English Insight by Don Sorsa

A multimedia program with 12 short video clips from American news broadcasts
and filmmaker Michael Moore (4-8 minutes each) Screenshot

  • audience: adults and teens, intermediate and advanced level
  • courses: listening-speaking, conversation, composition, critical thinking, American culture
  • supporting materials: comprehension questions, vocabulary, and ideas for projects
  • tech requirements: sound card & speakers; moderate skills to set up; basic skills to use
    1. Create a folder on your desktop or anywhere else and name it INSIGHT
    2. Download videos 1-3 and unzip them into the INSIGHT folder
    3. Download the HTML files and unzip them into the INSIGHT folder
    4. Click START.HTM and your browser should launch
    5. If you like Videos 1-3, download the other videos
    6. Broadband connections can probably download videos 1-3 in about 10 minutes
    videos 1-3
    42 meg
    videos 4-6
    33 meg
    videos 7-9
    37 meg
    videos 10-12
    25 meg

    HTML files

    Small

    Download all the videos at once

    140 meg - Not needed if the 12 videos above are downloaded

    English Insight is designed for all popular operating systems, browsers, and media players. The free RealOne media-player is probably needed to play the videos. Window manipulation and resizing is easy so students can play videos and answer questions. Check out the screenshot!

    Instructors have my permission to duplicate this program and make it available to their students for free. If you use this, please let me know.

    There is a yahoo-group for people to ask questions and swap ideas

    dsorsa@depaul.edu
    Chicago, Illinois USA
    April 2003

    Is this really free? Yes! I developed English Insight (chose and digitized the video, wrote the html, burned cd's, did user testing, revised the program, etc.) during my doctoral days and not as part of a money making venture. (Still haven't finished that PhD, tho.) I've learned much from teaching English, and making this program free and easy to use/distribute/adapt is my chance to give something back to the TESOL community. Of course I would be delighted to visit campuses, communities, and organizations to discuss various ways that digitized video and other devices can enhance learning and teaching. Contact me! Thanks for trying this program and reading to the very bottom of the page...

    Don Sorsa home