Using video in Eyes Open

Using video in the classroom can often appear to be something of a Finally, video can be a great source of information and provides
challenge, especially if the necessary equipment isn’t always available. learners with the content for subsequent tasks such as project
But teachers who use video report increased levels of motivation and work. The factual nature of Discovery EducationTM provides a very
enthusiasm in students. useful tool when teaching CLIL (Content and Language Integrated
Eyes Open offers four video clips per unit, a total of 32 sequences Learning), in which students learn academic subjects in English.
in the course. These high-quality clips have been produced in For more detailed information about use of videos in Eyes Open and
collaboration with Discovery EducationTM. The Discovery EducationTM extra worksheets, see pages 124–139.
footage has been edited by Cambridge University Press to meet the
needs of the secondary classroom and the audio has been specially Videos in Eyes Open
written to fit the syllabus and level of the students. Our approach to integrating video into Cambridge’s new secondary
The clips maintain the appeal and exciting content of all Discovery course, Eyes Open, was to adapt authentic material from Discovery
EducationTM videos, featuring a wide variety of countries from around EducationTM. The content and subject matter of these videos is
the world (both English and non-English speaking). The themes have ideal for the secondary school classroom. Learners of this age are
been carefully selected to appeal to learners in the target age range. curious about the world and keen to learn about different cultures,
They often focus on aspects of teenagers’ lives around the world and natural history and people of their own age around the globe. Many
inspire learners to continue to explore the topics in the videos outside teenagers also watch similar documentary-style programmes outside
the classroom. the classroom. The videos in Eyes Open are short and fast-paced,
with plenty to engage the teenage viewer without overloading them
The videos can be used as much or as little as the teacher chooses.
with information.
In the Teacher’s Book, each video is accompanied by a number of
suggested exercises which can be completed in a short time within The voiceovers in the videos are delivered in a clear, concise manner
the course of a normal class. The Student’s DVD-ROM, which with language specially graded to match the syllabus and to reflect
accompanies the Student’s Book, contains all 32 videos from the what students have learned up to each point on the course. By
course as well as interactive exercises which students can complete providing subtitles in a simplified storyboard format, we have added
while watching the videos. Extra ideas for building on the content and an extra aid to student comprehension which teachers can make use
themes of the videos are provided in the Teacher’s Book. If the teacher of should the need arise.
prefers to make a full lesson out of the video, he/she can print out the There are four videos in each unit of Eyes Open. Video sections
corresponding worksheets from the Presentation Plus software. can be found on the Language focus 1 page, the Discover Culture
page, the Speaking page and the CLIL page at the back of the book.

Video in the classroom: Discovery EducationTM video supplements and extends the unit
themes throughout the course. With a strong cultural focus and a
Ben Goldstein variety of topics from countries around the world, these videos act as
a way to encourage intercultural awareness and lead students to seek
Why video? out similarities and differences between their own culture and other
Video is becoming the primary means of information presentation cultures around the world.
in digital global media. Recent statistics suggest that 90% of The videos which accompany the CLIL pages at the back of the
Internet traffic is video-based. Because of this, teaching a language book are an ideal complement to the content being taught in class.
through text and image alone may not completely reflect how Subjects such as Science, Maths and History are brought to life
many of today’s teenagers communicate and receive and transmit in informative and highly-educational videos which are a natural
information. Due to the increasing prevalence of video in all walks of progression from the lesson on the page.
life, being visually literate and knowing how to process visual data is Of the four videos, the only one not to feature documentary material
an increasingly necessary skill in today’s digital world. So why not use is on the Speaking page. These Real Talk videos include interviews
video in the language classroom? with British, American and Australian teens in which the young
people talk to camera on a variety of subjects both relevant to the
How to exploit video topic on the page and to teenagers’ own lives. These voices are fresh
Video can be exploited in a variety of ways in the language and act as sympathetic role models for the learners.
classroom. Primarily teachers may use video for listening skills
practice. Video is an ideal tool for practising listening comprehension. The future of video in class
The obvious advantage it has over audio alone is the visual support Who knows where we will end up with video? New video genres
it can offer the viewer. Students are sometimes able to see the are being born all the time. Software is being developed constantly
speaker’s mouth, facial expressions and gestures, as well as being which offers the latest innovations in interactive video work and,
able to see the context clearly and any visual clues which may aid before long, it will be possible to show a video in class that your
comprehension. All of the essential micro-skills such as listening for students will be able to change as they watch.
specific information, predicting and hypothesising can be taught very We are living in an age in which digital video reigns supreme. For this
effectively through this medium. reason, try to make video a central part of your lessons, not just an
Video can also act as visual stimulus. Here the moving image acts as added extra. Hopefully, courses with integrated video content such
a way to engage interest and is a catalyst for follow-up classroom as Eyes Open will make it easier for teachers to do this. It’s hoped
tasks, such as summarising the video content or post-viewing that working with video in this way will bring the classroom world
discussions. Teachers can also make use of the visual image alone a little closer to the world our learners are experiencing outside the
to practise prediction or encourage students to invent their own classroom walls. That must surely be something motivating.
soundtrack based on what they see rather than what they hear.

Using video in Eyes Open 17