Well.....yes, it is possible - but you can make life a whole lot easier if you pay attention to these tips. As a teacher, I have learned several lessons about what does (and does not) work in communicating over the Internet, and the key points are discussed in this article. Start with the fact that our Internet connections are quite fragile - anything can interfere with them - from a TV set placed too close to a router to a man with a road drill digging a hole in the wrong place. WiFi connections are notorious for dropping out when we most need them. And there are certain "rush hours" when it seems that the whole world wants to text, email or stream and the Internet slows down to a crawl because of the high traffic. POINT 1. Wifi is convenient, but it is also generally slower and less reliable than a "hardwired" connection. Look at the Ookla Speedtest results from the same computer, taken within minutes of each other - one on Wifi and one on hardwire: Almost TWICE the download speed and 20% better upload speed - and the hardwire connection maintains fairly similar speeds all day long! (NOTE TO MYSELF: Change my WiFi password regularly just in case someone is "piggy-backing" on my connection!). Remember, download speed determines the quality of what YOU see and hear - but upload speed determines what your TEACHER will see and hear. So, how do you get a hardwired connection? Simply buy an RJ45 "patch" cable from your friendly computer shop. You will need to estimate the distance from your router to your desk, but you can almost ALWAYS get a cable "out of the box" in multiples of 5 metres. If you need something longer, a GOOD computer shop will make up a custom length for you in minutes. Explain that you are connecting your computer to your modem - otherwise you might get a "cross-over" cable which is used for directly connecting one computer to another and which will usually not work for our purposes. Your laptop will almost certainly have an RJ45 socket (see the pictures below) but, even if you are using a device that does not have an RJ45 socket, you can buy a USB - RJ45 adapter for very little cost. Connect your device to your modem/router as shown below and that is IT! POINT 2 - I said that it is possible to use a Smartphone - but four things make Smartphones and tablets quite difficult to use for language learning.
If you really feel that you MUST have a tablet, I suggest that you look at a hybrid device such as the Asus Transformer series (I have to admit that I like mine a lot for reading E-Books), the Surface series or one of many others. CNet made some sensible recommendations here: Tablets with Keyboards POINT 3 - invest in a reasonably good headset. This will make your speech clearer to the teacher, and enable you to concentrate with less distractions from the noises around you. Desktop and in-built microphones tend to pick up lots of unwanted sounds - just try making a recording when you are not speaking - and external speakers can contribute to bad feedback (that horrible "howling" noise) and echo which can make your conversation quite difficult for both you and your teacher. Things to look for in a headset:
Adjustable lighting can be very helpful – but try to avoid using fluorescent lights – they can cause flickering in the image unless you adjust your camera setting to cancel out the effect. POINT 5 - Camera. You do not need to spend a fortune on a camera – but the better your camera, the easier it is to use. Many Smartphones have only a front-facing camera, which is impractical for two-way communication, but even those with a "selfie" mode are very hard to use for our purposes. Any of these options will work for you – but the separate camera on a tripod is most flexible. The “clip-on” for lap-top screen is OK (but most do not fit screens for desktop computers) and even the laptop built-in camera is OK – but you can’t really adjust the angle and usually they have very few options for adjusting colour, low light, flicker reduction and auto-focusing etc. POINT 6 - Software. More and more communication platforms are bringing out mobile "app" versions - but it is very important that you check that the program that your teacher/school uses is supported on your device and operating system. Skype is still a favourite, but I have also had success with Zoom and Google Hangouts. Important things to check before you commit include:
If you are not satisfied with the result of your test call, Skype allows you choose which microphone and speaker/headphones to use and alter their settings. Choose Tools : Options : Audio Settings to access this screen.
You can also control the camera settings by choosing Tools : Options : Video Settings Last tip: Only open the programs that we are actually using in the class – Skype, Zoom, Kaizena or your PDF reader. Other programs, especially “chat” programs, can slow the computer and the network and distract you from the lesson. So, can you use a Smartphone to learn a language? Yes, indeed you can - but you can make the process much easier for both yourself and your teacher(s) by investing in equipment that is more suitable for the task.
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AuthorTony is an experienced on-line English and Science teacher with an extensive background in IT support and training. Archives
December 2016
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