Onlinechat

Onlinechat

Its language

It uses an informal language, the one used speaking. It is a written spoken language with expressions such as
Cul8r - see you later
4 - for
w84U - wait for you

E-mails can be formal if we write a language school to find some information, for example. We write e-mails, but we speak in chatrooms.

How to use it in the English class

- The students need a task, a certain amount of time and a follow-up activity the same as in any other class).

- The teacher has to create a social friendly environment. They can't think they are going to be evaluated.

Some points to take into account

- If they write slowly, the other person will become bored and will go to another room, write e-mails... Tell them that they don't need to res[pond to everybody.

- The teacher has to create a social friendly environment because some of them are not used to computers.

- Online chat: quiet students may speak more. if you make a mistake, they won't be laughed at.

- If you use capital letters, it's shouting

- (A4 is freezing the students' computers in some computer labs)

- Possible topic: speak about the best thing you did last summer

- it must have a use: maybe chatting with students of schools you are e-mailing.
RULES

DO:

- Ignore or notify the teacher if you receive an obscene message
- Don't be fooled
- Ignore rude messages

DON'T

- Don't use your real name (don't say your surname)
- Never give personal information (address, telephone...)
- Don't share passwords
- Don't have one passwords for everything
- Don't meet anyone you've met there
- Don't take that seriously

SOME GOOD FILM

Students could watch "You've got mail" by Tom Hanks before the chat.

SOME WEBSITES

www.theconsultants-e.com
www.rheingold.com/texts/artonlinehost.html
www.englishclub.com

www.englishclub.com

To register, do it in pairs to be able to solve the problems that always appear the first day.
Go to "chat". Then, "register". You get a message with a password in your e-mail address. Then, you clic "activate" and you get the password.