ΑΓΓΛΙΚΗ ΓΛΩΣΣΑ

Τίτλος δραστηριότητας: «Γνωριμία με το λογισμικό Ξένιος»
Εκπαιδευτικό λογισμικό: «Ξένιος» του ΕΑΙΤΥ
Διάθεση στην ηλεκτρονική διεύθυνση  (URL)  http://xenios.cti.gr
Πρόταση αξιοποίησης:  Ευαγγελία Καραγιαννίδου,  EFL  Teacher
Using New Technologies in the state EFL classroom

This ' quick' guide-book will try to show you around the URL :
http://xenios.cti.gr.

The suggested activities serve only as an … appetizer for the foreign language teacher and it's up to you to  make the most out of it, for  your students as well as your own, personal and professional development.

The best of luck in this new endeavor!!!

The first thing you see is the  Welcome to the U.K. !  homepage. Whenever in 'trouble' , go back to it.

To start the Virtual Journey  you select the specific icon on the menu, looking at the thematic variables, step-by-step. Alternatively, switch to Language Practice or Skills  to work on : vocabulary,Grammar,Reading Comprehension, Listening Comprehension, Writing, Speaking.

Your …treasure chest will definitely be the Useful links hyperlink, using other internet sites to enrich your lessons and bring the real world into your EFL classroom.

Now, if all this sounds… frightening, there is  a lot of Help, Information and of course Communication  available.

Start… browsing!!!

Let's admit it; we all need  a little motivation to get us going,don't we?

How does this sound as a possible teaching scenario,using the Internet site ?

•	Imagine you've won a trip to the U.K. in a pop magazine competition.What sights/sites would you like to visit,while planning this trip? What information would be really useful? Search the Net and have fun  while you're at it !

First of all, one would want to find out about his/her destination,eg.the country,the capital, the people,the culture,the life-style and much much more!

What you get is a virtual map of the U.K. and   London map ( oral activity ). http://www.visitbritain.com/world/home1.asp

You can also get information about two major airports in the city of London, Gatwick and Heathrow.Selecting Language Practice ~ TRANSPORTATION, you can read the text ( develop reading skills ) or do the Grammar activity on comparisons { help/self-check }

Selecting, from the basic menu on the left, useful links you are connected with other Internet sites.. There, you can look for  accommodation,attractions,events, language courses, etc. to make your trip a memorable one.

Visiting  Skills , you can get information about the British Museum Collections.Think of all the possibilities for raising cultural awareness !

Well ! How does it look so far ? Think it's time to move on to Phase 2 ?

•	Imagine trying to find a place to eat . ' Finding a good restaurant ' isn't the easiest thing to do when  you are a tourist in a foreign country. You will have the chance to look  at different restaurants and choose the one which suits your needs best.

Going back to the basic menu and selecting Useful links : the Internet site on Interesting Things for ESL Students ; Easy Vocabulary  Quizzes : 'Food' or JavaScript-Type 2 ~ Fun with words and sentences.
http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~itesls/

Still on the topic of 'Healthy Nutrition' you can play the game : How healthy are you? (skills)

•	Another educational scenario could  include preparing a banquet at a wedding, ,with traditional dishes and sweets , from various parts of the U.K. e.g. York, Yorkshire Pudding. You can search the Net for more recipes.
 http://xenios.cti.gr/English/engrecipes_activity.htm

Alternatively, to promote Healthy consumer habits you can select  Skills ( speaking )  and compare different products.

Now, before things  get  … ' stuffy '  we'd better move on to  Phase  3  of our  guided tour on the Internet. Don't you think your Virtual trip to the U.K. is lacking something?

How about some music for you … concert goers ?

The   Brighton  Philharmonic  Orchestra  has something for you. Do the  speaking activity while choosing a concert to go to.
 http://xenios.cti.gr/English/philarmonic_activity.htm

In case you want something a  little bit … lighter , you can log on to The Beatles  (useful links ) and print the lyrics of  your favorite song by the famous rock group. You can also choose to listen to a Beatles' song , working beautifully on  listening skills! http://lenny.dyadel.net/lyrics.htm

Using http://www. fodors.com ( useful links ) one could alternatively choose to take the Beatles Pilgrimage !

But ,  as a famous Greek saying has it , " A healthy mind lies in a healthy body " and  it is no .. lie, sports is indeed a popular subject ,since it is related to  health.

You could visit the  Useful links  page and  enjoy a panoramic view of a stadium or choose to do the  vocabulary activity on  'Football in England'. You may even want to read more about English football on the electronic sites provided below :

http://www.foxsports.com

http://www.worldstadiums.com/Photos.html

•	Another suggestion could be an environmental awareness- booster campaign using the hyperlink ( useful pages ) : http://www.ecomall.com/ Internet site. See what products and services are really environmentally … safe to use !

… As all good things come to an end, so must our virtual trip to the U.K.; what better way than through an electronic postcard or an e-mail message , writing about impressions,experiences gained and shared during this trip.

Some of the web sites you can visit are : 

http://www.sharedgreetings.com

http://www.yahoo.com

The adventures in the magical world of the World Wide Web have just begun!!!
Take the risk to explore it in as many ways possible and don't forget to …CALL ( Computer Assisted  Language  Learning  ) for suggestions, problems, projects, etc.
… C  U  around the … sites !!!

October 21, 2002