CALL Review II : Voki

 
 This is my second CALL review, and in this time, I will introduce www.voki.com.
With this tool, learners can create their own character and make it speak typed texts or play recorded voice.

The picture is the first page of the website, and click "create. Then you will see this page.

 

 In this page you can create your own unique character. You can choose its face shape, eyes, hair color, skin color, accessories, and other things. If your character are completed, click "DONE". Then you will see the next page.

 This is the most important stage. Here are two different way to give sound file to the character as I mentioned. The first method is typing a text. In this case you can slect favorite voice of character among those voices.

 
 The second way is recording your own voice. For this just click microphone icon and record what you want to say freely. If the sound file is completed, clike "X" button, and then click "Publish". Then you may see this page.

 
 You can share your work through SNS or your blog posting and can send it via e-mail to your friends like a voice letter.

This is sample character. Play it!

 Now, I will tell you how it can be used in the classroom. Kids really like to create there own characters, so they will think this this is very interesting activity. They will hardly realize that they are doing something related to English learning, because this is more like a character making game.

 Another point is that student's won't feel any shyness or fear of speaking, because it's not face-to-face talk. They just record or type what they want to say. In classrooms, many students withhold to speak out because of those affective obstacles. This tool provides great solution for that problem.

 Teachers can make students create a voki before a English class as an home assignment. The studnt's message can be a voice letter to their friends or introducing myself or family. When showing students' vokis, the teacher don't have to reveal who the creator is. This will make student's express what they want to say more openly and freely.