Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
If you think about what it is that gamers do when they spend hours and hours playing WoW or other online games, it’s pretty unexciting isn’t it? They are just sitting there, looking at a screen and pressing buttons. But it certainly doesn’t feel like this to them. This simple demonstration shows how we can tweak things so as to make something mundane suddenly appear much more attractive.
So – what about the activities in the EL classroom? Of course, we are not software designers, but there are some game elements that we can play with to turn run-of-the-mill tasks into something exciting. How about i) dividing students into teams? ii) getting them to work together? iii) setting a goal? iv) selecting a (fairly trivial) award? v) adding time pressure to maintain a brisk pace? vi) making sure the challenge is not too difficult? vii) setting up a point system? The list could go on and on…
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
If you think about what it is that gamers do when they spend hours and hours playing WoW or other online games, it’s pretty unexciting isn’t it? They are just sitting there, looking at a screen and pressing buttons. But it certainly doesn’t feel like this to them. This simple demonstration shows how we can tweak things so as to make something mundane suddenly appear much more attractive.
So – what about the activities in the EL classroom? Of course, we are not software designers, but there are some game elements that we can play with to turn run-of-the-mill tasks into something exciting. How about i) dividing students into teams? ii) getting them to work together? iii) setting a goal? iv) selecting a (fairly trivial) award? v) adding time pressure to maintain a brisk pace? vi) making sure the challenge is not too difficult? vii) setting up a point system? The list could go on and on…
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
![Ads for ELT - Hands Only CPR 1 [Vinnie]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/imcFo7bxSU0/mqdefault.jpg "Ads for ELT - Hands Only CPR 1 [Vinnie]
[To get a free worksheet (+KEY, +Script) just click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByC3QwWZuGXdY2pkQzNCaWQtazQ/view?usp=sharing ]
Tough guy Vinnie shows that there are times in life when it pays to be tough. Like when someone is having a cardiac arrest for instance. A fantastic concept – the incongruity of having someone who looks like a psychopathic thug delivering a pro-social message makes it extremely memorable. Entertaining, excellent listening practice, PLUS students get to learn something which might prove to be a life-saving skill for real life. What more could one ask for?
Level: C1 – C2. Topic: Health / First Aid / Emergencies
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
SCRIPT
My name is Vinnie Jones and I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget. There are times in life when being tough comes in handy. Say some geezer collapses in front of you. What do you do? We need a volunteer that ain’t breathing.
Here’s one I made earlier. First thing you do is you check him over. If he ain’t responsive or he ain’t breathing or he’s making noises like this. (SOUND: serious weezing) then his heart has stopped working and he’s having a cardiac arrest. Look lively. First, call 999. Then you do Hands-only CPR. And no kissing. You only kiss your missus on the lips. Watch. Lock your fingers together, knuckles up. Then push down. Right on the sovereign.
Push down five or six centimetres. That’s about two inches in old money.
Push hard and fast about two times a second, like to the beat of ‘Stayin’ Alive’. Worried you’ll hurt him? Better a cracked rib than him kicking the bucket. Keep this up until the ambulance arrives.
So, don’t forget. Check him over. Call 999. Push hard and fast to ‘Stayin’ Alive. It work’s. Hands-only CPR. It ain’t as hard as it looks.
If you want to come in handy in an emergency, why not sign up for one of our HeartStart courses.")
