Incorporating videos into the language learning process is a powerful and engaging way to enhance students’ comprehension, vocabulary, and cultural awareness. As visual and auditory tools, videos can bring the real world into the classroom, offering students dynamic ways to experience language in context. Whether you’re teaching vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, or cultural nuances, videos provide an immersive and interactive learning experience that can be tailored to suit all levels.
In this article, we’ll explore 15+ resources and tips for using videos to teach English effectively, helping TESOL teachers create a more vibrant and successful learning environment.
Why Teach Language with Videos?
Videos offer many advantages in the language classroom:
- Authentic Language: Videos expose learners to natural, conversational language, including accents, slang, and idiomatic expressions.
- Contextual Learning: By showing language in real-world scenarios, videos help students understand how words and phrases are used in everyday conversations.
- Cultural Insight: Videos can introduce students to the culture, customs, and lifestyles of native speakers, making language learning more meaningful.
- Engagement: Videos tend to be more engaging than traditional text-based learning, catering to auditory and visual learners.
1. YouTube
YouTube is one of the most popular platforms for finding educational videos. TESOL teachers can access thousands of free video resources that cover a wide range of topics, including grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural lessons.
Teaching Tip:
Create a curated playlist for specific language objectives or levels. You can find channels dedicated to teaching English, such as BBC Learning English or EngVid.
2. TED-Ed
TED-Ed offers animated videos that are both entertaining and educational. These videos cover topics from science and history to language and storytelling, providing a perfect starting point for discussions and language activities in the classroom.
Teaching Tip:
Use TED-Ed’s lesson feature to create interactive quizzes and discussion points around the video’s content.
3. Film English
Film English is a great resource for TESOL teachers looking to use short films and videos to teach language. This award-winning site offers lesson plans based on short films, making it easy to integrate video into your lessons.
Teaching Tip:
Select videos that highlight the language structures you’re teaching. After watching, engage students with activities like summarizing the film, discussing key themes, or re-enacting scenes.
4. FluentU
FluentU provides real-world English videos, such as music videos, movie trailers, and news clips, with interactive subtitles. This platform allows students to engage with content at their own pace, improving vocabulary and listening skills.
Teaching Tip:
Encourage students to use FluentU’s interactive flashcards to reinforce vocabulary from the videos they watch in class.
5. ESL Video
ESL Video offers free quizzes and lessons based on video content. Teachers can use these pre-made quizzes to test comprehension after watching videos, or they can create custom quizzes for their students.
Teaching Tip:
Use the site’s quizzes as quick formative assessments to gauge student understanding of the video content.
6. BBC Learning English
BBC Learning English provides a wide range of video resources for TESOL teachers, including short lessons on grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Their videos are designed for learners at various levels, from beginner to advanced.
Teaching Tip:
Use BBC Learning English’s series on idioms and phrases to introduce students to everyday expressions they may encounter in conversation.
7. National Geographic Kids
For young learners, National Geographic Kids offers engaging videos that introduce topics like animals, geography, and science. These videos not only teach vocabulary but also inspire curiosity and critical thinking.
Teaching Tip:
Pair National Geographic videos with hands-on activities like vocabulary matching, role-playing, or creating presentations on the subject matter.
8. Real English
Real English features unscripted videos of real people speaking English in various situations. This provides learners with an authentic listening experience, helping them develop their comprehension of natural speech patterns.
Teaching Tip:
After watching the video, break down key phrases or vocabulary, and encourage students to practice these phrases in role-playing scenarios.
9. British Council’s Learn English
The British Council’s Learn English site offers a variety of video resources, including interviews, language tutorials, and cultural lessons. These videos are excellent for TESOL teachers who want to introduce cultural elements into their lessons.
Teaching Tip:
Use the British Council’s cultural videos to launch discussions on cultural differences and similarities, enhancing both language and cultural competence.
10. English Central
English Central offers a large collection of video lessons on everything from pronunciation to idiomatic expressions. The platform provides quizzes and vocabulary-building tools that align with the video content.
Teaching Tip:
Have students practice their pronunciation by recording themselves repeating lines from the videos, which English Central allows them to do.
11. TED Talks
TED Talks provide advanced learners with the opportunity to engage with complex language and ideas. These thought-provoking presentations can lead to meaningful class discussions, debates, and projects.
Teaching Tip:
Choose a TED Talk that aligns with your students’ interests or the current lesson theme. After watching, facilitate a discussion or have students write a reflection on the topic.
12. Kahoot!
Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform where teachers can create quizzes related to videos. This is a fun and interactive way to reinforce comprehension and engage students with competitive, real-time quizzes.
Teaching Tip:
Create a Kahoot! quiz after showing a video to test students’ comprehension and make learning fun.
13. Movies and TV Shows
Full-length movies and TV shows, such as those available on Netflix or Amazon Prime, can be used to teach language and culture. Choose shows that are relevant to your students’ level and interests.
Teaching Tip:
Show an episode or clip from a TV series, then have students practice dialogue writing based on the plot or reenact scenes in pairs or groups.
14. GoNoodle
GoNoodle offers movement-based videos that get students up and active while learning English. This is especially great for young learners who need more physical engagement during language lessons.
Teaching Tip:
Use GoNoodle videos during breaks or as a reward after completing language activities to keep students energized.
15. KET Education
KET Education provides videos that focus on life skills and career readiness, making it an excellent resource for adult learners or high school students. These videos cover a range of practical topics, such as communication, work skills, and technology.
Teaching Tip:
Pair KET Education videos with role-playing activities where students can practice real-world scenarios, such as job interviews or workplace conversations.
Bonus: Flipgrid
Flipgrid is a video discussion platform that allows students to record and share their responses to teacher prompts. This platform is an excellent way to encourage speaking practice and peer feedback.
Teaching Tip:
Create a Flipgrid prompt related to a video lesson. Ask students to reflect on the video content, share their opinions, or answer specific questions based on what they learned.
Conclusion
Teaching language with videos offers TESOL educators a dynamic and flexible way to enhance their lessons. Whether you’re introducing grammar, vocabulary, or cultural elements, videos provide a rich context for language learning and can cater to a variety of learning styles. By incorporating these 15+ resources and tips into your teaching toolkit, you’ll create a more engaging, interactive, and effective classroom experience for your students.
Ready to bring your classroom to life? Explore these resources and start integrating videos into your lessons today!
