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iPods for English Language Learners


There is an interesting article in today's NY Times about the use of iPods and music as tools to help students learn English more quickly. Most schools ban mp3 players, but the schools mentioned in the article make them into learning devices. Making learning relevant is a tough job sometimes, but new technologies can be a part of it.

"Grace Poli, a media specialist at José Martí, said that she approached district officials about buying 23 iPods for an after-school bilingual program in 2004 after being struck by students’ passion for them. Spanish-speaking students seemed bored by their English-language textbooks, she said, which they found outdated and irrelevant."

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