Twitter in ESL classroom

Unfortunately, Chinese government blocked Twitter as well as Facebook, Youtube, etc. Though we have Chinese version of Twitter, they are different in some ways. If China no longer block Twitter, how can I use Twitter in teaching English?

In the article How Twitter Can Be Used as a Powerful Educational Tool, it mentions hashtags. By searching hashtags, we are able to see what the world are saying about the topics. Also, we can join the discussion by adding hashtags. As a teacher, I will tweet a question with a hashtag and then ask my students to answer it with the same hashtag. It could be asking their opions towards a event, or finding solutions to a problem. In addition, I will let my students attend some Twitterchats, such as #21stedchat, #ESL. They will be able to share their ideas from a student's aspect with the world.

 Teaching with Twitter says that students can give instant feedback of a presentation or a video on Twitter. I think it is a great idea for those who unwilling to give opions in class. Students have to summarize their ideas in 140 characters, which is challenging. But for those have not much to say in a foreign language, it could actually release their pressure and encourage them to express ideas.