Videos can be an effective tool for language teaching when used appropriately. They provide visual context that helps learners comprehend the target language. Videos expose learners to authentic examples of speech patterns, vocabulary, and cultural situations. However, videos are only useful if they are relevant to the lesson, at an appropriate language level, and not too distracting or long. Teachers should select short video clips with clear beginnings, middles, and ends to focus on specific language or skills.

1. Using videos in the Foreign Language Class Module: Teaching with Technology Instructor: Leandro Costa

2. What’s a video? A video is at best defined as the selection and sequence of messages in an audio-visual context.

3. Canning-Wilson (2000) claims that the use of illustrations, visuals, pictures, perceptions, mental images, figures, impressions, likenesses, cartoons, charts, graphs, colors, replicas, reproductions, or anything else used to help one see an immediate meaning in the language may benefit the learner by helping to clarify the message, provided the visual works in a positive way to enhance or supplement the language point.

4. Besides that, her research shows that… The learner can see immediate meaning in terms of vocabulary recognition in the first language . Visuals can be used to help enhance the meaning of the message trying to be conveyed by the speakers through the use of paralinguistic cues.

5. What are the practical implications of using video in the classroom? Video provides visual stimuli such as the environment and this can lead to and generate prediction, speculation and a chance to activate background schemata when viewing a visual scene reenacted Language found in videos could help nonnative speakers understand stress patterns.

6. Videos allow the learner to see body rhythm and speech rhythm in second language discourse through the use of authentic language and speed of speech in various situations. They can create a solid link between the materials being learned and the practical application of it in a testing situation

7. Videos can lower anxiety when practicing the skill of listening.

8. When videos are effective When they show reasonable judgement and enhance comprehension; When they heighten sensory acuteness; When they illustrate and contextualize the target language being used; When they don’t have distracters, over-crowded or violent stimuli. When they provide illustrations of culturally relevant situations;

9. When videos are NOT efective When it uses stereotypes When it is a poor reproduction When the picture is too far away from the text illustration; When the sound quality is poor.

10. When it’s culturally irrelevant. When the language used is above students’ level. When there’s no meaningful task to be accomplished. When it’s too long or too short in a way that the ‘plot’ can not be understood.

11. Some possible ways to use videos: Use short, up-to-10-minute segments. Choose scenes that clearly have a beginning, some plot development and an ending.

12. Preferably choose segments that can either promote skill work - through discussions and writing, besides the already inherent listening work - or language work (vocabulary and grammar). Choose a clear skill or language focus. In case you decide to work with both, clearly segment the class or handout.

13. Weigh decisions such as: Whether to use captions or not; The number of times you will play the video; If the class will be divided into groups that will see different segments or not; If there’s going to be silent viewing or not. If paralinguistic cues are to be called attention to or not.

14. Every decision you make will require you to (re) consider: Material Time allocation Video segment Seating arrangement Equipment Pre and Post activities Your beliefs Other?