MailVU - A video email

LINK: http://mailvu.com/

WHAT

Email is a the fastest way of mailing another person. Evolution of mailing system is increasing rapidly where email is not for an electronic letter, but video as well. Let say, writing a letter is too time consuming, why don't you just send a video of yourself speaking? MailVu is the website that allow you to send a video of you speaking (rather than writing) to the receiver's email adress. The receiver could reply using the same method, thus creating an enjoyable interaction. Simple enough?

Another speaking activity that could be done, in a more interactive way. Imagine video call, it use almost a similar concept, it is just that the conversation is delayed. Teacher could come out with different activity to encourage students to record themselves speaking. (explaining about students personal life, interview etc).

What best about this website is, it directly send it to the email adress, a very common way of communicating electronically. So, if teachers want the students to use target language during long holiday, ask students to send their video mails in English informing of their well being. Teacher could give feedback in the same way, to encourage communicative language. 

HOW

1. Sign up (optional) - Basically, you do not really have to sign up and pay but still enjoy sending video mails.
2. Allow access to video and microphone.
3. Click record - start talking, :)
4. Send - send to the receiver emel adress
5. Share - it will provide you with the URL link of the video

ADVANTAGES

1. Interesting - rather than writing an email, students could send their video. If you see the video of the sender, facial expression, hand gesture is visible as well.
2. Speaking - teacher will be able to assign homework that get the students to speak the target language outside classroom. 
3. Promoting objects - Students would be able to share some solid object to the senders, rather than describing it in term of words. 
4. Pronunciation - students would be able to practise pronunciation and discourse making, in order to make their speaking understandable.
5. Free - It is simple and free so that students could use this easily. 

DISADVANTAGES

1. You have to pay for better applications provided.
2. It is not downloadable - it stay forever in the internet. 
3. The limited time of recording.

CONCLUSION

I would definitely suggest this as one of the activity in classroom because teachers do not necesserily apply this during teaching but as a homework. Rather than writing an email (which is also a good activity), teachers and students or students and students could exchange real communicative language.