5 Methods for Teaching Languages through E-Learning

Language acquisition is a complex process, requiring several approaches to successfully attain fluency. This article will discuss five concepts which can be applied for language teaching with a rapid e-Learning authoring tool. There are plenty of authoring tools available with this functionality. For the purposes of this article, we will use iSpring Suite (based in PowerPoint) as a concrete example.

Here’s a few tips for launching your language training:

1. Audio Flashcards

For a vocabulary booster, create a set of flashcards in PowerPoint with a foreign word on one side, and the translation or definition on the other side. Check out this handy article on how to create flashcards in PowerPoint – instead of birds, use words! Then use audio triggers with your flashcards to train your users’ pronunciation skills. All animations and triggers will be preserved in online format after conversion with iSpring Suite.

Example #1: Audio Flashcards

 2. Phrase Builder

Insert an F.A.Q. interaction on your slides to train comprehension skills. Different situations and interactions can be described with each entry, or you can simply use it as a phrase builder. Each phrase can be accompanied by an audio recording or other multimedia. An F.A.Q. list can be a great resource for putting a handy reference directly into your PPT-based course.

Example #2: Phrase Builder

3. Educational Videos

YouTube is a rich resource with many free language training videos. With iSpring Suite, you can easily insert YouTube videos right on your slides, without taking your users out of the course. If you have your own video files, you can insert them anywhere: in an interaction, in a quiz, in the presentation player, and of course, right on a PowerPoint slide.

Example #3: Educational Videos

4. Word Lists

Language lessons are often accompanied by word lists, or even dictionaries. You can insert a dictionary or word list of any size with iSpring Visuals. Enhance your dictionaries with recordings and images of each word to assist your learners in making an intuitive connection to the new vocabulary.

Example #4: Word List

5. Quizzes

 Finally, a course just isn’t a course without a quiz. Use iSpring QuizMaker to test your users on listening comprehension, on reading comprehension, or on knowledge of grammar or vocabulary.

Example #5: Quiz

These are just a few of the ways you can set your learners on the path to learning a language fast and easy through the aid of e-Learning tools. And the real beauty is, they’ll be able to take their language lessons with them wherever they go on their mobile devices. Don’t forget to mix in some face-to-face interactions in your course where possible, and before you know it, your students will be fluent!

Let’s take a look at the whole 5-slide presentation in action:

If you would like to download all the source files for this project, they are available from the presentation player above by clicking the Resources button in the upper left corner.

Hope you found these tips and tricks interesting and helpful! Have any other ideas about how to use e-Learning authoring tools to teach languages? Share them in the comments below!