MANAGING ICT
Bring languages to life
Languages
teacher Isabelle
Jones discusses
the use of online
videos in the classroom
he use of authentic online videos
T
inside and outside of the languages
classroom can be very motivating for
students. It brings languages to life
and can also motivate through the
originality and variety of the content
available.
These videos are readily available online and will
cost schools nothing to be integrated in lessons. A
majority of the videos will come from the “target
language” countries and will provide appropriate
exposure to the language as it is being spoken by
native speakers. An added benefit is that the videos will
give direct access to languages as they are spoken in
different countries and will help students to listen for
different accents and intonations – listening skills of the
highest order.
The wide range of videos available means that
it is easier to find materials that will appeal to all
students too. The videos are also constantly updated,
following every trend in the popular culture of the target
countries.
This constant updating of resources can also be done
painlessly by opening an account on video-sharing
websites like YouTube and subscribing to different
channels. Among other resources, songs, cartoons,
adverts, film trailers, news items, language lessons, and
mini-documentaries are the most useful.
Many websites offer useful resources for the
languages classroom but the vast majority of the videos
can be found on large video-sharing sites – again like
YouTube or Daily Motion. It is also worth using video
search engines that cover a range of video-sharing A focus on pronunciation and independence is also
websites (see further information for some links). important. A number of videos can be posted to a blog,
wiki or virtual learning environment to encourage
Preparing online videos
students’ independent language practice.
There are a number of issues to bear in mind while A YouTube channel like Imagier (also for French)
preparing the materials. Video-sharing sites such as
Your Leadership Team
is ideal for this as it concentrates on the pronunciation
YouTube are blocked in many schools. When they are and grammar practice of specific items of vocabulary
not blocked, the school network sometimes limits the and structures.
Headteacher
viewing performance by slowing down to unacceptable some videos can be used as an interesting way
Assistant Headteacher
levels. into a topic. They should feature unexpected pictures/
Another issue can be the quality of the picture information to make students think of the link between
Deputy Headteacher
and/or sound as it can deteriorate sharply while being the video and the likely content of the lesson. They
projected. A large number of videos are also regularly should also encourage students to make the link between
Principal
taken off the site for a variety of reasons. however, different curriculum areas, and therefore consolidate
if the resource has been downloaded, it will remain learning and the transfer of knowledge and skills.
Vice Principal
available for classroom use regardless.
Last but not least, some teachers feel nervous about
What next?
School Business
going live on sites like YouTube because of the potential More and more online tools are being developed to enable
Manager
for accidentally showing unsuitable videos/websites the transcription and translation of online videos in a
being advertised. something to bear in mind. foreign language. This process is still not as straightforward
Bursar
however, there are now many sites enabling online as it could be, but the multiplication of available tools will
videos to be downloaded and although this can be no doubt ease the process in the future. Children Centre
time-consuming, it is an effective way to avoid all The transcription of videos designed for native
Manager
these issues. It is worth noting that downloaders will speakers is a great way to adapt challenging materials
not always work with every online video from every and make them more easily accessible for non-natives.
Education Consultant…
site, which is another reason to check larger sites like Translation can also help making otherwise
YouTube and Daily Motion first to maximise the very linguistically challenging materials accessible
09:29 Page 1
chances of downloading success. to beginners and immersing them in the country’s
culture.
Tips for the classroom
Join by the
Benefits of
membership
The other area for development is to make full use
Turning the sound off, or using videos with very little of the video-sharing websites’ social networking tools 31December
NAHT is an independent trade
dialogue, like some cartoons, can be effective. to find out about more videos from a wide range of
union and professional
using a converter like Zamzar, the video can be target language countries. SecEd 2009 and
association representing over
WRITING
A POLICY
28,500 leaders in education in
saved as a “wav” too. This means you can present the
soundless video first and then play the audio file of the • Isabelle Jones is a qualified translator/interpreter with
receive
How to
make
•
y
Clear
our policie
s:
England, Wales and Northern
• Concise
Ireland across all phases in the
dialogue. students can then use para-linguistic clues 16 years of experience teaching French and Spanish.
to concentrate afterwards on the audio without the She has been a head of modern foreign languages at
a FREE
• Consistent
0-19 age range.
We support our members
distraction of the pictures. The Radclyffe School in Oldham since 2002 and has
As another possibility, when the video makes use of also been teaching French and Spanish in primary
copy of our
through:
• Education management and
captions in the target language, memorisation techniques schools since 2003. She is a regional secondary advisor
can be developed with the support of both the video and for the Association for Language Learning. Read her
publication
employment advice
• Legal support
audio file. Follow-up activities usually include “spot blog at http://isabellejones.blogspot.com
Writing
• Negotiations on pay, conditions
the cognate”, fill-in-the-gap exercises, answering open-
and pensions;
ended questions, multiple-choice quizzes, and finding
Further information
a Policy
Ideas f
or sch
ool lea
dersh
• Influencing educational policy
ip team
s
the meaning of specific key words. Video-sharing sites include www.youtube.com and
making across all phases;
Also, it is a good idea to include “viewing for www.dailymotion.com
worth £15.
• National and local conferences
pleasure” slots in lessons, possibly at the end in order Video search engines covering a range of video-
and local branch networks;
to maintain the image of languages as a subject that is sharing sites include www.blinkx.com and http://
• CPD training programmes and
alive and constantly evolving. fr.fooooo.com
JOIN NOW
bespoke consultancy;
specifically, there are a number of videos that will you Video converters include: Online: www.naht.org.uk/welcome/join-now
• Publications, guidance
documents and
to introduce the cultures of French-speaking countries. • www.zamzar.com
Phone: 01444 472414 to speak to the Membership personalised website;
These videos can be more about the history, geography or • http://keepvid.com
Recruitment Team • Access to wide range of value-
tourist landmarks. Although they will be more accessible • http://kickyoutube.com
in english than in the target language, they may link to • http://vixy.net
Email: joinus@naht.org.uk
added services for individual
members and schools
other activities in the lesson that will revisit in French • http://dlthis.com
what was presented in the video in english. Imagiers: www.imagiers.net/tele
SecEd • December 3 2009 11
10-11 Managing ICT .indd 11 30/11/09 11:29:33
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