If you like learning English by watching movies or films check out the Video Clips at the bottom right of this page. The EFL (English as a Foreign Language)
teaching or learning materials offered here are designed for use by classroom
teachers as well as for independent language learners. Both independent learners
and teachers of English as a Foreign Language can find an awful lot of
resources available on the internet, free of charge. Unfortunately a huge
number of these free resources are exceptionally dull, of terrible quality or
come with little or no support as to how they can or should be used: as
powerful teaching or learning tools. The
resources we (www.tubedubedu.com) offer are described in terms of their
strengths and weaknesses, yet they are of a guaranteed quality in terms of
production as well as content, and come with guidance as to how these resources
can be most effectively used for independent language learners or classroom
teachers
According to research, a number of factors
make EFL learning materials effective, including their perceived relevance to
the user, being of an appropriate level for the stage of learning of the user, containing
appropriate target language or tasks the user intends to master, as well as
being of interest and fun to use. lt is probably true to say that most learners
view teaching resources from a different perspective to teachers, and vice
versa, so we (www.tubedubedu.com) provide information about the resources that
we think will be of interest to both learners and teachers.
Generally speaking, there are a few key
factors that determine whether or not language learners succeed or not.
Firstly, learners who are interested in, if not thoroughly engrossed by their learning
materials are more likely to learn and retain what they have learned than those
who are not. Secondly, learners who see the learning materials as relevant to their
needs and who sufficiently understand the content, learn well. While both of these factors are incredibly
important for all learners, independent language learners need to know how to
use the materials effectively, without the guidance of an actual teacher. This
is something we focus on in the presentation of our learning resources.
Teachers, on the other hand, may consider
other features and factors in their choices of teaching materials, as well as
those considered by learners. Some of the most important factors that teachers
may consider include the relevance of the language contained in the teaching
resource with reference to the target language of the lesson, the level of
difficulty their students might find with the material as a whole, whether or
how the material fits the teaching objectives of a particular lesson, and
ultimately how that material can best be presented and used for effective
learning by their students.
Very few resources engage people more than
video or interactive programmes and so our reviews are mostly of these types of
materials. Attempts to create successful videos for the EFL market have often
fallen short of the mark, in one aspect or another. Understandably, publishers
try to neatly capture certain aspects of language and focus on these in their
books and videos, but without realistic context for the target language or appropriate,
realistic supporting language the target language cannot be learnt as it should:
within an appropriate, realistic context supported by other realistic language.
The content of many EFL videos is built around language functions or specific situations
where those language functions are deemed to be used, such as language considered
appropriate for business meetings within the context of the business meeting. Of
course, anyone who has attended a business meeting probably agrees that even if
some of the stereotypical ‘meetings phrases’ which are taught in EFL class rooms
are used, there is also a lot of other language which is not typically taught. Other EFL videos are intended to fit with specific
language courses, or are tied to a series of text books. This can mean that the
videos contain the target language again and again, which creates forced, unrealistic
dialogues. In short, many videos produced by language experts or educational
publishers aim to replicate specific target language to create a focus and
purpose to the video, which unfortunately in many cases does not recreate
realistic conversations and sometimes teaches language in ways that are
inappropriate for the real world. Consequently, many of the resources available
on the internet are at best ineffective, at worst abandoned or ignored.
The video clips we have chosen to review here
are, at worst, exceptionally well-scripted, professionally produced, sometimes
award winning pieces; while at best they are natural, realistic, unscripted, reflections
of the real world. In all cases they do a much better job at providing EFL
learners with realistic, natural, language placed within a variety of contexts,
including some of those contexts that EFL publishers attempt to master, than the
vast majority of designed-for-purpose EFL instructional videos. Among the
videos we analyse in terms of the English language and culture there are Hollywood
or independently-made films, documentaries,
panel discussions, interviews and public speeches, as well as other monologues
or dialogues that we think would be useful to someone learning the English
language and the peculiar ways of native English speakers.
Our selected video materials
were clearly not created to stress a particular language point, but rather to
reflect language as it is really used. That does not mean that there are not
useful, valid language and culture points to find and focus on as you view them, it simply means
that the language is used in order to communicate a relevant message. Doubters
may argue that scripted films are not a true reflection of reality, but in response
ask yourself how easily we are fooled by the power of such films into believing
they are true. How many times do our emotions get the better of us when we are
at the cinema, or snuggled in front of the screen at home? If the message communicated in these scripted
films appears that real, the script-writers arguably have done an excellent job
and we have been fooled into thinking that the characters and their words are
real. That level of realism is good enough for most of us I think, don’t you?
Why not take a look at some of the reviews, try some of the video links, then
make your own judgement as to whether these clips are more useful, relevant,
fun and ‘educational’ than the EFL specific educational videos you have watched
in your classroom, or as part of an expensive course.
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