Videos have gotten an undeservedly bad rap in education land. They are largely viewed as time wasters by parents, students, and administrators. It's too bad really as videos can be a great source of comprehensible input in second language classrooms - but parents, students, and administrators don't likely know what comprehensible input even is. Enter the cortometraje...
Cortometrajes ("shorts" in English) are short movies that tell big stories, some of them even without words. The best ones are creative, interesting, and teach great lessons. When used in the world language classroom, they can provide us with a common story around which we can develop listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. Best of all, they don't need to "fit" with your unit because the focus is not on the content, it is on the skills that students sharpen while using the content. Since they are typically less than 10 minutes in length, they can be watched in a fraction of a class period with plenty of time left over to engage in communicative activities based on what was seen.
Take a peek at my 5 favorite cortometrajes to use in the classroom. Click on the title of each to check out listening, reading, writing, and speaking activities for each cortometraje.
1. "El Regalo"
You can find more cortometraje titles and activities by visiting our store.
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