Keywords English 1.3
Device: iOS Universal
Category: Education
Price: Free, Version: 1.2 -> 1.3 (iTunes)
Description:BACKGROUND
Do you find keywords for biology difficult to understand? Would you like to replace your textbook with an app and learn about biology topics at a time or place that suits you? Keywords English gives you all the information you need to know to understand your teacher, read your course materials, work and learn with your friends, and do better in exams.
Starting with the science topic of photosynthesis, Keywords English - Photosynthesis is more than just a list of vocabulary words. It is a research-driven app that identifies the main 12 key words you, as a young Chinese speaker studying science, need to know to understand this topic in English.
DESCRIPTION
The app starts with a description of photosynthesis that includes the main key words. Supported by great visuals and native speaker recordings, the app then teaches you the meanings of these words and how to pronounce them correctly. The activities include a pronunciation check, spelling, word order, gap fill and multi-choice exercises that prepare you to describe photosynthesis in English, in both speech and writing.
Ø Introduction
Beginning with a written and audio description of photosynthesis, the key words are presented.
Ø Vocabulary
These key words are then defined and demonstrated in sample sentences.
Ø Pronunciation
Identify the correctly stressed syllables to pronounce the key words correctly and confidently.
Ø Word order
Practise putting the words in the right order to make correct sentences.
Ø Spelling
Focus on the correct spelling to reduce your errors in writing.
Ø Multiple choice questions
Test your knowledge of the key words.
Ø Gap fill
Before describing photosynthesis in your own words, make a final check of how the key words fit into the description.
Ø Conclusion
Now you can write a description of photosynthesis or record yourself describing it clearly in English and share it with your friends.
Ø Glossary
This provides a quick revision of the key words.
KEY FEATURES
· Audio recording by master teachers
· Graphics to clarify language meaning
· Fully supported by iPhone and iPad
· Play-back option
· Record feature
· Interactive exercises
· Hyperlink from glossary to the vocabulary section
· No connection to Internet needed after downloading
THE TEAM
The methodology behind this App comes from a three-year research project carried out by academics at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. The team are all language and literacy specialists in second language teaching and learning. The app itself has been designed by specialists in applied grammar, writing, technology and mobile learning.
What's New
Thank you for taking the time to download our photosynthesis app. After a period of extensive testing, we have made a number of changes based on the feedback provided by young English language learners, their teachers and their parents. We have tested this app in a range of different learning contexts, from the classroom to the street and achieved some fantastic results. In some cases, students improved their understanding of the topic by over 40%.
To enhance the learning experience even further, we have made a number of changes to the learning content to ensure that we can meet the learning needs of all young people.
We have:
· Updated images to develop visual literacy skills in the context of photosynthesis and across the curriculum.
· Refined definitions of the keywords based on corpus data to allow learners to build on their prior knowledge of the topic of photosynthesis.
· We have adapted content in the Word Order activity to allow English language learners develop competency in the area of sentence level syntax.
We hope that this app will give Chinese speakers learning the topic of photosynthesis through English, increased self-confidence in their knowledge of the subject.
Keywords English