Language Learning Applications for Smartphones, or Small Can Be Beautiful*


Claire Bradin Siskin

 

csiskin@edvista.com

Where to Get Apps

Description URL
  iTunes software for downloading apps for iPhone and iPod Touch; Windows and Mac versions http://www.apple.com/itunes/
Blackberry App World software for downloading Blackberry apps http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/appworld/
Blackberrycool Store Blackberry Apps http://store.blackberrycool.com/appstore.asp
Ten Free BlackBerry Apps You Actually Want Twitterberry, Facebook, and more http://www.blogtrepreneur.com/2009/02/17/ten-free-blackberry-apps-you-actually-want/
Nokia apps Download apps for Nokia https://store.ovi.com/
Top 50 iPhone Apps for Educators annotated list http://oedb.org/library/features/top_50_iphones_for_educators
Freeappalert

Paid iPhone apps that just became free

http://freeappalert.com/

TOP

Built-in Apps:

Examples: Email, Web, play audio and video files ("iPod"), YouTube, photo capture, voice recorder, video recording, GPS

 

Instructional Apps:

  24/7 Tutor Tutors for French, German, Italian, Spanish http://www.247tutor.com/
Japanese phrases Free and paid versions; other apps available http://thejapanesepage.com/iphone/phrases
AccelaStudy Available in many languages http://www.accelastudy.com/
Declan Software Flashcards; "Word of the Day" http://www.declan-software.com/declan_iphone_apps.htm
iFarsiNum Learn numbers in Farsi http://www.edensoft.com/ifarsinum/index.html
Gengo Languages Audio Flashcards Audio flashcards (with a game) http://www.innovativelanguage.com/products/Gengo
Kana Strokes Animations of Japanese hiragana and katagana strokes http://jyopp.com/kana_strokes/
Pocket English (ESL) "10 complete language lessons" http://www.innovativelanguage.com/products/Pocket
Katakana Study Buddy
Study tool for katakana
Hiragana Study Buddy
Study tool for hiragana
Katahira
Flash cards for hiragana and katakana
WordPower English
Calculates size of your vocabulary
GreekCards
Study aid for Greek alphabet
Lonely Planet Japanese
Over 600 phrases
Miaohong
Learn to write Chinese characters
gogoSpeak
Listen, repeat, and record Japanese
KanaCard
Japanese flash card app
Cherokee (Tsalagi) Native American Language Lite
Cherokee Basic
Gengo Flashcards (Vietnamese)
Flashcards for Vietnamese; available for many languages
WordPower (Korean)
Vocabulary builder
iSign Lite (ASL)
Animated phrasebook of ASL
LinguaJacket
Repeat player for foreign language learners
GTranslator
Translation tool; 52 languages supported
TOP

Social Networking Apps:

  Twitterific access Twitter http://twitterrific.com/
  Facebook access Facebook http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=6628568379
  Skype access Skype http://www.skype.com/download/skype/iphone/
  AIM access AIM http://daol.aol.com/software/mac/iphone/aim
  WordPress create and edit content on a blog http://iphone.wordpress.org/
 

Repurposed Apps:

  Google Mobile App Search Google by voice; other Google tools http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/topic.py?topic=13584
  AudioBoo Send audio, pictures to audio blog http://audioboo.fm/
  Current Postcards Create postcards to email or send to Facebook http://mobilefission.blogspot.com/2007/06/about-current-postcards.html
  Fake Conversation Record a fake phone call http://www.fakeconversation.com/
  Tip Calculator Calculates tips depending on number of diners and quality of service; cultural information for ESL students http://www.raizlabs.com/software/apps/tip_calculator
  Farm Friends See-and-say game http://getsatisfaction.com/clever_twist_inc/products
  SmartRecord Audio recorder; allows you to view notes while recording http://web.me.com/bastian.kohlbauer/appMug/Apps/Apps.html
  Oregon Trail Simulation http://www.gameloft.com/iphone-games/sims/
 

Make your own exercises:

  Audio Picture Dictionary
Instructions here:
http://www.edvista.com/claire/pres/audiodictionary.html

General References:

  "Going to the MALL: Mobile Assisted Language Learning" by George Chinnery http://llt.msu.edu/vol10num1/emerging/default.html
Mobile Assisted Language Learning Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Assisted_Language_Learning
Mobile ESL Learning YouTube video about mobile-assisted language learning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrbcKYFY-dQ

*This web page accompanies a Multimedia Showcase demonstration to be presented on October 30, 2009, as part of the NEALLT/NERALLT Fall 2009 Joint Conference.

 

Last modified: October 28, 2009

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