LikeSo
By Dana Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Speech tool tracks likes, totallys, and whatevers, ya know?
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LikeSo
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What’s It About?
First choose from LIKESO's two games: TalkAbout or FreeStyle. For TalkAbout, select a topic, the amount of time to talk per prompt (30 or 60 seconds), and tap from a list of words you want to "train against." Start talking based on the question or comment that appears. You can also pause time or pass that prompt for another one. Once you complete the prompts, examine your report. For FreeStyle, tap the amount of time to talk (one, two, five, or 30 minutes) and the words to train against, and then start talking. Once you're done, view the results, including analysis of the session. You can also view the history of the results to compare from different sessions.
Is It Any Good?
This app feels like a game, but underlying the chatty fun is a serious purpose: to help improve formal speaking skills. By drawing awareness to the common filler words tweens and teens use, LikeSo sheds light on how distracting repeated use of those words can become to both the listener and the speaker. Filler words may be OK during casual conversations with friends, but for tweens and teens who become habituated to repeatedly saying words such as "like" and "right?" throughout conversation, it can make speaking clearly during presentations and interviews difficult.
There are two downsides to this otherwise fantastic app: One, it may be too easy during the planned games for users to self-monitor their speech and avoid their usual fillers (except, perhaps, during the 30-minute session), which isn't exactly a bad thing but might not translate to formal speaking without some support. Two, LikeSo doesn't include tips to improve speech, which could be an especially useful addition to the app. At the time of this review, there's a blog on the app's companion website that offers more information, but more skill integration might help transfer the skills to actual speaking assignments.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why using LikeSo may help your tween or teen express themselves more effectively. Why is it important to speak clearly and in ways that don't distract (or annoy) your audience?
Ask your kids what they think about filler words. Do they notice when their friends or classmates (or teachers, or parents) use them?
Talk about some ways to break bothersome habitual patterns, including habits of speech. If awareness comes first (and LikeSo helps with that), then what comes next to create change?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Language & Reading: presenting to others, speaking, vocabulary
- Skills: Self-Direction: identifying strengths and weaknesses, personal growth, self-reflection, Emotional Development: self-awareness, Communication: conveying messages effectively, presenting, speaking
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: January 11, 2017
- Category: Lifestyle
- Publisher: Say It Media
- Version: 1.3
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later
- Last updated: January 22, 2017
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