can listen to pronunciation of the native speakers

Cons:

- Dictionaries may load a little bit too slow
- Some users say that progress bars may not work correctly
- If you don't have a premium subscription, you will not be allowed to download the dictionaries to your phone.
- There are only 12 dictionaries available once you install the app and need to go to WordSteps web site to get more.

Polyglot (For Android OS users)

Another applet with lots of languages to choose from. Also, it contains a new learning page with pictures visualization.

Pros:

- Language materials are divided into topics plus many languages are available for you to learn
- What I liked about this app was that it allowed me to download any language lesson to my Android SD card and listen to it without having to connect to the Internet.

Cons:

- So far, I haven't found major drawbacks, but it does not mean that they don't exist at all.

Learn English/Spanish/German with Busuu

Busuu.com is an online community for foreign language learners from around the globe. Recently, they decided to offer learning apps for English, Spanish and German.

Pros:

- Extensive vocabulary base - over 3,000 words and key phrases
- From beginner to advanced intermediate levels (A1 - B2)
- 150 different vocabulary topics

Cons:

- Too "flashy" for my liking
- Good to start with if you are a beginner. Later on as you progress I would advise to look for something more challenging
- It is not completely free of charge as users will need to pay for some other additional features

Hangman Game Applet

Pros:

- It is free of charge
- Definitely helps you enrich and improve your knowledge of English vocabulary
- Useful if you are preparing for different exams (TOEFL, GMAT, GRE, IELTS, tec)

Cons:

- The application loads a bit slowly
- Only for Symbian OS users

Business English Vocabulary App for Nokia

Pros:

- You can learn vocabulary concerning the economy, law, project management, accounting and finance as well as the latest IT technologies.

Cons:

- Only for Symbian operating system

While I don't profess to be an expert on mobile phone technology, I would suggest choosing the best alternative app that would match your mobile phone operating system. Also, I found a great deal of apps for Android, but a relatively tiny number of those available for Symbian OS. If you know any, and would like to recommend it to all of us, please feel free to do so.

Also, I recommend using AnkiDroid Flashcards app. You can learn basically anything you want with it, not just only new words. It is available for Windows, Linux and MacOS. Also, you can download a version for your laptop or netbook, and use it.

TIPS:

• If after installing the app does not want to load properly, restart your phone, and try again.
• Before installing a given vocabulary app check what operating system you have installed in your mobile device (Symbian OS, Android, ect).
• Also, make sure that the app version is compatible with your mobile phone operating system. Otherwise, the app simply will not work.

As you could see there are many apps. You can download whatever app you like and test it to see if it caters for your taste or not. Do you use such apps to enrich your vocabulary knowledge? If so, please share your comments.

Disclaimer:

Dear Reader, please mind you that I am not responsible for any damages of your mobile phone resulting from the use of those presented applets. By downloading them you agree to use them at your own risk.

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Eight Multi-Sensory Reading Activities To Reinforce Alphabet Knowledge

Children and adults who are dyslexic learn differently. That's why it's important that both parents and teachers incorporate multi-sensory reading activities, when introducing the twenty-six letter names and shapes of the alphabet. Multi-sensory reading activities use all the senses, sent to the brain--visual, auditory, touch and body movement.

Here are eight multi-sensory reading activities that help dyslexic learners learn the alphabet:

1. Touch - Trace and cut out both the upper and lower case letters of the alphabet, out of sandpaper. After introducing a letter name and shape, have your child trace the letter's form with two fingers. The rough surface of each sandpaper letter helps children learn and retain letter shapes.

2. Touch - Pour a bag of rice, dried beans or peas into a shallow pan. Model for your child how to trace the alphabet letter they are currently learning, in the pan. The sensation of the dried food supports children's retention of letter shapes and names.

3. Visual - Mix Elmer's glue with colorful craft fabric paints. On a piece of construction paper have your child draw letters of the alphabet in different colors. The variety of colors of glue helps children hold onto each alphabet letter's name and shape.

4. Visual - Put together a collection of crayons, colored pencils, and glitter pens. Draw in pencil on either notebook paper or construction paper the upper and lower case letters of the alphabet. Instruct your child to trace over each letter. Using color helps children memorize the shapes and names of alphabet symbols.

5. Auditory - Sing the alphabet song with your child. Parents and teacher need to sing the song slowly. Children need to hear distinctly, all twenty-six-letter names, as you sing together.

6. Auditory - Read alphabet books aloud to your child. While reading parents and teachers need to take time to point out how illustrations and pictures reflects each letter name of the alphabet. Typically the storybook images are the first letter--such as "z" for zebra.

7. Body Movement - Find a large flashlight. Turn the lights down. Using big sweeping arm movements show your child how to write a letter on the wall. Have your child do the same using their arm. Tapping into arm muscles, by making big sweeping motions, helps children learn alphabet shapes.

8. Body Movement - Using a long piece of clothes-line or a jump-rope help your child make a big letter of the alphabet. Using the body muscles through movements helps children remember alphabet shapes through muscle memory.

Multi-sensory reading activities are easy to make and take just a few minutes to do. When parents and teachers take additional time to include one, every time they teach a letter name and shape, they will find dyslexic leaners who learn differently, identifying letter names and symbols much more easily. Also, these multi-sensory reading activities work equally well with adult dyslexic learners.

Carol Fraser Hagen is a former elementary Reading Specialist, now a Dyslexia Therapist in the Midwest. In addition to tutoring dyslexic learners Carol writes freelance articles on teaching reading. Carol holds a bachelors degree in Secondary Education, a Masters Degree in Special Reading and an Educational Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction. In addition to writing about reading education Carol is a freelance writer and a published children's writer. For more tips, resources, and articles on reading education drop by Carol's website http://www.carolfraserhagen.com/

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