Our planet holds a wide variety of unexplained phenomena, including the Sphinx, Bermuda Triangle, a Mayan crystal skull, the Great Pyramid, and now the Red Truck. Why on Earth the Jackson Hole Town Square livestream place became one of the most ‘watchable’ spots will probably remain a mystery forever. As of this moment, it’s hovering at around 2,115 viewers from different parts of the planet scrutinizing each and every person and vehicle passing by and waiting for the infamous red truck to appear.
THE RED TRUCK!
A screenshot from the Jackson Hole Town Square livestream (with the RED TRUCK!) (Screenshot: Youtube)
Livestreams are probably not so widely explored for ELT purposes as a resource, yet they have a really good potential as they
- Bring the real world into the classroom
The very fact that we may view what’s happening at a particular place in the target culture in real time takes us to a completely new level of working with realia in the classroom. These are no longer still images of situations familiar to the target culture, these are the situations themselves.
- Serve as a springboard for a variety of activities
One of my favourite activities is to get students to look out of the window and make as many true sentences as they can about what is happening (ideal for teaching Continuous forms). This might have many options: a) all students watch and note down/discuss what they see; b) one student watches and tells the others what he/she sees; etc. With livestreams, this exercise might be more engaging (they can see more things happening) and have a cultural-added value.
Here are a few livestreams that your students might find interesting:
Abbey Road Crossing
Abbey Road is one of the most iconic roads in the UK. It is a popular hot spot for Beatles fans. The street camera is focused primarily on the Zebra Crossing area and depicts a clear view of this frequented street.
Piccadilly Circus
The camera is focused on one of the busiest squares in the very heart of London with a consistent flow of both pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
The Times Square
This unique aerial look at the Times Square captures what this great city is all about.
The Vancouver Aquarium
There are several cams featuring penguins, belugas, jellies and sea otters. You pick.
Las Vegas
These cams are placed in the middle of the action in Las Vegas – view the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign, Vegas casinos, and the wedding chapel.
What a gift !! I am teaching present continuous tomorrow ! Because of the time difference, there wasn’t much happening on Abbey Rd at 7.00 am on a Sunday, but I LOVE the Mecca live – 80% of my class are Saudis, so they can explain to the other students what is happening . Can’t wait till tomorrow ! Denise
Glad you find it useful, Denise. I hope it works for your class tomorrow!
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