I enjoy discussing iPad and other edtech resources with my colleague and friend Sylvia Duckworth almost every week through Twitter. Sylvia is a leader in the French teaching community in Canada, and has created an enormous amount of resources for language teachers to use. I asked her if she wanted to collaborate on this post, and she quickly agreed to do so. Below is a list of iPad apps that we both use in our language classrooms. The ones marked with an * are the essential, must-have ones. We have divided the list into two categories: Content consumption apps and content creation apps.
1) Content-Consumption Apps
Class Dojo Free (Click for the web version)
Decide Now $.99
Random Name Selector (Free)
Note: Many of these apps have options in other languages
Touch, look, listen $1.99
StoryToys apps $4.99/ea (all excellent)
French words for Kids (Montessori) $3.99
Feed me (French) $1.99
JeuxPourLire $3.99
eFlash Apps for French $1.99 (turn on “Questions” mode in settings to make more challenging)
*Gus learns French $3.99
Canadian French $9.99
*Qui est-ce? Free ($1.99 full version)
4 images, 1 mot Free ($1.99 for ad-free version, recommended)
L'il Red – An Interactive Story, A wordless book, great for promoting dialogue ($3.99)
Google Translate Free
WordReference Free
TextGrabber Translate (Good for travelling to read signs, menus, etc.) $5.99
2) Content-Creation Apps
*BookCreator $4.99
*Sock Puppets $3.99
Puppet Pals HD $4.99
*Puppet Pals 2 $4.99
Tellagami Free
YAKiT kids Free
Powerpoint free to use “read-only”, otherwise need a Microsoft 365 subscription ($99/year)
Keynote $9.99 (free with new devices)
Haiku Deck Free
Read: Use Read-Only in Powerpoint for your Class
Songify $2.99
Videostar Free
GarageBand $4.99, free with new devices
*iMovie $4.99, free with new devices
Green Screen by Do Ink $2.99
Titan Player Free (to download YouTube videos to camera roll.)
Action Movie FX Free but need to buy additional effects.
Backwards Cam $1.99
SloPro $3.99
Read:
The New and Improved iMovie 2.0 [TUTORIAL]
SloPro – Create Slow and Fast Motion Videos [REVIEW]
ToonCamera $1.99
Over $1.99
iPhoto $4.99, free with new devices
Diptic Free, w/in-app purchases Create Collages and Posters for your class
Read: Diptic [REVIEW]
Voice recorder
Voice Record Pro Free
MISCELLANEOUS
Quiz generator
Socrative (Free)
Student version
Teacher version
Frenchie Teachie ABCs FREE, iPhone App, but works well upscaled to review alphabet, numbers and colours.
Best QR code reader:
I-nigma (Free)
Handy Grading App
Grade it Free, w/ in app purchase. Figure out percentages and grades in one tap
Read: Grade it! [REVIEW]
AirDrop (available on new iPads)
Instashare (to transfer iPad projects to computer.) Free for iPad, $3.99 for MacBook (Click here) Note: need both downloads to use this app.
Google Drive (Apps like Book Creator will upload as .epub file. Can read on computer with Readium – a Google Chrome App)
Read:
How to use AirDrop, Apple’s Most Important New Feature for Educators
Conclusions
Sylvia:
Over the past few months, I have concluded that the iPad is an indispensable tool in my class. French vocabulary apps are a great way for students to spend some extra time at the end of class to build and practice their vocabulary. The creation apps allow the students to practice their French in authentic ways and to showcase their language skills. The camera allows students to personalize their projects and to make videos and trailers. The iPad is particularly conducive to partner/group collaborative work as the students play vocabulary games and create projects together. Finally, the boot-up ease of the iPad saves valuable class time compared to laptops.
Is the iPad a fad? NON!
Is it an essential tool in the Foreign Language Class? BIEN SÛR, MON AMI!
Steve:
There is such a wealth of educational apps out there. We hope this list can narrow down some of your favourites. The iPad, if used to its full capabilities, is a fantastic teaching tool. With more knowledge and awareness of creation-type apps, we hope that you can create diverse, exciting and original projects with your class! Whether you are lucky enough to have a 1:1 iPad program, or if you just have one iPad, the possibilities are endless.
Do you have any favourite apps that you would like to share with us? Please let us know in the comments!
Thank you so much for reading our collaboration! Like this post? Please share with your PLN/colleagues!
About the Authors:
Sylvia is an award-winning teacher who has been teaching Core French for 30 years in Toronto, Canada. She provides workshops on Technology in the FSL class and can be reached on Twitter (@sylviaduckworth) and on Google+. You can find her resources at about.me/sylviaduckworth. Check out her profile on teachingwithipad.org.
Steve is a French teacher in Richmond, BC. He teaches French to Grade 1 through Grade 5. He is an avid educational tech teacher, who is always looking to learn more. He has given various iPad workshops in BC, and uses his iPad every day in his FSL class. He enjoys blogging at teachingwithipad.org. Follow him on Twitter (@sly111) and Google+.
teachingwithipad.org 
I teach K at a French immersion in Minnesota. Check out the new sharing app Seesaw. I can’t begin to describe how much I love this app. If you want to see some ways we have used it check out my Twitter at @Mlle_Schmidt or check out #seesawedu. Love, love, love it for their oral development!