Using Technology for ESL Listening Exercises

Using audio/video files from situation comedies can make listening exercises fun for adult ESL students. You must choose an excerpt that is mostly conversation and not action related otherwise the students can get the gist of the story just from watching the pictures. I like to use humor when I teach so I often choose comedies that they may not be familiar with like this one from the television show Frasier. You can make a list of questions for the students to answer after they watch the video. To make the lesson a little easier, give the questions to the students before watching the video. Because Daphne's accent may be a little difficult to understand, I made questions related to what Frazier, Niles and Martin said. The video shuld not be too long - 2 to 5 minutes is perfect.