Audience/level: teachers of high school, university, or adult English language learners (ELLs), especially upper-intermediate- to advanced-level students

Why Bother With YouTube?

In the process of acquiring listening skills, students must be encouraged to spend time simply listening to the target language. They can’t hit replay on real-life conversations, but they can on YouTube. Whether students have access to thousands of native English speakers every day or you are the only native speaker they typically encounter, YouTube can supplement the content of your class. Follow these steps to create your own YouTube lessons.

How Do You Comb Through the Sea of YouTube Videos to Find Anything Useful?

Step 1: Select a topic—be specific rather than general. Let’s say you’re teaching a conversation course and students are interested in preparing for job interviews.

Step 2: On YouTube, enter a search for “job interview questions and answers.”

Step 3: Before you try to preview anything, immediately screen out options that are longer than 3 or 4 minutes. Compact length helps ensure that students won’t be overwhelmed by content that is too long or verbose. They will also be more likely to listen all the way through a second or third time if necessary.

Step 4: Screen for videos in which the still image has a professional look. Sound quality is likely to be better if the visual quality is also high.

Step 5: Start screening by listening to the first 10 seconds of videos whose titles match the content you’re looking for. You’ve probably got a winner if the video features the following:

• authentic speech (as opposed to slowed-down conversations that you often hear in your ESL/EFL listening curriculum)
• native speakers of English
• the type of accent (e.g., American, British) you’re looking for

Step 6: As you listen all the way through the video, jot down some comprehension questions for students to discuss after they view it. Then compose two or three questions to prime students before they watch it.

Step 7: Decide when and how to present the listening assignment:

• You could copy and paste the video’s URL along with your before and after questions in an email to students to watch for homework.
• In some countries, Facebook is more frequented by students than email, so you may choose to use your language center’s Facebook page.
• If you have lots of time to prepare, you could post all links and questions in an online syllabus before the term begins.

Who Benefits From YouTube in the EL Classroom?

• students with limited opportunities for interaction with native English speakers
• students in courses that focus on conversation, listening/speaking, fluency, English through film, English through music, business English, or U.S. culture
• high school, university, or adult ELLs
• upper level beginning- to advanced-level ELLs

However you choose to connect students with your listening lessons, two things are key. First, make sure everyone has had a chance to watch the video on his or her own. If not, showing it once again in class would be worth it (remember, it’s under 4 minutes anyway!). Second, debrief the discussion questions together. You can have students respond to the questions in pairs, in small groups, or as a whole class. You can even provide a typed-out transcript for further analysis.

Finally, iPhones and other gadgets enable students to take this type of lesson on the go. The more you can get them to listen to English, the better they’ll be able to listen, comprehend, and respond.

Rachel Stokes is currently director of the English Studies Department at the Consortium for Global Education, in Amman, Jordan. She has also taught in Canada, Japan, and the United States. See a sample YouTube lesson on her website.