Types of Video

A mid-level general English class is busy with a unit on food and restaurants in their textbooks. They understand the context and have mastered the vocabulary, but they are struggling with giving presentations on the topic. Which video would you use with them?

Functional English on speaking in public. Source: New Headway coursebook DVD.

What is one way you can motivate your students to make the most of using a video for language learning?

Get your students to choose the film to watch in class.

Why should you think about movie ratings (such as PG, PG-13, and R in the United States) even when selecting movies to use with adults?

The content may not be culturally appropriate and may offend some students.

Which type of video usually requires more preparation by the teacher?

authentic

The teacher wants to show students real-life examples of what not to say when making a complaint.

authentic video

Most graded video focuses on fluency.

false

The teacher is teaching a lesson on expressions to use when making a complaint.

graded video

A mid-level English class is planning a trip to the city. Some of them know the necessary functional language for asking for directions and others know the related vocabulary. How could you reinforce their existing knowledge? You could show them a promotional ad from a _______________________ about the city. You could show them a ____________________by someone who has visited the city. A _____________________about the city probably would have no useful information about the city for tourists.

travel agency; youtube clip, news bulletin

Teachers should not view a whole feature film with a low-level class.

true

Video, whether authentic materials or graded materials for EFL classes, provides language support to students with contextual and visual cues.

true