Page 25 - ELG1810 Oct Issue 461

FEATURES & COMMENT

Star of

the small

screen

For Paul Colto, creating YouTube
videos to help other English
teachers abroad has provided
a high-tech string to his bow

s an English language teacher in It’s been really great to receive comments
Prague I do a lot of one-to-one on the videos and to answer questions Why I don’t
work with private students. that people have - I’ve even turned some
AThe work involves a lot of intense questions into videos. go anywhere
listening and responding, so I restrict I’ve also connected with a lot of other
myself to around four hours a day to
maintain quality. I have learned so much without my
But this has left me with a lot of spare
time on my hands and I wanted to use it from my fi ve years in tablet computer
productively and maybe make a little Prague that it’s almost
extra money.
So, I decided to start making YouTube impossible to put it all Technology in ESL teaching for me means one
tutorials for other teachers, including into words. So I’m trying word: tablet. I went to an ESL conference in
teaching advice and tips on relocating Prague two years ago where it was predicted
abroad. I already work as a voiceover artist to break it all down into that within ten years we would all be teaching
so I had some of the basic skills. with them.
I considered setting up a YouTube channel bitesize chunks and share A year later I invested in one and it
and did a lot of research. I made some them through videos. revolutionised my teaching. Suddenly I had
demo videos and shared them with friends all my textbooks and listening exercises
including one who is an editor. ESL professionals on Twitter (@paulcolto). in one portable device. I had translation,
They were all pretty positive and gave If I receive a question from a viewer and dictionary and TED applications, too. If
me great suggestions on how to improve, so I’m not totally sure of the answer I can I needed the internet or YouTube during
I decided to go for it. ask Twitter. lessons, there it was. I could use the calendar
So far, I’ve covered a range of topics, I felt that ESL teaching and international to schedule lessons and I could navigate my
including How to Teach a Great First Lesson, relocation were good topics to start my way from a lesson in one corner of Prague to
How to Teach Vocabulary in an Innovative channel with as I have experience of both. the other while listening to music, podcasts
Way and A Day in the Life of an English I managed to become a freelance teacher or reading a book. I can even get creative
Teacher in Prague. after two years and still have quite a long on it by editing the videos for my YouTube
I’ve also made videos on general topics waiting list of private students so I thought channel (@paulcolt0).
such as dealing with the language barrier I could share some tips on how I got here. For ESL use you don’t need to buy a high-
and finding work in a new city. I have learned so much from my five spec tablet. There are some very affordable
I’m committing myself to one video a years in Prague that it’s almost impossible options. They are, in my opinion, an ESL
week for at least two years, at the end of to put it all into words. teacher’s best friend and I can now see exactly
which I’ll see where I’m at. So I’m trying to break it all down into what that speaker at the conference meant.
All the research said not to think about bitesize chunks and share them through
monetising during that period but just to videos. From the reaction I’ve had, I can
get comfortable on camera, cultivate your see that they are of some use. ■ Paul Colto is an
style, and slowly improve your content as But even if I get fed up of making them English teacher, voiceover
you figure out what works and what doesn’t. after two years, it will be nice to know that artist and YouTuber
However, I’ve already got some work from I have left what I think is a genuinely useful based in Prague
it - I’ll be recording a series of short videos resource online for anyone thinking of
for a language school in Prague who like undertaking one of the greatest adventures YouTube / Twitter /
what they’ve seen. out there - moving to a new country. Instagram: paulcolto
editorial@elgazette.com 25