Dear English Teachers,

As diverse as we all are, I contend we share at least one thing in common: a desire to bring the outside world into the classroom. From textbook role-plays to magazine clippings to VHS recordings, we are about REALIA. How exciting it is, then, to be teaching at a point in history when—thanks to the spread of the Internet—we no longer have to make the same effort to integrate it into our lessons. The very term realia will likely disappear soon from ELT as teachers and students alike take using materials from the “real world” for granted. And, increasingly, the format these materials are in is video.

The big news is not that video is a powerful tool for language learning. In 2002, esteemed VDMIS member Johanna E. Katchen wrote, "Language teachers have been using video technologies for at least the past twenty years. From videotapes to DVDs and streaming video from the Internet, the visual mode is still powerful and popular" (2002). What's unprecedented is (1) how much video is being created and shared and (2) how easy it is to have access to this video content to use in and out of the classroom.

That video is exploding as a means of creating and sharing content in education—and in language education in particular—is no accident. Is there a better source of authentic language input out there? Is there an activity more authentic than watching and discussing a video? Is there an easier way to teach and learn about culture? And so on.

This March in Toronto, the members of the Video and Digital Media Interest Section are excited to share with you ways of teaching with video to inspire your students and enhance their English learning. We hope you will join us!

Peace and respect,

Jason R. Levine

Reference

Katchen, J. E. (2002). "Can students learn English with "The X-Files"?" Proceedings of the 2002 KATE International Conference, 256–259.

Jason R. Levine has been teaching, training, and creating content in English language teaching for the past 18 years. He designs and runs free and open courses for teachers and students around the world. He believes the best way to build a base of knowledge in a foreign language is to follow the 3Rs: Relax, Repeat, Remember; when activities are engaging and provide multiple exposures to target language, we're more likely to remember language with accuracy and use it with fluency. Through this, the communicative goals can then be achieved. His courses and material are available online.