Language building is another key focus in English Studies, as students need to develop skills in vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension, and written and oral communication skills. Mobile videos can help enhance these aspects of literacy by providing multimodal resources that combine audio, visuals, and text, allowing students to see and hear concepts at the same time. This approach helps make challenging language concepts more understandable and engages students in ways that text alone may struggle to do. Whether reviewing grammar rules, analyzing sentence structure, practicing vocabulary, or developing writing skills, videos create opportunities to engage more deeply with concepts that may otherwise feel boring, making the experience richer and more meaningful.
Grammar, Punctuation, and Sentence Structure:
Grammar, punctuation, and sentence construction are often challenging concepts for secondary students because they require a deep understanding of the rules of writing and demand that students apply these rules in several contexts. Many students struggle with verb tenses and remaining consistent throughout their writing, using proper punctuation, organizing their writing so that it flows smoothly, and constructing complex sentences. These difficulties can lead to confusion, writing that lacks clarity, and even an inability to complete written work. Furthermore, students who experience difficulties with their writing oftentimes also experience troubles reading, so traditional explanations of grammar rules on paper or workbooks may not be enough, as they can struggle to visualize how these rules are to be applied.
Mobile videos provide a solution to this challenge by breaking concepts down into clear, visual, and scaffolded ways. For example, animated TikTok or YouTube Shorts can model how to use a comma correctly or when to use a colon versus a semicolon, making these complex writing rules more accessible. These videos also show concepts in a variety of written contexts, often through engaging animations. More importantly, mobile videos allow students, especially those who might be shy or hesitant to ask questions in class to pause, replay, and review videos as many times as needed. This repeated exposure helps them fully understand the material and build confidence in applying it independently.
Writing Skills
Writing can be one of the most challenging aspects of English Studies, as it requires students to thoughtfully and carefully organize ideas, apply grammar and vocabulary skills, and communicate clearly with their readers. These challenges can lead to decreased engagement towards writing and an underdevelopment of confidence in their literary skills. However, with the use of mobile videos, teachers can support students by addressing these difficulties and providing step-by-step models of the writing process that students can use independently and review for additional understanding. For instance, a short-form mobile video tutorial on YouTube or TikTok can help break down for students how to structure an introduction for their essay, the information required, the length, and strategies that they can apply to get started. By providing clear, visual guidance and the ability to revisit each step, mobile videos help students approach writing tasks with greater confidence, clarity, and independence.
Public Speaking:
Lastly, developing speaking and listening skills is a vital part of language building, and something that students will need to do throughout their lives as they pursue various career endeavors. However, many students often feel plagued with anxiety at the thought of public speaking, experiencing difficulties in pronunciation, and being unable to express their thoughts clearly. Videos not only provide students with a visual and audio model of how to speak publicly using strong communication skills, but also help them notice and understand more subtle speaking cues, such as emphasis, pausing, and intonation, which can be difficult to develop an understanding of solely from written text.
Through the use of videos, teachers can replay famous speeches, TED Talks, debates, film clips, and podcasts to allow students to observe how speakers use tone, pacing, and body language to convey their message powerfully. Additionally, teachers can encourage students to find public speakers who inspire them on platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels, and have students use their mobile devices to record and share their own speeches, utilizing apps such as TikTok or YouTube to film and edit their videos. In this way, mobile video functions as a learning, sharing, and assessment tool, allowing students to creatively demonstrate their understanding while providing teachers with a visual record of student learning that can be played, paused, and revisited for feedback and evaluation.
Mobile videos can be used as a powerful tool to support students in developing essential literacy and language skills. By combining various multimodal elements, mobile videos help make difficult concepts more tangible and easy to apply within various contexts by breaking down elements of language and fluency into manageable steps and providing a clear model for students to emulate, which can be challenging to achieve through text alone. Furthermore, mobile videos provide students with greater accessibility and allows them to revisit lessons and review them at their own pace, ensuring that they are building the necessary skills effectively. Ultimately, video transforms traditional language instruction, which can oftentimes be difficult to follow, into engaging and accessible learning opportunities.
References
EasyTeaching. (2018, November 16). Simple, Compound, Complex Sentences | Learning English. (Video). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smgyeUomfyA&t=2s
Khan Academy. (2017, March 3). There, their, and they're | Frequently confused words | Usage | Grammar. (Video). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D54pfccNUQ&t=3s
Scribbr. (2021, January 20). How to Write an Eye-Catching Essay Introduction | Scribbr. (Video). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msaynBwwxkA&t=127s
TED-ED. (2013, July 9). Comma Story - Terisa Folaron. (Video). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHnl1O3NGJk&t=1s
TEDx Talks. (2022, April 11). Lost Art of Literature: In a World of Instant Gratification | William Brittain | TEDxFranklin. (Video). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7NuoknBXXM&t=31s