This page contains a list of free tools and resources for language teachers to use in their classrooms:
- Teaching Tools - a list of tools that can be used for creating and editing technology-enhanced tasks, activities, and materials for language learning.
- Media Sources - a list of media sources such as audio, video, and images that can be used for language teaching and learning.
- Additional Tools, Sources, and Resources - this section provides a list of additional tools, sources, and resources that language teachers can explore and experiment with.
If you have questions about these tools or need help with their implementation, please contact Kris Wingo (kristian.wingo@yale.edu).
Teaching Tools
| Audio recording and editing | Vocaroo | an online tool for recording and sharing audio messages |
|---|---|---|
| Audio recording and editing | Audacity | software for recording and editing audio (requires installation) |
| Photo editing | Pixlr | an online tool for editing photos |
| Multimedia projects | Alternatives to CLEAR’s Rich Internet Applications | a list of alternatives to CLEAR’s popular but now decommissioned set of online tools for creating multimedia-enhanced language learning materials, activities, and assessment. |
| Multimedia projects | Lingt | a tool for creating online spoken assignments (using images and videos) and providing feedback to students |
| Collaborative working and writing | GoogleDocs | a set of applications for creating, sharing, and collaborating on online documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc. |
| Collaborative working and writing | Wikispaces | an online wiki platform for collaborative writing and discussions |
| Presentation | VoiceThread | an online presentation and collaboration tool that allows for creating multimedia slideshows and commenting using voice, text, audio file, or video. Free version limited to five VoiceThreads, which can’t be deleted once they are created. |
| Presentation | Prezi | an online tool for creating zooming and multimedia-rich presentations |
| Video conferencing | Skype | software for text chatting, instant messaging, and video calling (requires installation) |
| Video conferencing | Zoom | popular web & video conferencing service |
| Dictionaries and vocabulary learning | Wordreference | online dictionaries for various languages |
| Dictionaries and vocabulary learning | Lingro | an online tool for converting any website into an interactive audio-enhanced dictionary; also allows for creating flash cards |
| Video production and editing | Amara | an online tool for captioning and translating videos |
| Video production and editing | Animoto | an easy-to-use online tool for creating videos |
| Websites and e-portfolios* | CampusPress | A service available to the Yale community for making professional blogs or websites, class publications, newsletters, student organization websites and more |
| Websites and e-portfolios* | Weebly | a platform for creating websites, blogs, and e-portfolios using the “drag-and-drop” method |
*Note: If you are interested in creating an e-portfolio, contact the CLS for more information and help.
Media Sources
| BLC Library of Foreign Language Film Clips | a tagged and structured collection of clips from foreign language films (requires application for an account) |
|---|---|
| SCOLA | a website for watching or recording television programming from around the world in 65 different languages |
| CARLA Instructional Materials | images, audio, video files for various Less Commonly Taught Languages |
| Open Culture | “the best free cultural and educational media on the web,” including free language lessons, movies, audio books, etc. |
| Newseum | front pages from over 800 newspapers worldwide |
Additional Resources
| Language Teaching and Technology Resources @ YaleCLS | a Diigo group with a list of resources related to language teaching and technology |
|---|---|
| Directory of Learning and Performance Tools | a list of over 2,000 tools for educational purposes |
| Educational Technology and Mobile Learning | a blog containing various educational technology resources |
| Web 2.0 Tools for Language Teachers | a list of Web 2.0 tools for language teachers (sorted by categories) |
| Bamboo DiRT | a registry of various digital research tools |
| Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition at the University of Minnesota | guidelines for developing materials for Less Commonly Taught Languages and resources for language teachers |
| UCLA Language Materials Project | teaching resources for Less Commonly Taught Languages |
| Online Tools for Language Teaching | an article in TESL-EJ containing a list of tools for language teaching and learning |