Teaching Ideas

Using Video in the ELT Classroom

Andy Hoodith
Saitama University

Page 1 | Page 2

A brief history...
Compared with other teaching tools: audio tapes, textbooks, and the basic blackboard, video is a relatively new option for the language teacher. The technology became affordable only in the late 1970s, and it was several years before video materials designed specifically for language learning were developed. In the twenty years or so since then, video has become an even more widely available teaching aid, although its penetration into everyday classroom practice and course/syllabus design hasn't been as deep as many had anticipated. The development of video materials for ELT use can be seen as having gone through three main stages.

Stage One
The first was the direct adaptation of existing methodologies to incorporate the new technology. The 1960s and 70s had seen the emergence of the functional/notional approach to describing and teaching language, and this had begun to replace transformational grammar as the main underlying principle behind materials and course design. This was soon reflected in video material, most noticeably with the appositely titled "Video English", a series of videos which took the main functions of the English language (such as greetings and introductions, asking for and giving information, etc.), and developed short sketches around them.

The video was accompanied by teaching notes, classroom activities, and transcripts, and although this additional material wasn't particularly well-presented, the suggestions for teachers and the additional language material were very useful.

Stage Two
The next stage in the development of ELT video materials involved courses based around a story told in episodic form. Whereas materials such as Video English aimed to provide a video resource which could be used as needed for a wide range of levels; an off-the-shelf resource which could be easily intergrated into any course, the story-based videos demanded a more long-term commitment and were aimed at particular levels of students. In most examples, such "A Weekend Away", and Robert O'Neill's "Lost Secret", the introduction of new language items was fairly strictly controlled.

This posed obvious difficulties regarding the need to structure the language effectively for learning purposes while retaining a sufficient degree of realism in the dialogue. The two examples cited above achieved this to a commendable degree, though other courses failed to produce the appropriate blend.

Stage Three
The third development was the adaptation of authentic TV and video material for language teaching. Two examples are the BBC's "Television English" series, in which excerpts from (mainly non-dramatic) UK broadcast TV programs were the focal point for well-written language learning activities, and the development by Sony of teaching materials based on a limited number of major feature films.

In addition to these three main strands of development, there have been variations in content or theme, with the needs of English for Specific Purposes being addressed with "Business English" and "Tourist English" videos, as well as courses aimed at children using cartoons, one of the best of which being "Muzzy in Gondoland".

Techniques
Because the video courses written specifically for ELT are usually accompanied by fairly detailed teacher guidelines, the remainder of this discussion will focus on general techniques for using video materials. These techniques can be applied to specially written or authentic video materials, and aim to introduce a greater degree of variety into classroom practice and to create a more productive interaction between the learners and material.

It should be stressed that these techniques are far from new, and the following is simply a brief overview of some of the methodological alternatives available.

Moving from the development of support and supplementary materials to the mechanics of using video, there are several ways in which the information transmitted can be broken down and re-assembled to good effect. One such technique is silent viewing. The students view a sequence, for example of a couple checking into a hotel or ordering a meal in a restaurant, and them attempt to generate an appropriate dialogue for the scene. The actual dialogue can then be used as a model from which to adapt the students' efforts.

Alternatively, if the students have already heard the dialogue, they can use the silent re-viewing to reproduce the conversation. The reverse technique is to play the sound only, and have students discuss what the scene might look like. The teacher may also make good use of the freeze-frame option, particularly if the material is proving to be difficult, to check comprehension and to answer unanticipated questions. In some viewings, particularly "reviews" of the video after the pre-planned activities have been done; students should be encouraged to indicate if they want a pause in the viewing to pick up on points of confusion or general interest. This goes some way to lessening the degree of teacher-centredness (produced by the fact that the teacher has the controller!).

The activities described in the lesson plan below can be divided into three areas: pre-viewing, viewing, and post-viewing activities

Page 1 | Page 2

<<Back Number | Top | Recent Issue>>