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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Apps 4 EFL

What is Apps 4 EFL?

Introduction
Apps 4 EFL is a Web-Based Language Learning (WBLL) platform for teachers and students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). It utilizes creative commons data and open web technologies to facilitate engaging online study. It features:

  • Integrated access to over 5 million Wiki texts, millions of Quizlet flashcards, and hundreds of thousands of example sentences;
  • Automatically generated cloze tests;
  • Automatically generated vocabulary matching, typing and dictation tests;
  • Text-to-speech (TTS) and speech recognition (ASR) with Converse;
  • Integration with YouTube and Dropbox;
  • Student tracking and management tools for teachers;
  • Text analysis tools;
  • And much more!

How do I use Apps 4 EFL?

Registration
You can use Apps 4 EFL without creating an account. However, your progress will not be saved, and you will not be able to customize your preferences.

  • Register as a teacher to create classes for students, and manage and monitor their progress.
  • Register as a student to join classes created by your teacher, and study English online using a variety of resources and activities.
Activities, Assignments, and Tools

Activities can be completed by students on an independent basis. Points are awarded for correct responses. The same activity can be attempted multiple times (with the exception of Vid Quiz). If a student does better on a subsequent occasion, their points are increased. However, if they do worse, points do not decrease.

Assignments can only be created by users logged in to a teacher account. Once created, they must be assigned to a specific class. Only members of the specified class can submit the assignment. Assignments can be customized by the teacher, deleted, disabled, etc. Once completed, submissions can be ranked, downloaded or deleted.

Tools can be used by teachers or students. They consist of both learning activities and text analysis software. They do not award points and progress cannot be tracked, although sometimes output can be saved or submitted (e.g. Manga Maker).

Device Compatibility
Apps 4 EFL is designed to work well and look good on all devices, including both desktop and mobile browsers. However, in order to guarantee that all features work correctly, the following browsers are recommended:

  • For iPhone/iPad users: iOS Safari on iOS 9 or above
  • For Android users: Mobile Chrome on Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or above
  • For Mac/PC users: Desktop Chrome on Windows 7 or above / Mac OS 10.8 (Mountain Lion) or above

Private browsing must be turned off, and cookies must be enabled in order to log in to the site.

What research has been done on Apps 4 EFL?

Research Papers

Who is behind Apps 4 EFL?

Founder & Developer

Paul Raine (MA TEFL/TESL, University of Birmingham 2012) is an award-winning teacher, presenter, author, and developer. His books include the best-selling 50 Ways to Teach with Technology and the innovative multi-path graded reader Journey to Mars. He has also developed his own website for teachers and learners of EFL (www.apps4efl.com). He has published numerous research articles on the teaching and learning of English as a second language, and is particularly interested in Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). He currently teaches at two universities in the Tokyo area.

Contributors
Bob Ashcroft contributes to site testing, research, and feedback. He has taught English in Poland, Germany, and Cambodia, and is currently an Associate Professor at Tokai University in Sapporo. He also works as a dissertation supervisor for the Department of English at Birmingham University (UK). His current research interests include blended learning, vocabulary acquisition and teaching English with movies.
M. Delano Cannegieter contributes to site testing, research, PR, and feedback. He holds an M.A. in TESOL from Columbia University and has been an ‘English coach’ at all levels within the education system in Japan for the past 20 years. He is currently teaching at two universities: Takachiho and Obirin. His research interests include, public speaking, presentation skills, pragmatics, effective usage of online material and classroom management.
Nick DiNunzio contributes to site testing, PR, and feedback. He has been an English teacher in Japan for more than 10 years. He was awarded an MLA in Liberal Arts from St. John's College, Annapolis USA. His research interests include Young Language Learners, Task-based Learning, Usage Based Language Acquisition and Corpus Linguistics.
Dr. Stuart McLean is the mastermind behind the New Vocabulary Levels Test. He is an instructor at Osaka Jogakuin University. He holds an M.S.Ed. (TESOL), a Ph.D. in Forensic Medicine, and a P.G.C.E, and is an Applied Linguistics doctoral student at Kansai University. He has published extensively in journals such as Vocabulary Learning and Instruction, Language Teaching Research, and TESOL Quarterly.
Dr. Tomonori Ono contributes to site testing, research, and feedback. He has taught English in Japan for over 8 years, and is particularly interested in CALL and ESP (English for Specific Purposes). He has a BA in World History, an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language, and a Ph.D. in Education.
Oliver Rose contributes to the design and functionality of Apps 4 EFL, and devised the concepts for Error Spotter and Griddle. He is an Assistant Professor at Kwansei Gakuin University in Hyogo, Japan. He enjoys using technology and games for teaching ESL to his students and children, and has produced several mobile apps for both Japanese and English study.
Joseph Tomei has contributed to the Lyric Learner activity. He is a professor in the Faculty of British and American Studies at Kumamoto Gakuen University. He has taught EFL in France, Spain, and Japan at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.

Where can I buy Paul's books?

I thought you'd never ask :-D
Journey to Mars 50 Mistakes Made by Japanese Learners of English 50 Ways to Teach with Technology