Making videos - English conversation games and activities for all levels

49 ESL Conversation Games & Activities - Jackie Bolen 2020

Making videos
English conversation games and activities for all levels

Skill: Speaking/Listening

Time: 1-5 hours

Level: Beginner to Advanced

Materials Required: Smartphone and/or computer

For my conversation classes, I rarely give the students written homework. It doesn't really make sense and it seems far better to me that my students have to practice speaking. Plus, at least in Korea, everybody loves using their Smartphone so this gives my students another excuse to do this.

I base the homework on whatever I'm teaching. For example, in one of my higher level classes we were talking about good and bad manners, so I had my students choose a specific situation (going to someone's home, at a coffee shop, eating out, etc.) and explain what things you should and shouldn't do. I strongly recommended that students actually go to that location to make the videos!

For lower level students, I've done things like telling students to introduce themselves and then given a few topics that they have to cover such as family, hobbies and hopes for the future.

It's really easy for the students to upload the videos on YouTube and then send the link so you can watch and evaluate them. To make this into a conversation activity, require that students do this video with another person. If it's a person in the same class, the requirements are usually slightly higher (for example, five minutes instead of three). But, they could also do it with anybody outside the class. I've had students get their families, little brothers or sisters, girlfriends or boyfriends, international students they know in their dormitory, and even random people on the street to help them.

The videos are usually really funny and interesting and it's homework that I truly don't mind grading. I encourage creativity and fun and allow my students to veer a little bit off the requirements. I don't grade the videos strictly and generally 99% of students get the full points for this homework assignment. My main goal is that students have some fun with English and get some additional practice speaking outside of my class.

Teaching Tips:

Even if not stellar at using technology, chances are that your students mostly are, especially if they are teenagers or university students so don't let this hinder you. I've found that even the mature students in my classes could figure it out, usually by asking their own teenagers or students (many of them are teachers themselves.) Of course, put up your own video on YouTube first so you at least have a basic idea of the process. If students are having particular problems, I recommend instructing them to Google it in their own language because the question has surely been answered already.

I never give additional points or take away points for things like poor sound or lighting quality as long as I can see and hear them. I instead focus on English use, since it's an English class and not a video making or editing one. That said, if a student uses their creative powers and goes above and beyond what the other students have done, I'll usually give them a bonus point or two and even ask them if I could show their video in class to the other students.

Some students worry about privacy issues so I always mention that I'll grade the videos very quickly (within a day) and as soon as they get an email from me with my comment, they can delete the video. Another option is to have students send you the video itself by email or upload it to a shared Google Drive or DropBox account.

Here are three examples of video homework assignments I've given to my advanced conversation students:

Introduce Yourself Video

Good and Bad Manners in Korea

Rules and Regulations in Korea

Tips for increasing interaction:

If the goal is lots of interaction, require that students do this activity with a partner. However, I usually don't require that it's someone in the class. They can find anyone (family member, friend, classmate, etc.) who is willing to do it with them.

Also see the second and third options under point three below that are quite interactive ways to watch the videos.

Procedure:

1. Decide on the criteria for the video: alone/partner/group, length, topic, etc.

2. Explain the criteria very clearly to your students and either have them work on it in class or for homework.

3. Students can upload the video to youtube and then send the link to the teacher. There are three options for watching the videos:

✵ The teacher watches them and writes comments for the students.

✵ Watch them in class, with an optional Q&A time.

✵ Students watch each other's videos outside of class and leave a comment. I do not recommend this option for teenagers due to the bullying factor. However, it works quite well with university students and adults.