Keys to Making Videos
Comprehensible to MLs
By Tan Huynh
Huynh recalls his enjoyment of watching videos in the classroom when he was young. He also mentioned how effective they were for understanding different topics.
As a teacher, however, he has found that “despite their visual nature, explainer videos are also challenging for MLs because of the dense academic language, the rapid speaking pace, the large amount of content covered, and the extensive background knowledge required to understand them.”
In this blog, Huynh offers examples of three steps that he uses to ensure that videos can be a learning experience for MLs.
- Activate background knowledge – Choose a 5-10 minute video or part of a video with a lot of visuals and reasonably paced speech. Then focus on the main concept and connect it to a current relevant experience that might be familiar to the students. If students do not have direct experience with the concept, ask a question that taps into their general knowledge.
- Pause periodically – Stopping the video enables MLs to process chunks of information so they can remember the details. When possible, turn on the subtitles, and play the video a little more slowly. During these pauses, offer additional explanations while students take notes or draw sketches to reinforce the content.
- Synthesize the video. After completing the video, have students work in small groups using their notes to write a short paragraph about the topic. Provide sentence starters that help students focus on the main concepts.
Following these steps can make videos “a highly effective and engaging way to teach abstract content. Helpful illustrations and animations from TV and web snippets increase the comprehensibility of the academic content.”
“Activities like mapping, sketching, and sculpting can help students clarify ideas—and deepen their literary analysis skills.”