In this webinar, Ceri Jones, co-author of two of our secondary courses, Eyes Open and Uncover, explored how we can take advantage of the type of short video clips which have become a huge part of our day-to-day communication on social media. Using such clips in the classroom can support and extend speaking and listening activities in our day-to-day teaching, as well as increase motivation and invest in learning.
Using video – including self-generated video – with teens in the language classroom is important. Young people are leading a trend in using video as a medium of communication and a tool to express themselves, and using this increasingly popular medium in the classroom will encourage student engagement.
Micro tasks, which are short (usually one minute in length) videos, are a great way to introduce videos and tasks that can be created and used in the class immediately. These videos can become part of a larger task. Examples of types of micro tasks that you can use in your classroom are:
Silent Movies
Ask your students to create a list of phrasal verbs using the word ‘up’ . By picking one phrase, such as ‘make up’, they can record a short video of themselves acting out the phrase. The finished clip is then shared with their classmates, for them to guess what the phrase is. Still images as as well actions can be used to get the message across.
Outfit of the Day
#OOD is a hashtag that is used for fashion blogs, YouTube and Instagram and other places where people post about what they are wearing. This can also be done in or outside the classroom.
Ideas Generation for Writing
Uses the idea of one person speaking into the camera for one minute about a set topic. This encourages students to gain confidence in their speaking language skills.
Oral Exam Preparation
As a class, watch an example of an oral exam preperation video online and set up the classroom as a mock exam room. Students will then film each other taking the exam and watch each other’s performance and grade them. This can encourage students to become more comfortable with the format of oral exams.
Video as Audio
Students are asked to share a personal anecdote on a suggested topic and write it as a short text. They need to then create a multiple choice question based on their text and record their stories on their phones. Once completed, the students will share their recordings and their questions with their classmates, who will then try to answer the questions by listening to the recording. If you do have any students that do not want to be recorded then they can have the role of director.
For more information on the tasks above and some more ideas on video in the classroom, listen to the full webinar recording below.
For more information, explore 2 of our secondary courses, Eyes Open and Uncover!