Teaching Tool Review: Voki - Speaking Avatar for Speaking Practice

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#SpeakingPractice

TL;DR:

Product: Voki - Speaking Practice using Virtual Avatar

Pros: wide range of character features, animation, accents, easy use for students on computers and mobile phones, includes AI generated voices, self-record, and upload audio features, suitable for assigning speaking/writing homework

Cons: limited free features, unnatural AI generated voices, needs to train students how to use, might not be suitable for large class with limited technology access at home

Price: $7/month for 30 students in 1 class & 1 teacher

Full review: Voki - Speaking Avatar for Speaking Practice

Remember Talking Tom Cat, the virtual pet that repeats everything you say in a funny voice and has many cute avatars? Although Tom is no longer relevant to GenAlpha nowadays, its Speaking Avatar descendant that would be a hit for students is Voki!

Voki is a virtual speaking avatar platform designed to help users practice speaking in a realistic and interactive way. But does it really improve speaking motivation, or is it just another gimmick? In this review, I'll share my experience using the platform, its features, and whether it's worth the price tag for English teachers and learners.

Why Voki is relevant to language teaching

One of the painstaking thing for teachers about assigning homework is getting students to practice Speaking English outside the classroom. Yes, telling them to record or video their speaking is an option, but for many Asian students, speaking a foreign language can be an anxious thing to do, and showing their face on camera and speaking a new language is even more intimidating. That is why many students rarely submit Speaking homework, which makes it harder for teachers to track their progress.

That is when Voki comes into play. Voki eases three motivation worries:

• Promotes autonomy: Students can practice speaking online without needing a partner. 
• Reduces Speaking anxiety: Practicing with an virtual avatar allows them to build speaking confidence in a low-pressure environment.
• Makes Speaking homework more fun: Unlike traditional speaking assignments, using an interactive avatar makes practice feel like a game. This keeps students motivated and engaged, making them more likely to complete their homework.

How teachers can use it for language teaching

This game is best suited for assigning Speaking homework, or an addition to the Writing homework.

Teachers can give students a short Speaking Task, tell them to customise their avatar on Voki, then record their Speaking. For Writing, teachers can ask students to write a story and use AI generated features to read aloud their text.

This game is best suited for students with moderate technology literacy, likely to be from 9 to 15 years old. This is because teachers need to give a demonstration on how to use Voki.

Here is a result: https://tinyurl.com/26pajvbm

Innovation or Gimmick? My thoughts

Pros: 

• Wide range of character features and animation: It includes a variety of avatar features, which makes it just like any clothing/character building game that students love.

• Easy use for students on computers and mobile phones: Students just need to customise their avatar by clicking on features, then record their speaking. After that, they can export the video to teachers.

• Includes AI generated voices, self-record, and upload audio features: For AI generated voices, students can upload or paste their writing homework, then choose from a variety of accents around the world. For speaking, they only need to press the record button.

Cons: 

• Limited free features: The free features only give access to 5 students, and some very limited avatar features
• Unnatural AI generated voices: The pronunication is accurate, but the intonation is unnatural and robotic. Teachers may raise this point to encourage students to self-record their speaking instead of relying too much on AI generated voice.
• Not suitable for a classroom activity: Choosing the avatar features alone can be time-consuming, so it is best to let students explore features at home.
• Needs to train students how to use: Although the steps are straightforwards, students still need guidance from teachers on how to navigate the platform. This can be time-consuming if teachers have a guide a group with limited digital literacy or limited access to technology at home.
• Might not be suitable for large class: The Basic and Level 1 account only give access to 30 students or less.

In general, Voki has got my stamp of approval! For teachers, please consider your students' needs, the features mentioned above, and the pricing before making a decision to use the platform.

If you know more plaforms for Speaking practice online, please let me know in the comments below.