Cool Apps for Language Learning

November 3, 2010

Are you teaching or learning a language? Want to do it the 21st century way though your Android, iPhone or Blackberry? There are literally dozens of apps out there to help you learn foreign languages!

Some of them are language specific, while others offer multilingual options. Here are some examples:

24/7 Tutor – Spanish, French, Italian, Russian and German

Katahira App – Japanese (Katahira)

Greek – flash cards

American Sign Language (ASL) – tutorial and reference app

Cherokee – iPhone app for this endangered indigenous language

Korean Essentials – a free app from the Apple Store by AccelaStudy

Spanish vocabulary – by Componica

Matt Silverman, in Mashable/Mobile, wrote about free apps for the Android phone, including one called Talk To Me. He writes:

“Talk To Me is an impressive app that can translate your input text or speech between over 40 different languages, and in most cases, speak the translations back to you. The interface is really dead-simple: An input for text, a drop-down list to choose your languages, and a big green button to activate the speech recognition.” Read the full article here.

Claire Bradin Siskin offers a superb overview of instructional and learning apps for languages for iPhone, Blackberry and other smart phones, including a list of places to get them.

Angel Brady at Princeton University did a great review of over 20 different apps for language learning.

Here’s an idea: Ask your students what apps they can find for their own mobile devices. Build your own links and resources for your students by engaging them in the process of figuring out what works for them, what doesn’t and why.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

5 Comments | languages, second languages, teaching, technology, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Using Video for Non-Profit Marketing

November 1, 2010

If your literacy or other non-profit organization has a website, adding video is the 21st century way to promote your programs, demonstrate your successes and generate more awareness and interest in the work you do. Online videos:

  • demonstrate an awareness of 21st century marketing
  • have the potential to reach more people in more places
  • help you incorporate social media into your advocacy work

YouTube has a program for non-profits to help them promote their programs better.The service is available in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. They say that they plan on adding more countries soon:

YouTube Non-profit program in the US

YouTube Non-profit program in Canada

YouTube Non-profit program in the UK

YouTube Non-profit program in Australia

The program includes a listing on the Nonprofit video channel, and the ability to post opportunities on the Volunteer Platform.

Even if you don’t live in one of those countries check out the website. They have links to globally available resources such as:

  • Nonprofit tip sheet
  • Adding a call to action in your videos
  • Tips on how to run video campaigns on YouTube
  • Ideas on how to use other Google tools (and YouTube is one of them) to promote your non-profit or charity

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on Using Video for Non-Profit Marketing | marketing mix, non-profit, social sector | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Market to your clients, not at them

October 26, 2010

When I answered the phone the other day, the person on the other end was calling from a company I buy from. The conversation went something like this:

Telemarketer: “Dr. Eaton we have a very special offer for you!”

Me: “Oh?”

Telemarketer: (Insert scripted sales pitch here.)

Me: “That sounds pretty interesting. Can you send me some information in the mail?”

Telemarketer: “No, I’m sorry, we don’t send information in the mail. It will only take a few minutes to sign you up over the phone.”

In that precise moment, the sale was lost.

Me: “I prefer to take the time to read over the material first. I don’t sign up for things over the phone. Can you send me information that I can thoughtfully look over and consider in more detail, rather than having to make a snap decision right now?”

(I knew the answer, but I just wanted to clarify.)

Telemarketer: “Really, it will only take a moment to sign you up over the phone, and I can tell you everything about the offer.”

The point? Missed.

The call? Ended.

The sale? Lost.

The upshot? I was a sale, ready and waiting to happen, and they lost it.  I am already a customer. I was interested in the offer. I was very close to saying yes, but didn’t appreciate the “hard sales” pressure tactic, so I declined.

Realize what works with your target audience and what doesn’t. What a sales or marketing company may tell you will work, may not. Find out for yourself. Avoid tactics that are likely to lose you sales because you’ve ticked off your prospective buyer, client or student.

The moral of the story? Market to your clients, not at them.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

1 Comment | marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

“Spotlight on Learning” conference

October 24, 2010

Last week I had the privilege of presenting a session on marketing of literacy programs at the Ontario Literacy Coalition’s Spotlight on Learning conference in Toronto. What an amazing event! Not only did the conference bring together practitioners and administrators from a variety of provinces, it was a high-tech, 21st century event. Speakers and participants alike were invited to participate in the conference’s Facebook page. They had their own Twitter hash tag (#spotlight2010).

Best of all, this was one of the few conferences I’ve ever been to where marketing was identified as a key topic or “stream” in the presentations. These folks are cutting edge.

They videotaped all the presentations, so with any luck you’ll be able to watch a replay of the presentation. I’ll post the info on the recording when it’s available.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

1 Comment | language program administration, Literacy, marketing | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Who You Gonna Call? Marketing Isn’t a Solo Sport

October 12, 2010

So many educators seem to think that they have to market and promote their programs all by themselves. Not only is this ineffective and exhausting, it is impossible. Marketing isn’t a solo sport.

Get yourself out of the mindset that you have to do it all yourself. Ask people for help. Ask them to attend your events or give a guest lecture in your class. And if that makes you uncomfortable, ask for their advice, as for suggestions, or even get their opinion.

There’s no shame in asking other teachers, administrators, parents, colleagues, or members of the community for help. Call up a teacher at another school and ask if you can have an inter-school event like a talent competition or speech contest. Partner with the dance teacher in your school to do a lunch time program on Latin dance to promote Spanish language and Hispanic culture.

Even asking, “Could you give me some ideas…?” is a powerful question to start with.

Ask with a smile. Be genuine. People will help.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on Who You Gonna Call? Marketing Isn’t a Solo Sport | education, language program administration, marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

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