“Shorter, shorter, till there’s left one syllable that claims the whole lot.”

Elias Canetti.

I say video will “eat” textual content as a result of though sustained silent studying will all the time be round, research present outstanding, dramatic shifts within the quantity of pure textual content studying time – simply google “learn much less”.

Regardless of gross sales figures exhibiting individuals are shopping for extra books, it doesn’t imply individuals are studying extra. They aren’t. Nevertheless, figures and information exhibiting an apocalypse of individuals studying much less are fallacious too. It’s what I imply by “eat” relatively than exchange. Video slowly is changing into one thing we learn. Podcasts belong to the video class too and have seen exponential progress. We learn in another way, SSR – sustained silent studying is what’s lowering however we do eat all types of textual content however typically via the type of audio/video. Simply take a look at the progress of Youtube since I made that comment. It’s astonishing. However alas too, individuals will nonetheless SSR however in a lot smaller numbers. That’s all. However I feel it does entail a dramatic shift in public consciousness, that lower.

Beforehand, I’ve written at size on this matter, on my public weblog, evaluating the e book and the video as instructing/studying instruments. It’s a posh challenge. However one factor is for certain, video is and can play a significant function in our instructing – we’re returning to a extra oral type of studying and that is nice for English learners and lecturers specifically.

This submit highlights in a common and matter-of-fact means why video as a studying/instructional medium is on the ascent and print/textual content is on the decline. This submit comes after my lengthy historical past utilizing video, producing instructional video and as a Director of Schooling for a big ed-tech firm and now, a platform – ELT Buzz Video, that I’m dedicated to creating the very best there’s for lecturers/learners of English, given the brand new function and energy of video performs and can play in our lecture rooms.

Right here, let me lay it on the road and lay out the main the reason why, for language studying and instructing – video is within the ascent and far superior to a e book. And the rationale why all lecturers want/should/ought to use video as a instructing medium and support.

#1 Movies Discuss!

Sure, appears apparent doesn’t it? Video has audio that not like the clunky, uneven CDs of the textbook, offers premium contextualization for the learner. You encounter phrases in a visible context, an actual context. When Xmas buying lately, I picked up a e book about 2 inches thick. Every web page had audio! And you might file audio! But it surely was a monster, ugly and awkward. I assumed to myself – why trouble, I’ll simply use video. Additionally, take into consideration skype and videoconferencing – individuals speaking with individuals via video. Textbooks, irrespective of how candy you communicate to them, by no means reply again in any means resembling an actual human. Textbooks will preserve making an attempt however they’ll solely be throwing cash out the language classroom window.

2. College students can’t lose a video

How typically do college students lose a pricey e book? Typically. Cash down the drain. Movies are all the time there, within the cloud, out there and at one’s beck and name. Let’s not neglect – canine can’t eat movies both!

3. Movies scale and that =s $$$$$$

Movies aren’t printed, one after the other by one. They’re on-line and thus, “shared”. This implies they’re cost-effective and may be provided at a decrease value than books. They scale. Video will win out within the dog-eat canine of the academic financial market – no query about that. Even manufacturing prices are lowering astronomically each month.

4. Movies have emotion

I wished to say paralinguistics however emotion covers much more territory and actually is vital. Books simply sit there dry and uninviting. Certain, some good photographs assist however the smile doesn’t transfer, there’s nare a scream or a curse. Video emotes, it pulls you in, it engages the learner and lights up the hippocampus, getting us prepared for the language studying matter. Additional, movies change into private. They’re human to human. Additionally, they arrive in gadgets – netbooks, pads, readers, and telephones, we love and make our personal. Books aren’t attractive and subsequently will stay much less liked.

5. Movies are image-heavy.

Photos are vital to language studying (and so too sound – see level #1). Books can have a number of photographs however movies have lots of per minute. Can’t beat that when it comes to benefiting the language learner, are you able to?

6. The video brings “actuality” into the classroom

The e book is and all the time might be, an approximation of actuality. The video IS actuality (or normally is). The significance of authenticity and connecting the training with speedy, actual goals and functions (thus the significance of purposeful language) is vastly underrated. We study inductively and thru our connection to real-life issues, conditions and environments. Solely this can provide us “recreation time” and permit us to develop as language learners. The e book will all the time fail at this.

7. Movies let freedom reign.

By this, I imply that they don’t impose construction, synthetic construction onto the instructor or learner. They aren’t 1, 2, 3, comply with the strains, paint by numbers in strategy. They aren’t over-engineered to entrap learners into workouts and scopes and sequences. Books as such synthetic artifacts breed dependency – however have you ever ever seen a fluent speaker referencing his/her e book whereas talking? Movies, in distinction, enable learners to go ahead, return, skip, play gradual, play quick, take a look at phrases as wanted, have a translation or not, subtitles or not. They put together us for actuality. Video permits selection – books as printed issues are “my means or the no studying freeway”. Movies let freedom reign.

8. Movies Discuss again.

To return full circle with level one – movies can present assist with pupil manufacturing. Shadowing, the place college students repeat the audio of the video and attempt to copy the speaker, is a robust exercise for learners.

9. College students can produce movies

Certain, college students could make a textbook and different “textual content” tasks nevertheless it takes a rattling very long time and is difficult work. Nevertheless, they will make movies simply and use them for their very own studying. Utilizing their cell telephones, it’s easy as pie. And everyone knows that as we create, we study. Studying is a really constructivist course of. See this stunning pupil instance – Lemon Tree remix.

10 Video is the place it’s at.

Don’t undervalue the facility of a development, a style, what’s scorching. Proper now, whereas I’ve been typing this submit, 36,000 hours of video have been uploaded to Youtube (1200 hours / min. x 30 min). College students are visible learners, their eyes and brains meet actuality with a unique consciousness. This can have vital results/impacts and we’d do effectively to notice this development and prepare for the longer term which is video studying. It’s coming, irrespective of how a lot we bury our personal and our pupil’s heads into books…..

Think about you might be instructing a Billy Collin’s poem. Let’s say “Budapest”. Would you need to use a e book, simply the phrases or use this video?