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Using DVD and Video in Your ESL Class - Part Two
In part one of this article, we suggested some ideas using very short extracts from movies to present and practise new language, and develop communicative skills. Here are five more...
6 Vocabulary in context
Choose an extract of about two or thee minutes which is rich in vocabulary
(drama and documentary films work well for this). Make a sheet with ten to
twenty words that are used in the extract. Give one sheet to each pair of
students and go through it discussing meanings and possible contexts. (Giving
them the context of the movie/documentary as a whole can make it easier to guess
possible contexts of individual words within this.) Play the extract through
once, asking students to listen for the contexts in which the words are used.
Students can then pool their information and produce a list of contextualised
vocabulary on the board.
7 Subtitles
A big advantage of DVD over video is the subtitle feature.
A good exercise for building confidence is to play an extract with subtitles in
the students' own language. Play it first with the sound down and let them read
the titles, then with the sound up, again reading the titles, and finally, with
the sound up and the titles covered.
As reading practice for higher level students, use an extract with subtitles in
English.
8 The news
Record the TV news and choose an item with a lot of visual footage. Make a
list of vocabulary essential to the understanding of the item. Play the item
with the sound down and have your students discuss in groups what they think the
item was about. Next, hand out the vocabulary list and have the groups use it to
reconstruct the story. Finally, play the item with the sound up for students to
compare their version with the original.
9 Cultural differences
Here's an activity to fit in with a topic on cultures. Find a short extract
which shows a typical aspect of British or American culture. In groups, have
students discuss the differences between what they saw and their own culture.
Students do not necessarily need to understand the dialogue for this - the
visual aspect of the cultural scene is usually enough.
10 Voices in my head
Choose a short extract with some interesting and expressive dialogue between two
or more characters. Show the scene and check students' comprehension. Put your
students into groups, one group for each character - if there are 4 characters
in the scene, you will need four groups. It is the groups' task to imagine what
is going on in the head of their assigned character! Play the scene again
several times if necessary, for students to familiarise themselves with the
character, and allow them to work together to imagine the character's thoughts.
Finally, play the scene again, pausing after each character has spoken, at which
point the groups add what they think he/she is thinking.
Video is a motivating and effective way to bring variety in to your ESL classes.
Using short, sharp sequences with a clear linguistic focus, your students will
go away from your class with more than if you sit them down in front of the
screen and hit 'play'...!
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Grammar teaching ideas
Using Authentic Video in the Language Classroom
This book guides and supports teachers with plenty of practical suggestions for
activities which can be used with drama, soap opera, comedy, sports programmes
and documentaries. Many of the activities will lend themselves for use with DVD
and webcasts.
comments
"Thank you very much for 10 ways to use DVD and video in your ESL class, I was
just trying to find new information and trying to find something on the internet
to teach video in esl classes. I also would like to thank you for your fruitful
studies and work on the website. Thanks a lot."
Oguzhan Kalli
"Have you ever imagined going to a presentation meeting only with DVD in your
hand without your notebook computer? Have you ever imagined sending your
PowerPoint presentation to people who does not have PowerPoint or even a PC and
let them watch it on TV? I'd like to add the 11 ways to use DVD and video in
your ESL class. Create engaging video or DVD from PowerPoint presentations and
play it in your ESL class. That would be wonderful! I'd like to suggest a
PowerPoint to DVD tool to you: www.sameshow.com/powerpoint-to-dvd.html"
Anonymous
