Old Can Be Gold
Here is are a couple video "blasts from the pasts" that teachers might use in class.
Old doesn’t have to mean “bad”, not suitable for class etc … I’m sure there are many new teachers out there, still becoming C2 proficient in English while watching Friends!
In the realm of teaching materials - old can still be gold! There are still some materials that stand the test of time and are a real “blast from the past”.
For example, I recently taught some middle school students and decided not to do the standard thing. I wanted to focus more on extensive listening/watching skills and harness the inner narrative drive we all have.
My choice? The 30 episodes of Extr@ English, a 2002 Friendesque style series for ELLs. Produced by Rai Education and Channel 4 Learning back in the day, it’s still good. It still works. A testament to how well produced, edited, curriculum designed it was and still is. Students follow the drama of 4 teens, roomates, as they bumble through life in exotic London.
Using the programs can be as simple as watching each episode and then summarizing the story, answering some general questions. Don’t overkill it.
We’ve provided some free materials and organizers to help with this. View the first episode and find the full playlist HERE.
What else?
Well, another video blast from the past would be Grapevine’s iconic videos for teaching English to beginners - from the 1990s. They still have some appeal. And the humor, well, you can’t beat it. The materials being created today, just don’t have this much needed feature, facet. Read about the history of the videos here.
What “oldie but goldie” teaching material do you still use?
