I use short, funny video clips a lot when I’m teaching ELLs, and you can read in detail about how I use them in The Best Popular Movies/TV Shows For ESL/EFL (& How To Use Them). In short, there are many ways to use them that promote speaking, listening, writing and reading (including having students describe – in writing and verbally – a chronological description of what they saw).
I’ve also published quite a few “fun videos” lists during the previous ten years of this blog. You can find those in these lists:
The Best Fun Videos For English Language Learners In 2016 – Part Two
The Best Fun Videos For English Language Learners In 2016 – So Far
The Best Fun Videos For English Language Learners In 2015 – Part Two
The Best Fun Videos For English Language Learners In 2015 – So Far
The Best Fun Videos For English Language Learners In 2014 – Part Two
The Best Fun Videos For English Language Learners In 2014 – Part One
The Best Videos For Educators In 2014 – So Far
The Best Fun Videos For English Language Learners In 2013 – Part Two
The Best Fun Videos For English Language Learners In 2013 — So Far
The “All-Time” Best Videos For Educators
The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2012 (Part Two)
The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2012 (Part One)
The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2011
The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2010
Part Two Of The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2009
The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2009
The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2008
The Best Movie Scenes To Use For English-Language Development
The Best Funny Videos Showing The Importance Of Being Bilingual Or Multilingual — Part One
The Best Pink Panther Fight Scenes For English Language Learners
The Best Videos Illustrating Qualities Of A Successful Language Learner
The Best Sports Videos To Use With English Language Learners
The Best Video Clips Of Sneaky Critters
The Best Videos Showing “Thinking Outside The Box” — Help Me Find More
The Best Fun Videos To Teach Language Conventions — Help Me Find More
The Best Funny Videos To Help Teach Grammar – Help Me Find More
The Best Movie Scenes For Halloween
The Best Christmas Videos For English Language Learners – Help Me Find More
The Best Random Acts Of Kindness Videos
Okay, now here are my choices for The Best Fun Videos For English Language Learners In 2017 — So Far:
You’ve probably seen this video on social media already but, if you haven’t, it would be great to show to English Language Learners and have them talk and write about what they saw:
Anu is seven and goes to school in Birmingham. Look what happened when she showed her friends her new sports blade. It’s just gorgeous!🏃♀️ pic.twitter.com/Aa1UlnhlQy
— BBC Midlands Today (@bbcmtd) May 3, 2017
You can read more about it at NPR: ‘Is That Your New Pink Leg?!’: A Girl Is Embraced As She Shows Off Her Prosthesis
Here are two fun videos to show English Language Learners and then have them share verbally and in writing what they saw.
I found them at The TED2017 film festival: Shorts from the conference.
This is an older video, but new to me. Laura Gibbs shared it on Twitter.
It would be fun to show English Language Learners and have them identify the animals and also say what they are doing.
I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Helping Beginner ELLs Learn About Animals.
Coco is a new Pixar movie coming out in October about Dia de Los Muertos.
They just published this delightful short video as part of some PR for the movie, and it would be great to show English Language Learners and have them write and discuss what they saw.
I’m adding it to The Best Movie Scenes For Halloween.
This hilarious BBC interview will be perfect to show English Language Learners and then have them share verbally and in writing what they saw:
Here are two good articles about the video, too:
When the Kids Crash Your BBC Interview is from The New York Times.
Just when I thought I could not love BBC-interview-Dad video any more, @benthompson breaks it down. https://t.co/siM9aRHd6R pic.twitter.com/eMad8bGzWl
— Jessica Lahey (@jesslahey) March 11, 2017
This short video is a commercial (only in the last few seconds), is engaging for everybody, and would be good to show and then have English Language Learners write and talk about what happened.
I’ve shared many Simon’s Cat videos over the years – they’re great to show English Language Learners and then have them discuss and write about what they saw.
Here’s a new one I’m adding to The Best Sites To Learn About Valentine’s Day.
“Hum” is a nice movie about a dishwashing robot and a little bird. It’s a little long (8 minutes), but very accessible to English Language Learners.
Hum from Tom Teller on Vimeo.
Here are some others:
Hi Larry,
Just to let you know that we’ve shortlisted this blog post for this month’s TeachingEnglish blog award and I’ll be putting up a post about it on today’s TeachingEnglish Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/TeachingEnglish.BritishCouncil, if you’d like to check there for comments.
Best,
Ann
Thanks, Ann – I’m honored!