Microblogging is a Web2.0 technology (i.e. Tweeting).  This form of blogging allows users to publish brief online text updates of less than 140 characters, and add multimedia and hashtag aggregators and link to other user accounts.  Posts can be accessed, shared and retweeted through the Twitter account, or sent via other social media, SMS, e-mail or via instant messaging clients.

With this activity the students will become familiar with how to use Twitter to acquire and extend their vocabulary knowledge with topics of specific interest to them.

Learning outcomes

Following this activity students will:

• build a vocabulary database;
• share vocabulary with other learners of the target language;
• increase their awareness of the potential use of Twitter in vocabulary acquisition.

Learning context

This activity can be implemented with Third Level students. This activity could be carried out at any stage of the target language learning cycle.

Procedure

1. To start the activity the teacher and the students decide on a hashtag (see glossary of symbols) for the class/course/module.
2. Teachers and students discuss and agree on a topic of general interest eg climate change.  Each student decides in a specific topic within this area eg renewable energy or recycling.
3. Organise with the students a timeframe for when students will tweet about their individual topic.
   • each student tweets a new word related to their topic within the timeframe;
   • additional options could include linking to definitions, adding images, video or anecdote.
4. The students have access to the vocabulary bank by accessing the previously agreed hashtag class/course/module.

Useful resources

How to set up a Twitter account

• Using Twitter for Language Learning

 

 

Source/attribution:  Digilanguages                       Author:  Marta Giralt