Videos to Use in the Classroom
Use these videos to prompt conversation, add some laughter, and build community in your classroom. Check out the technology tips page for suggestions.
Global Short Film Network - short films with deeper meanings; many include discussion questions as well.
What can you do with video clips?
Some ideas taken from this article; others borrowed from Reach Out With English 102 course.
Predict what happens next (and write, draw a picture, act it out...).
Re-enact the scene in your own words.
Discuss how you would react if you were in the scene.
Summarize (generally) or describe (specifically) what happened in the clip - characters, setting, problem, solution (if any)
Watch two clips and compare and contrast.
(For videos with dialogue) - watch first with sound off. Discuss: what happened? What do you think the people said? Then, watch again with sound on. Did you get the idea of the video even without the sound?
Show a video about a topic to introduce a new concept, unit, or theme.
Have students write questions about the clip and exchange papers to answer each others' questions.
Show a how-to video (like this one for an origami heart) and then have students follow the instructions.
This video explains how to use videos in English class and how to use www.safeshare.tv to shorten videos and avoid ads.
Pronunciation Videos
Sounds American is another YouTube channel teaching English pronunciation.
Intercambio offers these videos for pronunciation, some comparing similar sounds and others using the Color Vowel Chart.
Rachel’s English has numerous videos about American English pronunciation, including individual vowel sounds, diphthongs, and individual consonants, as well as conversation skills. (Also available on YouTube here.)
Natural Speaking Clips
Real English has lots of free videos of native English speakers speaking in relaxed, everyday speech, using interviews on the street with average people. This is a great way to give your students practice in listening to diverse, authentic speech, since often, textbook audio and even teacher talk can be a lot slower and simpler than what they will encounter in everyday life. The videos are available with or without subtitles, are fairly short, and are grouped around types of conversations (such as introductions). You could watch one a few times before having students practice with each other!
TED Talks cover a wide variety of topics (and, as an added bonus, often have speakers with different accents!)
Media Clips
Listen in English - video clips from news, TV, movies, and academic resource, divided by English level
More videos are linked below...