PIM PAM PUM PHRASR

WHAT IS PHRASR
It is a tool which allows people to illustrates phrases with images. The images comes from Flickr. In other words, users can choose any images which they think suitable for each of words in a phrase.

AGE AND LEVEL OF LEARNERS
# Age of learners - thirteen to fifteen years old (older learners might not interested as it requires only simple sentences)
# Level of learners - low and intermediate (advanced students might find this tool a bit boring)

HOW TO USE PHRASR
# The website link is: Phrasr Website
# Type your sentence(s) in the box provided and click 'Start'

# The image and your sentence(s) will appear on the screen

# If you are not happy with the images, you may change it - there are a lot of option available

# Once you finish choosing the images and satisfied with it, you may type the title and your name and click 'Publish' .. Finish!
# You may play it again, view it in the archive, recyle it or sent it to your friend
# For video tutorial on how to create a picture using Phrasr, you may click on this link: Phrasr Tutorial


EXAMPLE OF PHRASR
This a a link of my presentation using Phrasr: My Bag [Phrasr Presentation]


SUGGESTION OF ACTIVITIES
Few suggestion of activities are:

1. Students can use this tool to introduce themselves. This activity is valid during the first or second lesson in the class. The teacher may asks the students to use 'Pharasr' and make up a story about themselves. They may include about their name, their family, their favourite food and drink, their favourite colour etc. Then, they need to e-mail their work to their teacher. If there is enough time in the class, teacher may ask volunteers for the students to present their work in front of others.
2. This tool could also be used by the teacher to introduce idioms or grammatical structure. For example, in advance, the teacher herself make a presentation using 'Pharasr' and show it to the students in the class. Then, the teacher may elicit the grammatical structure/idioms from the students - I assume that this activity is for pre-teaching activity.
3. This tool is also useful for the students to get some ideas about their writing. For example, the teacher may asks the students to one of the most important items in their life. It could be a bag, a ring or a dress. Then, using this tool, the students need to make up few sentences with some pictures, explaining the items that they have chosen. Then, they need to present their work to their friends (in pairs). Then, as the homework, they need to write an essay about the most important items in their life.

*This tool combine the use of images with sentences. Therefore, this tool is highly recommended for visual and linguistic learners since they can maximise their visual and linguistic and learning styles.*

*Using this tool also allows for personalisation. This is because students can choose any images that they like and prefer. This personalisation could be a motivation for students to learn. In addition the personalisation would also allow the students to create something which relates to them. By doing this, they can collaborate their schemata in their first language with their second language.*

*This tool also suitable to encourage students to speak. This point is applicable when the students need to work in pairs and explain about their work that they have done.*

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT PHRASR

1. It is FREE
2. You do not break the copyright of taking images from internet
3. May e-mail your presentation to you friends, teachers etc
4. Allow for personalisation for the students - students can freely choose images. 

PROBLEMS WITH PHRASR

1. The images is from flickr. If the owner delete the image, you won't be able to see it in your presentation.
2. Some pictures are not appropriate to be viewed by the young learners
3. Time consuming in looking for appropriate and suitable pictures. Based on my experience, sometimes, there is no suitable picture at all.
4. Basically you can't pause the slide while doing presentation. 

PERSONAL THOUGHT ON PHRASR

# Personally, I would not recommend teachers or students to use this website because I found that this website is not very useful and helpful. Most of the images are not appropriate and does not match with the sentence at all. So, it is such as waste of time looking for suitable images. It could de-motivate the students since they could not find suitable images for their sentence.