The following are some useful resources that can guide you or that you can use to prepare the activities as you transform them into the target language. Some of our instructors have found these resources useful for instruction. Since we do not control these websites, we cannot guarantee their availability or security. Some services require a subscription — check with your institution for details.
- Quizlet : Free to create a set of vocabulary sets for the class. Some features are behind a paywall. Offers many different options for learning games in addition to traditional flashcards.
- Anki : Good option for students who wish to create their own flashcards. Sharing is difficult and there is no option for teachers to set a course.
- Lingco : Allows the teacher to create class sets, give a schedule for each set, and monitor students grades and progress.
- Brainscape : Allows teachers to make a class set of flashcards. Can assign sets to students and monitor progress. Upgrade unlocks additional features.
- Wordwall : Similar to Quizlet, an online platform that allows the teacher to create class sets of flashcards and games. Sets can be embedded into other websites as well.
- Flashcard Machine : 100% free. Allows teachers to create their own class sets. Unclear whether or not teachers can assign sets or monitor student progress
Each can be used to send interactive polls and live quiz questions during presentations or class. Each has limitations based on which level you choose to pay for, although the most basic option is free for each.
- H5P Can be used to create interactive videos and presentations. Hosting and activity creation appear to be paid features now.
- Flipgrid is a video-based platform that can be used for brief presentations and group discussions. It is free for educators to use.
- Padlet is a multimedia platform that can be used collaboratively to brainstorm ideas, create timelines, post video, and more.
- Perusall allows users to collaboratively annotate a text.
- Kami is an online authoring tool that can be used to create a shared online whiteboard, create shared interactive readings and course materials, or comment on one another’s learning. There is a paid version, but the base software is free.
- Jamboard is an online workspace with a “whiteboard” space where students can post ideas and comment on other posts.
- LearningApps allows teachers to create and browse other online learning modules created by teachers of many different languages on a variety of topics.
- Blooket : Can create question sets, games, and vocabulary sets. Option to import flashcards from Quizlet. Interactive games that require students to answer questions to move on. Multiple choice questions very similar to Kahoot.
- Kahoot : Students play against each other to answer multiple choice questions. Can be played live or assigned to a class.
- Tophat : Similar to Kahoot, can be used to ask questions remotely.
Other Language Activity Databases
The Pathways Project
The Pathways Project is a collaborative network of Open Educational Resources (OER) developed by the Department of World Languages at Boise State University for use by Idaho’s K-16 language teachers and students. The activities are focused on interpersonal communication, as most language students consider it the most challenging of the four skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking). Each lesson is about 30 minutes in length and includes a warm up, main activity, and cool down with detailed teaching instructions, and classroom slides which can be tailored for the type of students. Material is currently developed for American Sign Language, Arabic, Basque, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
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