Selecting Youtube videos for authentic content

DigCompEdu Competence area

2.1 Selecting digital resources

Progression Level

Integrator (B1)

Minimum digital skills level of Students

A2

Minimum digital skills level of Educators

B1

Learning/Teaching situation

The recipe is for trainers that want to use authentic, fun content in their classes with audio and video features. It is useful in listening comprehension.

Target group

Classroom teachers/online teachers.

Ingredients

  • PC/laptop/smartphome
  • Internet connection
  • Word/Pages/Google Drive document to prepare vocabulary list
  • Word/Pages/Google Drive document to prepare vocabulary list
  • Optional: Speakers / screen to present the video to the class (HDMI cable)
  • Optional: Printer (either share the vocabulary list by email or a printed copy)

Description

This recipe enables trainers to select YouTube videos to implement authentic content in their classrooms. YouTube videos can be used to practice listening comprehension, master different accents, and present genuine English conversations to their students. Online videos are free and useful resources to strengthen students’ vocabulary and listening skills.

How to do it (step by step)

Step 1

 

Before you start, make sure you think about what’s the point of this video? What vocabulary or situation do you want your students to learn about? This sample lesson’s topic is “At the Grocery Store”

Go to www.youtube.com

Step 2

Choose an appropriate video based on your lesson’s topic; on YouTube you can easily search videos based on key words. For this lesson, I chose the topic “At the Grocery store”: search words like “English beginner at the grocery store”

Step 3

Watch a few videos and determine what fits best for your lesson.

Step 4

Pick a short video (2-3 minutes), or prepare breaks for exercises in between a longer video.

Step 5

Watch the video and take down vocabulary words and phrases you want your students to learn.

Step 6

Prepare the vocabulary and phrase list on a Microsoft Word document.

Step 7

Click on “Share” and copy the link for the video.

Step 8

Paste the link to the document so students can reference it on their own https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u55rQUs_6XQ

There is more…

Before you select the video, think why and how you want to use it. Is the goal of the lesson to practice new vocabulary? Is it to present specific genuine situations like going to the bank or to the supermarket? The video must be relevant to your lesson!

Please note that you check the sharing rights of the video. If you are just using it in your classroom, and not for commercial reasons, it is legal to share the videos.

See Also