activities to support comprehension of authentic videos - part two

TV

a) PRE-WATCHING/DURING WATCHING: 


> predicting:

Whispering partners: as students watch the video, if they think they know what’s going to happen, they whisper it to their partner. This task reflects authentic experience when watching videos involving an element of suspense or comedy.

play from 3.20:

play from 1.00:



Worst Week of My Life: BBC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81Q3XQyMCrg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNkQFKlj_Ag

b) POST-WATCHING 


> task types:

to cope with challenging authentic ‘chunks’:

1 Who says this? Howard (H), Eve (E) or Mel (M)?

a) ‘It’s been in Mel’s family for 150 years. They have this rather charming tradition where they (uh) pass it down from generation to generation.’

b) ‘I always wanted a fairy-tale wedding of my own.’ etc.

to focus on useful phrases and chunks for language development:

2 Listen and underline the correct alternative.

a) Try it / Try it on. See what it feels like.

b) I’ve got to rush / dash.

to exploit the dramatic/emotional/affective aspect of the extract:

3 Complete the sentences about how the characters felt.

a) Mel is worried about...

b) Eve is impressed when she sees... etc.

c) POST-WATCHING 


> focus on comprehension, then speaking: 

In the Hot Seat: Ask learners to adopt a character from the video and assume their identity. They watch and then in same-role groups describe what happened, how they felt, what they’re going to do next, what happened before the incident, as relevant. They also write questions for other characters.    Volunteers then come to the front of the class or their group to sit 'in the hot seat' where they can be quizzed or interviewed by the rest. (Thanks to Jane Sherman who showed this activity many moons ago).

Dubbing: turn the sound down and students ad lib their character’s part.

From notes provided by Frances Eales, author of Speak Out! (Pearson):

'Using Videos and Podcasts - The Real World in the Classroom'
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