Using video in class to improve the Learning Experience

Integrating real English videos into your class is essential, but relying solely on videos is a nightmare. At teacherteach.io, we have one video case study in each unit, presenting an intro, a story, vocab, key expressions, and pre- and post-listening questions. This is a system that works and, hopefully, motivates your students to believe in themselves and try new videos on their own.

The rules

When we start a video class, it is important to introduce the topic, and we do all the preparation for you. We pick the video associated with the unit topic and structure it.

Once you are ready to play the video, make sure you are sharing the sound and be ready to stop and check for understanding. Remember, if your student wants to learn what is in the video, they don't need you; they could simply watch it themselves.

Teaching tips

1. The video content is a basis for your class, full of stories and ideas, rich in real vocabulary and expressions. When we see something, take it out, add it to their chat, and make them use it in context.

2. The concepts seen in the video can be applied to your life and your students' lives. This is personalization of the topic. If it is about leadership, you have to steer the conversation into their leadership skills, what they would do, and what you would do.

3. You have to start and stop the video a lot, and even give your students a way to indicate they want to stop and talk about it. You are the guide of this story, here to reflect, to connect, and discuss those topics.

The unwritten rules

Many students have never practiced these kinds of listening classes, and when you start, you will see how bad it is. Watching and understanding content, especially real-world stuff, is hard, and I relate it to riding a bicycle. At first, it is impossible, and many quit. You have to find a way to get it to happen. Use training wheels, and then they can let go and ride on their own. There is a certain figurative switch that turns on in their head, telling them they got it. Remember, most students have been telling themselves they don't speak or understand English for years, and they have programmed their brains to turn off at any contact with the language.

The process consists of retraining the brain, telling it that it is possible, and providing them with confidence and support. Remember this idea because it is key in the process.

The Beginner Formula

Ok, staring is easy if we break it down into parts. Remember that for a video to be successful, your students should understand at least 70% of what they are listening to; if that is not happening, here is what you need to do.

1. Explain what a noun is: person, place, or thing. Have them listen for nouns in the video and write them down. You can do the same thing and then compare. With time, they will get better as they see it as an easy exercise and begin to bring down the wall that has protected them.

2. Explain what an adjective is, have them listen and write as many as they can hear, do the same, then go through both lists, then reslisten, and they will be surprised as their brain begins to notice more and more.

3. Proceed with verbs, action words. By this time, you should be getting a confident student who is pushing our vocab like crazy.

4. The fourth step is all about expressions, multi-word combinations that go together. Praise your student and compare the results that everyone has had.

5. The fifth is the most difficult. I recommend eliminating the subtitles and doing it first. When you mirror a video, the student tries to repeat everything they are hearing. This is the strategy that one of the Korean BTS singers used to learn the language. He would mirror every episode of Friends. This, like in any nuance, is hard at the beginning, and you have to find something that suits your students' skill level.

By breaking it down using this kind of swiss cheese method you make it practical and incremental, unitll they reach the day where they feel confident listening on their own.