Video Production in ESL/EFL Classrooms

 

Nowadays, technology is an essential part of the education. It can promote successful language learning and acquisition. Educators should invest the learners’ technological interests in developing their proficiency level. In ESL/ EFL classrooms, students usually perform role playing activities, which can be used in videotaping to engage the learners in an active language use. It provides them with the opportunity to work on their pronunciation and improve it. To start the video production, we need to have a good storyboarding. This raises the awareness of the learners about the meaning and the usage of the target language. Then we take different shots such as full shot, medium shot, long shot and close up, to start the editing process. This editing stage is an extremely creative project by itself. In this stage, we need to figure out what works for our project. Moreover, we add the sound tracks and try to make the shots as attractive as possible to focus the attention of the viewer on the importance of the video. However, this project is time consuming, whether it is being produced by the teachers or the students, because it demands long hours to be completed and presented.

Additionally, the technical problems may be frustrating. For example, this is the first time I and my sister use I-Movie video editing software to create our video. Indeed, we took our shots based on a storyboarding, but we ended up editing shots that were taken by us previously in different events. We could not import our main shots to the computer, because of some technical problems. Eventually, we decided to change the shots to export our video and present it on time. Finally, I think using this type of technology in ESL/EFL classrooms may increase the students’ self confidence and motivation. It may also encourage the group work inside and outside the classroom. On the other hand, it may be a real time consuming project, if the students do not have enough technical and tutorial instructions.