Using the Viewpoint video lessons in Business Result Second Edition

Viewpoint video lessons in Business for key words and try to say what they think is being
Result Second Edition shown on the screen.
For many teachers nowadays, video is a normal part of their • With videos that show lots of different locations or
everyday classroom life because it’s easy to incorporate actions, such as parts of a company or a factory process,
into their lessons and there is such a range of video write the names of around eight to ten places, objects or
content available. From a language teaching point of view, actions on the board. Students watch and number them
video brings so much to a lesson. It can change the pace in the order they are seen. This is a useful lead-in activity
and dynamic of a lesson. Unlike audio on its own, video or an opportunity to pre-teach key vocabulary.
adds context to a listening exercise; it allows us to see the • If you think an interview or narration might be very
speaker’s face and body language when they talk or to look challenging for the level of your students, consider
at their surroundings as they describe their work. turning the subtitles on so students can read and listen
To aid your use of video in the Business English classroom, while watching. Also plan to pause a longer video at
Business Result Second Edition has developed a series of its certain points and replay a section where necessary.
own video-based material called Viewpoints, which you will • If you think there are some interesting language points
find after every third unit of the Student’s Book. in the videos which aren’t covered within the Viewpoint
Each Viewpoint lesson relates to the content of the lesson, you can write alternative questions for the students
preceding Student’s Book units and develops the lesson to answer while watching the video. This can also be
by getting students to watch and respond to a number of helpful if you think the video content might be a bit too
short videos, before moving on to a communicative task challenging for weaker students, as you can write questions
based on the theme of the Viewpoint lesson. to make the content more accessible to their level.
Business Result Second Edition provides easy and flexible • With one-to-one classes and small groups you can also
access to the Viewpoint videos, which can either be played put the students in charge of stopping and starting the
directly from the DVD in the Teacher’s Book, or you can video where they feel they need to watch and listen to
download or stream them from the teacher’s resources in something more than once.
the Online Practice.
Creating video with your students
How a Viewpoint lesson is structured Another way to vary and extend your Viewpoint lessons is
Each Viewpoint lesson is based around a business topic and to ask students to create their own videos. Most students
aims to teach students something new about business have the ability to record video on a mobile device or
whilst also developing different business language have access to a video camera so it’s often a very practical
skills. The lessons bring together different video formats option. Although you might not want to use classroom
including interviews, documentaries and presentations. The time to make videos, you could set it as a homework task.
initial Focus section usually starts with a short discussion Here are a few ways which will logically follow on from
task to find out what students already know about a topic. some of the Viewpoint lessons.
Next, there are some shorter ‘Vox Pop’ video interviews • Students could record an aspect of their work and
with people discussing the topic. This opening section is describe what is happening while they are filming; for
always followed by one or two longer videos; at this middle example, they could film a production process in their
stage students watch and check their understanding. They factory or show the viewer around their place of work
also formally learn and practise the new vocabulary that is and talk about what they can see.
used in the main video. Every Viewpoint lesson ends with a • Many of the Viewpoint lessons include interviews, so
communicative task which involves collaborative pair work your students could make their own interviews by
or group work in which students carry out a task related to talking to someone they work with. They could re-use
the content of the main video. some of the interview questions in the Viewpoint lesson
by asking their work colleagues the same questions and
Ways to vary a Viewpoint lesson recording their answers.
As with any type of lesson in the Student’s Book, you • If your students often give presentations, video is a
can always adapt the Viewpoint lessons to suit your great way to develop their presenting skills. They can
own situation and context. There are many ways record their presentation on a topic and watch it back to
to vary the use of the video material and you’ll find analyse their own performance.
suggestions for each Viewpoint lesson in the Teacher’s • If your students have a particular area of business
Book. Further ideas for exploiting video are: expertise, ask them to prepare a talk about their
• With videos that show speakers in certain locations, it’s specialist field and video it at home, using the webcam
often useful to play the video first with the sound off on their laptop or tablet. Also ask them to write a few
and ask students to watch and then predict what they comprehension questions to accompany the video.
think the speaker is talking about. This will help them Then they show the video in class and the other students
to think about what is said before they try to listen and have to answer the questions. In effect, your students are
understand. Alternatively, play the video with the screen creating their own Viewpoint style lessons for their peers.
off and students just listen. Encourage students to listen If the videos are really good, ask the students for their
permission to use them with all your other classes!

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