Call and Response language learning for the digital age

DramaEcho Splash Page (Click here to try it!)

Backstory

When I taught English in Taiwan, and I liked to include videos and short dramatic scripts when teaching. I also am a fan of call-and-response activities in the classroom, especially in a large classroom. It can be a fun way of increasing student engagement. I’ve put these two together in an app I call DramaEcho.

DramaEcho is an app that allows teachers to create lessons for their students by uploading a short video clip. The app trims the video into a dialog, strips off the audio. The students will listen to the model audio and repeat it into their microphone which the app will dub in their back into the original video. It’s great as an activity on its own, or can help prepare students for a summative role-play assignment by letting them practice on their part on their phone beforehand.

How it works

Teacher’s side

On the teacher’s side, you find a video clip of a dialog you want to use, or create your own. Ideally, the clip would be short (around 15 or 20 seconds) and contain short lines of dialog. This way students can rely on memory to recite the material, rather than being tempted to read it. This way they can pay close attention to intonation and pronunciation. Really getting the tone right can make the difference in a performance, and repeated listening of a short clip can help a non-native speaker hone-in on those details.

Screenshot of creating a dialog Screenshot of creating a dialog

Screenshot of adding a line to the dialog Screenshot of adding a line of dialog

Students’ side

On the Students’ side, students will click on a link sent by the teacher, optionally login, and be presented with the video to watch. They click through to a screen that is modeled after a series of text/voice messages that represent the lines of dialog. The text of the dialog is split up as “text messages” which they can click on and listen to. When they are ready, they can click “RECORD” and record their own voice. After they have finished, the app will dub the students’ voice over the video. They can then turn in the video by sending the unique URL of their dialog to their teacher, or clicking a button if they have already logged in.

Example of a dialog displayed to student. Example of a dialog displayed to student.

Another example of a dialog displayed to student. Example of a dialog displayed to student.

Tips and pointers

  1. Shorter is better for learning pronunciation and intonation. It also aids in memorizing dialogs if the dialog is short. Even expressive interjections like “Ohhh!” or “Hmmm?” can be beneficial for students to practice, as they can be useful for communication and may share similar intonation to other speech.
  2. A clip may be sort, but it should also be able to stand on its own. It can be tricky to find, but dialogs that feel complete even if short can make for a more compelling experience.
  3. Start off with bang! Try to first line of dialog is attention-grabbing. It may be that the first line expresses humor, urgency, or is just a little “off”. It will give a reason for the students to continue with the activity, if just to make sense off the first line.

Examples of opening dialogs

Opening lines should make the user want to continue to find out more.

Umm, you're glowing

What is this?

(Translation: What is this?)

It's different.

They're beautiful ponies!

Lesson ideas

Idea #1: Pre-rehearsal for in-class role-plays

The original concept for this app was a way for students to practice for an upcoming role-play in a fun way with some guidance and support. When I taught English as a foreign language, I would often employ role-plays in my large classes. I found I would have a lot more success if I met with students in group before hand to both check on them and give them pointers for the upcoming role-play. A problem that I encountered frequently was that students would not be well rehearsed. I thought if there was a way to get students to rehearse without teacher involvement, I would be able to spend more time coaching students on language and dramatic flourishes they could add. This problem sat with more for a few years, until finally the first prototype of DramaEcho was born.

First I will assign a group a short role play. Then I have them practice with DramaEcho. Then the students meet with me to rehearse before the in-class presentation. Doing a great job on a role play in a large class can be very rewarding for students. Doing a poor job can be discouraging. This can help make running role-play activities in large classes more efficient and more effective.

Idea #2: Supplement a book or movie

Sometimes sections of a movie fly by. You can help students catch the nuance by having them intensely focus on a small segment with DramaEcho.

First, have students watch a movie, or a segment of a movie. Then, either reenact the segment of the movie yourself, or upload the movie’s video if doing so is covered by educational fair-use. It is often a good idea to devote a lesson to the language involved in the segment you have chosen. This way students can get the most out of the practice they will be doing. Finally, give the students the link to your DramaEcho and let them start practicing. (The first time you assign this, it is a good idea to let them start in class, in pairs. When they understand the expectations, they will be able to work independently on their echos.)

The same can by done for a book or novella you are reading. This will be without video, but can still help focus attention and help make the pages of the book come alive.

Idea #3: As a stand-alone assignment

Sometimes, you just have a dialog you would like students to practice. You can create a DramaEcho version of it and give students guided practice with that dialog.

Administration and Grading

DramaEcho is designed to be low barrier to entry. Everything is URL based, and it can integrate with any digital homework system. When assigning work, the teacher will send a URL for students to rehearse their dialogs. When the students login the DramaEcho and begin, a URL unique to their Echo will be generated for them. This new URL can be turned in as homework. When the teacher clicks on the URL, the student’s work will be there. Feedback and grading will be done externally to DramaEcho using whatever method the students and teacher normally use.

Try it!

Try DramaEcho here!

Create an account, and click “I am a student” to see it in action. Thanks!

Development

Are you a developer, or just curious about how it’s made? Check it on GitHub!