Sue Kay has been an ELT materials writer for over 25 years. She is the co-author of 蜜桃app's Focus Second Edition and is one of the co-founders of . In this article, Sue takes us through her experience of using video in the classroom and shows us how to motivate and engage students with authentic video.
When I started teaching in the early 80s, video was a novelty in the classroom. We only had one video player for the whole school and had to book it a week in advance. There was very little published material available, but thanks to the rarity factor, the students lapped it up.?
There was no problem with getting them motivated, even if the lessons accompanying the videos were not particularly exciting and consisted mainly of comprehension questions. Lucky for me, our school had a very dynamic Director of Studies who gave great teacher training sessions and I was very taken with a presentation he did on active viewing tasks.?
I was, and still am, a big fan of the Communicative Approach and I embraced the more interactive video tasks enthusiastically: freeze frame and predict, watch with the sound down and guess what people are saying, listen with the screen hidden to guess the action, etc.?
When I’m preparing a video lesson, I still try to include at least one of these activities because the information gap provides an ideal motivation for students to watch the video and check their ideas.?
再生
In the old days, video could motivate and engage a class because it was something relatively new, but what about nowadays when video has gradually moved from a ‘nice-to-have’ element of new courses to a ‘must-have’??
We teachers have unlimited access to videos, either those that accompany our course or on the internet. But has this affected motivation? Has video also become harder to use as a motivating factor in the classroom?
Yes and no.?
Teenagers have grown up with a smartphone in their hand. They live their lives through video - filming themselves or one another, uploading and sharing video content on TikTok or other similar platforms, accessing YouTube on a variety of devices, and even aspiring to be like the YouTubers they spend hours and hours watching.?
The importance of this to the way we teach is summed up by this quote from The Age of the Image, “We can’t learn or teach what we can’t communicate – and increasingly that communication is being done through visual media.”?
Video is the ideal medium for teaching 21st-century skills and visual literacy. None of my students bat an eyelid when I ask them to make a video for homework, film themselves telling an anecdote, watch a grammar explanation online, or do some online research.
But in terms of what we watch in class, our videos need to work harder than before. In my experience, students won’t tolerate boring or unnatural videos, just because they’re in English. Because they watch so many online films, documentaries and series, students are used to high production values, strong narratives and authentic material.?
When we were writing the second edition of Focus, we were lucky enough to have access to the BBC archives. However, just because something has appeared on the BBC it doesn’t mean it is suitable for our students. In my experience, there are certain criteria that needs to be fulfilled in order to motivate and engage students with video.?
First of all, it helps if a video has a visual wow factor. This may be an unusual setting or a location with breathtaking scenery. If there’s no visual interest, you may as well do an audio lesson. However, stunning places and incredible landscapes won’t hold the students’ interest for very long.
There also has to be something in the video that the student can relate to their own lives. For instance, one of the clips we chose for Focus Second Edition is set in an amazing place in Turkey, popular with tourists who visit in hot air balloons. The students are unlikely to have visited this place, but to make it relatable and interesting for students, we chose an extract that focuses on the caves that older generations still inhabit, while the younger generation have moved to the nearby cities. The topic of young people leaving the countryside for the big city is a topic that will be familiar anywhere in the world.?
A generation that have access to endless TV series and films on demand expect a good story. While this can be an episode from a drama - it doesn’t have to be fiction. It can be an inspiring story of human achievement or any kind of human-interest story that follows a journey and has a story arc.
Generation Z and Alpha tend to be very socially engaged and open-minded; they want to change the world. So videos that air social issues are ideal as stimulus for discussion. For example, in Focus Second Edition we’ve included a video clip about a project that’s underway in Holland, where students can have low-priced accommodation in a Care Home in return for some help with the elderly residents. In class, we’ve used this video clip as a springboard for discussing relationships across generations.?
Videos that fulfil these criteria raise motivation in class because they facilitate more interesting lessons. If the video is visually engaging, it’s easier to write the active viewing tasks I mentioned earlier. If the topic is relatable on some level, the lesson can include personalization and discussion, which wouldn’t work if the content was so far removed from the students’ reality that they have nothing to say about it.?
I’m particularly keen on videos that are engaging enough to facilitate follow-up tasks that might spark the students’ imagination and help to put them in other people’s shoes. For example, in Focus Second Edition, we’ve included a video about window cleaners on the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the world.?
As you can imagine, the film shots are breathtaking and have not only the wow factor but the ‘agh factor’ too for people who are afraid of heights. The presenter, Dallas, joins the experienced window cleaners, and you can’t help but hold your breath as he climbs out onto the side of the building, which is a sheer drop of 800 meters below him. No wonder he has a dry mouth.
