So far we have discussed what there is in the way of video and materials and we have looked at how we can use the machine. It's time now to turn our attention to how video can fit into our teaching as a whole. This examines reasons for using video in language teaching and considers when and how we could introduce it into the syllabus and into the lesson.

Video is not the only resource we have at our in the language classroom. It takes its place among a of other we use quite regularly, so we have to decide what its strengths are. What does it do particularly well in the of language teaching?

If your students want to study spoken English, you will spend part of the time in the classroom working on examples of the spoken language. Most language courses use dialogue or a narrative to present the language of the unit. We use examples in the textbook, and often on audio, which gives them the greater realism of different voices and sound effects. When, with video, we can add moving pictures to the soundtrack, the examples of language in use become even more realistic. These examples are more too, because they put before us the ways people as well as verbally. So video is a good means of bringing 'slices of living language' into the classroom.

In many language classrooms today there are times when we want to get our students talking to us and to each other. We want to give them the opportunity to put their own language into practice in a genuine effort to . So we look for situations where our learners will really have something they want to say to each other. The right video material can do this in a of ways: its vivid presentation of settings and characters can be used to set the scene for ; it can present a case with such impact that it sparks off fierce ; we all make our own of what we see and so video can be a stimulus to genuine in the classroom by bringing out different opinions within the group.

We all send and receive signals when we talk to each other. These help us decipher what is being . It must therefore help learners when they listen to a foreign language if they can see as well as hear what is going on. And video's moving pictures also help learners because they provide a of attention while they listen. Both these forms of support suggest that video is a good for extended listening to the foreign language. The more learners have to the language, the better they are likely to learn it. In some situations, the classroom is the only place learners can hear the foreign language spoken, so video becomes a means of giving them a `language bath' in the classroom.

In our homes we associate the small screen with entertainment. We expect to enjoy the experience of viewing. Learners bring the same expectations to the experience of viewing video in the classroom and we can encourage this by using video in a way. It is a of great variety, with a wealth of different kinds of software which we can use to ring the changes in our teaching. This book suggests many ways in which we can use video in a different way to viewing television. We can also at times use it just like television. Video helps us provide a richer and more language within which learning can take place. The combination of variety, interest and entertainment we can from video makes it an which can help develop in learners.

The of video into your syllabus will depend on the kind of video installation you have. If you have video playback in your classroom whenever you want it, along with a good choice of materials, you can afford to use it in a variety of ways. In some lessons you might use it for five minutes. In others it could be the springboard for a two-hour session. If you only have to the machine once a month in a special video room, you will want to make it the centre of attention for that session. Whatever you have, it is much better to plan video sessions into the syllabus. If it is left as an extra, it's too easy to forget about it or to decide not to bother. It helps everyone get started if there are notes where and how video materials would fit into the syllabus.

On what basis can this syllabus be organised? There isn't always an between the materials you have and the syllabus in use.

The through language is the most and most one to make if your syllabus is based on linguistic such as language or . materials for ELT reflect in language teaching and the current language- can generally be to the syllabus through the language or they present. In non-ELT materials you can look for situations which are likely to highly language: scenes set in restaurants or shops, at parties, the reception desk or the dining table can sometimes be picked out of a longer programme and used in to give an example of particular language in operation. (However you might be surprised at how often these settings don't include the language you expect to hear.)