Teacher tools - Word shapes

Note - This is a bit of an experiment and is currently in testing mode

The program turns words into shapes, depending on the look of the letters. I'd seen this idea on a couple of websites offering stuff for kids, and I thought it might be fun to work something out.

You can choose between:

• Word shape only (could be used with separate picture or definition cards)
• Anagrams inline with word shapes
• Words shown randomised in a box above word shapes
• Pictures randomised in a box above word shapes
• Word shapes with definitions
• Pictures + anagrams + word shapes
• Pictures inline with word shapes

Finding collocations and language in context using web tools

In this post I take a look at finding collocations and lexis in context, using free online corpus-based web tools. First we'll look at what lexis is and what a corpus is, and how they can help us consolidate our vocabulary.

Finding language in context - Google site search

Let's say you've found a new word. You've looked it up in a dictionary and found an example sentence or two. Perhaps you've also found what other words it collocates with. (I'll be looking at some online tools to find collocates, in another post). What you'd like to do now is to see how it's used in context.

One possibilty is to use a corpus, ("a collection of samples of real-world texts stored on computer. Plural - corpora" - Leoxicon), but these can sometimes be difficult to use, and when they include spoken language, the grammar is occasionally "non-standard", let's say. The British National Corpus is easy to use, but be careful with examples from spoken language.

Another way is to do a simple Google (or other) search. The Internet is one enormous corpus if you think about it, although no linguist has "collected" these examples. But a simple search can bring up a lot of irrelevant material, and again you're not really assured of grammatical correctness.

What I like to do is a Google site search of trusted newspapers and other websites, which are in effect small corpora, or look in Google Books, where the material has been edited and proofread, so is likely to be grammatically correct.

Web tools - IPA code generator

Using IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) symbols

Probably the ideal way of using IPA symbols on a web page is to use images. But that can be a hassle. On Blogger, you would have to upload something like forty images.

For me, at least, the use of special HTML character codes is an acceptable and much more convenient alternative. The only symbol missing is the long vowel sign, but a colon does almost as well. Here's what it looks like:

creation	/krɪ'eɪʃn/
dispatch	/dɪs'pæʧ/
parakeet	/'pærekɪ:t/
agency	/'eɪʤənsɪ/
butter	/'bʌtə/
television	/tele'vɪʒn/
theatre	/'θɪəte(r)/
cure	/'kjʊə(r)/

The only problem is that you have to look up the codes and enter them individually. I can't be bothered with all that, so I devised this keyboard to speed up the process. First type in your symbols, optionally using the apostrophe to show stress. You can also bracket letters which only some people pronounce. There are two keyboards, one by sound type and a sort of (Q)werty one - use the 'Switch keyboard' button to toggle between them.

Tools - Gapfill Code Generator Version 2

Currently in testing mode

For teacher bloggers etc

With this generator you can make interactive gapfill exercises for your blog or web page. If you want to make an exercise without the interactivity, you can use just the HTML (without the buttons) and the CSS. You could also use this for generating worksheets, but you'd be better going to my Multi-function gapfill generator

1. Use the program to automatically generate a gapfill exercise
2. The program will also generate the HTML and Javascript code you need for this particular exercise and it's answers
3. Copy the rest of the Javascript and CSS code into your blog post or web page

Note - this is slightly different from the previous version, so please read the instructions

Teacher tools - Information gap generator

A simple gapfill program which turns a text into an information gap quiz for pairs of students to ask each other alternating questions.

It can also be used for indirect questions - 'Do you know ...', 'Can you tell me ...'

• There is an option for students to write in their questions first
• There is a further option to give students hints, for example the first word
• It can be printed with both students' parts on one page, or separate pages for each student.
• Includes a teacher copy with both sets of questions

Tools - Interactive Gapfill Exercise Code Generator

For teacher bloggers etc

This has now been superseded by Version 2 which has been well tried and tested and I recommend you use it rather than this one.

With this generator you can make interactive gapfill exercises for your blog or web page. If you want to make an exercise without the interactivity, you can use just the HTML (without the buttons) and the CSS. You could also use this for generating worksheets, but you'd be better going to my Multi-function gapfill generator

1. Use the program to automatically generate a gapfill exercise
2. The program will also generate the HTML and Javascript code you need for this particular exercise and it's answers
3. Copy the rest of the Javascript and CSS code into your blog post or web page

Note - I've made some important changes to the instructions since this was first published.

Assorted gap fill exercises

Instant access to 100 gap fill exercises from the first year of the blog. These can be done in several different ways, and can even be edited.

Interactive formats (all also printable)

Note - Not every option will be suitable for every exercise

• Multiple choice - showing up to 4 options for each question
• Show the gapped words in a box at the top
• Show the missing words as anagrams
• Text entry - fill in the gaps without any clues
• In line - shows the base word after the gap - good for transformations

Printable non-interactive formats

Note - These are only suitable when the base word and the answer are the same

• Show first letter of missing words
• Show a dash for each letter of the missing word
• Combo - first letter and dashes
• Show consonants only
• Show vowels only