Spoken Journals

Students regularly record spoken reflections on their learning (or other topics) and send them to the teacher, who replies with a recorded response — creating an ongoing audio dialogue.

Procedure

1. Explain that students will keep a spoken journal. Introduce a simple audio-recording tool and demonstrate by making and playing back a short recording.
2. Give students reflection questions to answer. Examples:
   • What things did you find useful / like doing in class today?
   • What things didn't you find useful / didn't you like doing?
   • What part of learning the language do you find most difficult?
   • What do you think you need help with now?
   • Are there any questions you want to ask me?
3. Students record themselves at home and send the link or file to you. The journal is a private dialogue between teacher and student.
4. Listen to each recording and record a reply without too much delay. Focus on meaning rather than form, but note language areas each student needs to work on.
5. Encourage regular recording (e.g., weekly). Modify questions over time to reflect specific class activities or learner needs.

Tips

• Discourage students from scripting and reading aloud — the goal is spontaneous speech.
• Because students can re-record, they naturally try to improve their spoken performance.
• The journal doesn't always have to be about learning — vary topics (e.g., what they did at the weekend).
• Variation: encourage learner-to-learner interaction. Students ask each other questions on an agreed topic and respond to each other.
• For ESP students: assign subject-specific tasks (e.g., tourism students leave a message replying to a customer complaint).