March Treasure Hunt: Video for Self Access

Here is a list of good video sites that could be used for self access by learners.

First is Randall’s Cyber Listening Lounge. I think many people are familiar with this site for listening practice, but recently Randall Davis, who manages the site and the content, has added some videos for culture learning. As with the other activities on the site, the content is well organized and there are activities to promote learning. Much of the video content itself is not really exciting, but it often is connected to other listening content on the site, making it very useful for lower-level learners.

English for All is another well-organized site with high quality videos (maybe too high in quality, and the large file sizes sometimes cause streaming problems). But there are twenty lessons on different life skills with a variety of activities. You can register as a teacher and create a “classroom” for your learners and monitor their progress. The site is probably more appropriate for college learners or adults.

Real English has a large number of videos especially appropriate for lower level learners and younger learners. You’ll find videos connected to many of the topics in language learning textbooks here (greetings, directions, etc.) . I think the site might be a good place to send learners for a little controlled real world listening practice.

And I’ve  introduced it before, but my favorite video site at the moment is English Central. Great for listening and pronunciation practice. New features are being added regularly.