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SpeakApps: Production and interaction in a foreign language through online ICT tools
Start date: Jan 1, 2011,

Speaking is one of the most difficult skills to put into practice when learning a foreign language. Formal second or foreign language acquisition settings do not provide enough room for everyone in the classroom to practice the language. If the learning is done through an online course, speaking is mostly put aside in favour of writing, reading and listening. SpeakApps aims to fill this and other gaps by providing ICT-based services and pedagogies to practice oral competencies online: speaking production and interaction in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Thus offering a way for all foreign language learners and teachers to practice and evaluate speaking skills at a distance or beyond the physical classroom. The activities and tools provided in SpeakApps can be used both within face-to-face courses and as the main speaking activities for online courses. SpeakApps is an online platform that provides a holistic solution for improving speaking skills in foreign languages. As such, the website of the project will be divided in three sections: 1) the learning activities and materials, 2) the learning tools and 3) a ready-to-use platform for teachers who want their students to use these activities, materials and tools but do not have or wish to set up the required technological infrastructure and support. SpeakApps and all its contents will be available in six languages: Catalan, Dutch, English, Irish, Polish and Swedish. Guides for the inclusion of new languages will also be provided.The main target users are foreign language teachers who want to offer their students further opportunities for speaking production and interaction. These teachers will find in SpeakApps a resource from which to learn, teach and contribute. Organised as an open source software community, all materials, activities and tools will be available for download, online use and further development. SpeakApps' website will also provide all the guides needed to use the activities and tools and to include new languages.
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