Film and audio clips can engage learners, increase listening comprehension, and foster interpreting skills as we expose learners to real-life contexts of how language works. Through a wide range of interactive approaches, teachers can arouse curiosity, encourage active engagement, and facilitate language learning. We list some ways to turn seemingly simple activities of watching and listening into potent language-learning practices.
Strategies for Activating Predictive Responses in Students:
Creating anticipation is one way to grab students’ attention. Prediction activities require students to actively think about what they see and hear, honing their inference skills.
- Silent Viewing (for Language on the Screen):
Show a video clip without sound and have students guess the topic. In one scene, for example, students could infer whether the characters were arguing, negotiating, or brainstorming. This technique also encourages the discovery of the nuances of body language, facial expressions, and gestures, which are features of communication skills.
- Silent Viewing (for Music):
Show a short segment from a film while muting the audio and have students suggest appropriate music for the scene. For instance, a romantic moment might generate ideas for a soft, melodic piece, while a suspenseful scene might lead students to suggest tense, dramatic music. After revealing the original sound, students can check whether their choice matched the filmmaker’s intention.
Interactive Video Tools for Language Practice:
Using video features like pausing, partial views, or forward encourages students to reflect and speculate on what they observe.
- Freeze Frame:
Freeze a video at a pivotal moment and have students predict what will happen next. For example, freeze the frame before a character walks through a mysterious door. Students can theorize what could be at play or how the character might respond. That can also be a tool to describe what happened, developing critical thinking.
- Partial Viewing:
Use paper or cards to cover parts of the screen, showing some parts of the image. Or, show only the edges of the scene and have students guess what is taking place in the middle. For example, students might predict an outdoor adventure or hiking scene if they see mountains in the background. Such an activity raises impertinence and keeps innovative thinking going.
- Fast Forward:
Play a video clip at high speed without audio afterward, and have students explain what they believe the scene was about. The concerns about erratic movements might lead students to realize that the sequence may involve a chase or a high-energy activity. The approach encourages acute attention and rapid logic.
Audio-Focused Techniques:
Auditory tasks eliminate visual ones and require students to focus on what they hear to interpolate and visualize the content.
- Listen Without Pictures (Language):
How to do it? Play a dialogue, but keep the visuals hidden. Students can try to guess the setting (for example, a restaurant or an office), the relationship between speakers (for example, friends and colleagues), or their emotions. Alternatively, students will play roles based on their guesses to extend the activity.
- Listening Without Pictures (Music):
Play an audio clip of a strong music track and ask students what sort of scene they envision that music might accompany. The tempo can suggest the pace of a scene — a fast rhythm can imply a scene of racing or action, while a mellow tune might connote a moment of peace or contemplation.
- Image-free Listening (Sound Effects):
Create mini-stories using sound effects. Play the sounds of creaking doors, footsteps echoing, or waves crashing, and then have students interpret what they think might be happening. For example, students could hear the sounds of typing and ringing phones and guess it’s a busy office.
Integrating Graphics and text:
Using a combination of visual and verbal elements helps students practice receptive and productive language skills.
- Picture or Speech:
Split the class into two groups. One group watches a video, and the other group turns their back. The watching group describes the scene to their peers, who attempt to guess what is taking place. That compels the viewers to be exact and articulate, boosting the descriptive vocabulary.
- Subtitles:
Examine a video with subtitles and have students compare the spoken word to the written text. Introduce the clip by playing it without sound and having students guess the English translation of the subtitles if they are in their native language. This exercise improves listening skills and expands vocabulary.
Storytelling with Videos:
Inquiring with video-based storytelling activities combines creativity with language practice.
- Videotelling:
Provide clues about a video clip and ask students to guess the story. To illustrate, display an image of a character with an umbrella and a prompt to imagine that situation. Students then compare their predictions against events from the video and retell the story in their own words, practicing their narrative muscles.
Music as a Classroom Tool:
Music can help set the tone for a lesson or provide a fun way to introduce a new language.
- The Sound of Music:
Cue background music to set the scene for an activity. For instance, classical music can create a peaceful space for reflective writing, and vivacious tunes can increase the energy in small-group discussions. Songs with subject-related lyrics can also function as texts for listening, comprehension, or vocabulary-building activities.
These strategies employ creative viewing and listening techniques that transform everyday, mundane activities into exciting, active experiences. These techniques engage you, drawing on language and stimulating predictions, analysis, and storytelling, all of which support language and are fun!
Source: How to Teach English: Jeremy Harmer (New Edition)