The short clip is so engaging that the lesson practically writes itself. Here are a couple of examples of follow-up tasks that are only possible because the video holds the students’ attention and ignites their imagination:
All this increased volume and choice of video is great, and video certainly still has the power to motivate our students, but I believe we teachers and materials providers need to focus more on the quality of the videos we use in class than the quantity.?
「英语力のグローバル分析レポート2024年（アジア太平洋版）」を公开しました。本レポートは、100カ国以上で受験された英语能力测定テストVersant by 蜜桃appの内、約75万件分の分析に基づき世界の英語力の動向を6つの国と地域（日本、フィリピン、インド、コロンビア、エジプト、ヨーロッパ）にまとめたものです。アジア太平洋版には、日本に関するデータのほか、職種ごとに必要な英語力のデータベースGSE Job Profilesについての紹介が追加されています。レポート全文はこちらからご覧いただけます。
It's April Fool's Day today and we’re diving into the lighter side of the English language. English is full of quirky sayings and odd words that can leave you scratching your head or laughing out loud. So enjoy this collection of funny English sayings and words that are sure to bring a smile to your face and probably make you question whether this is an April Fool’s Day joke.
Let’s start with a classic British saying: “Bob’s your uncle.” This phrase is used to indicate that something will be simple or straightforward. For example, “Just add water, and Bob’s your uncle”. But who is Bob, and why is he your uncle? The origins are unclear, but it’s a fun way to say, “And there you have it”.
When something is the “bee’s knees,” it means it’s excellent or of high quality. But why the knees of a bee? This saying likely originated in the 1920s as part of a trend of using animal anatomy in slang. Other similar phrases include “the cat’s pajamas” and “the snake’s hips”.
If something has “more holes than Swiss cheese,” it means it’s full of flaws or problems. This saying is self-explanatory if you’ve ever seen a slice of Swiss cheese. It’s a humorous way to point out that something isn’t quite up to par.
To “bamboozle” someone means to trick or confuse them. This word itself sounds like a bit of a trick, doesn’t it? It’s believed to have originated in the 17th century, and it’s a perfect word to use on April Fool's Day when you’re pulling pranks on your friends.
A “fuddy-duddy” is someone who is old-fashioned or fussy. This term is often used affectionately to describe someone who is a bit behind the times. It’s a funny-sounding word that’s sure to bring a smile to your face.
“Gobbledygook” refers to language that is meaningless or hard to understand, often used to describe overly complex jargon. It was coined during World War II by a Texas congressman who compared confusing bureaucratic language to the sound of a turkey’s gobble. It’s a perfect word for describing those moments when someone is talking but you have no idea what they’re saying.
If someone is “mad as a hatter,” they’re completely crazy. This saying dates back to the 19th century when hat makers (hatters) often suffered from mercury poisoning due to the chemicals used in hat production, leading to erratic behavior. It’s a whimsical way to describe someone who’s a bit off their rocker.
When it’s “raining cats and dogs”, it’s raining very heavily. The origins of this saying are unclear, but it’s a vivid and amusing way to describe a downpour. Just imagine cats and dogs falling from the sky!
To “lollygag” means to dawdle or waste time. It’s a playful word that perfectly captures the essence of goofing off. So, if you find yourself procrastinating today, just tell everyone you’re lollygagging.
“The whole shebang” means everything or the entire thing. The origins of “shebang” are uncertain, but it’s a fun and quirky way to refer to the entirety of something. Whether you’re talking about a project, a meal or a party, this phrase adds a bit of flair.
When someone is unusually quiet or at a loss for words, you might ask “Cat got your tongue?” This odd saying dates back to the 19th century and is a humorous way to prompt someone to speak up.
If someone is “as cool as a cucumber,” they’re very calm and composed, even in stressful situations. This saying is amusing because it compares a person’s demeanor to a vegetable known for its refreshing coolness. It’s a fun way to compliment someone’s ability to stay unruffled.
English is a wonderfully weird language, full of sayings and words that can leave us amused and bewildered. On this April Fool's Day, we hope you’ve enjoyed this lighthearted look at some of the funniest expressions English has to offer. So go ahead, sprinkle these sayings into your conversations, and share a laugh with your friends. After all, laughter is the best medicine, and today is the perfect day to embrace the humor in our language.
Learning English as a second language is a journey that can be fun and tough. A key part of this journey is knowing your current skill level. The Global Scale of English (GSE) helps learners check their skills. The GSE is a scale from 10 to 90 that measures English ability. It gives clear information about what learners can do at each level. In this blog, we’ll look at how to find out your English level using GSE scores, levels, and "I can..." statements.
You may wonder, ‘Why is it important for me to know my language level’? If you start studying without knowing your skill level, you might feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or find learning too easy and be put off or not make any learning progress.
Knowing your English level helps you in many ways, such as to:
The GSE levels range from Starter to Expert, each with specific "I can..." statements that describe what you should be able to do at that level. Here’s a breakdown of each level, along with some practical examples:
