Making videos with learners is something I’m getting really interested in at the moment. But of course there is so much to learn!
Here I have embedded a video featured on ‘Island Voices’ a web site that documents life in the Hebrides lying off the north west coast of Scotland. Gordon Wells who has created the site writes about how and why a group of ESOL learners created the video.
This was a project for English language learners from Poland and Latvia who wanted to make a film about their life and work here in the Hebrides.
First of all they had to agree the contents of the film, and what sort of pictures they wanted – scenery, animal life, the places where they lived and worked, and particularly the different things their work involved. Then they borrowed the camera to take the pictures. After that they edited a picture sequence together using Windows Movie Maker, simultaneously developing IT and language skills.
Finally, the learners themselves scripted the voiceover commentary (with some help from teachers) and recorded the narration. All in all, it was a very fruitful learning process which helped to build the learners’ confidence in using the language in new situations.
It’s this kind of work we want to develop bilingually in the next stage of the Island Voices project – recognising also that, for some, audio recording or written work will be a more comfortable jumping off point. Am Pàipear is Community Newspaper of the Year again. Wouldn’t it be good to see multimedia materials from the community on their site!
I think this video work is really great – why? Because it really lets the learners say something about their lives and who they are. I fully plan to do some of this next year, when I have time! If you have got any suggestions on how to make videos etc, would love to hear from you 
Further Resources from teachertrainingvideos. com
Windows Moviemaker: Tutorial 1 Tutorial 2 Tutorial 3
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Thanks for the mention! We seem to be on the same wavelength… This approach doesn’t work just for language learners, of course. But it does offer another point of contact whereby both long-settled and new community members can meet, work together, and find out more about each other. Here’s another example from the local day centre for adults with learning difficulties or needs:
http://guthan.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/community-adaptations/
This has proved very popular in the community. It gives people an insight into a local centre of which we’re all aware, but don’t necessarily know much about. Donald’s voiceover gives the piece real immediacy. He’s a star – and currently on the front page of Am Pàipear’s website.