Improve Your Speaking by Making How-to Videos

Have you ever learned¹ to do something with the help of an internet search? The answer is likely "Yes!" In fact, you probably learned many things by watching how-to videos.

How-to videos show people how to do or make something. They can cover nearly any subject, from simple things like how to make an origami animal to more complex² things like replacing car parts.

On today's Education Tips, we will give you tips for making your own simple how-to video. You do not need to show it to anyone or put it on the internet. Instead, the goal is to use the video to observe your own English speaking skills.

Why how-to videos?

You may be wondering how such videos can improve your English.

Recording³ yourself, whether on video or audio⁴, is an effective method of self-study. This is especially true if you cannot find someone to practice speaking with. When you record yourself, it helps you identify what you are good at in English and which areas need improvement⁵. As you continue the method of speaking on a recording, you can make the changes you want.

How-to video videos give you the chance to do several things at once. You will talk about a subject you already enjoy while giving step-by-step instructions, which gives you a chance to use a few grammatical⁶ forms. You will also get the chance to learn and use words related⁷ to your chosen subject.

Now, let's go through the steps for preparing to make your video.

Choose a subject

The first step is to choose a subject that will work well for a short video. Set a goal of not going over six or seven minutes for video length.

Ideally⁸, your subject will be something that is visually⁹ appealing and can be divided into steps. Keep this in mind as you think about subjects.

Is there a dish that you are great at making? Can you build or fix something? Do you have an artistic¹⁰ ability, such as drawing, playing music or dancing? Any of these can be the subject of your video. Even something as simple as how to fold a fitted sheet can be a great subject.

Gather information

After choosing your subject, it's time to prepare by gathering¹¹ information.

First, make a list of the steps you think are important in making or doing the thing you have chosen. You might not know the English words for some of the things you are describing. For those, you can write the words in your own language and then take time to find and practice saying them in English.

Another great way to do these things is to watch a few how-to videos on your subject in English. Websites such as YouTube.com and Howcast.com cover almost every subject you can think of. And YouTube permits¹² you to slow the speed of the video, which can help you understand English that may be spoken too quickly.

Aim for simple instructions

For our third step: aim for simple instructions. How-to videos are meant to make instructions easy and clear.

Taking notes can help organize your steps and decide which to include. Think about which ones to show visually and which only need to be described. For example, if a step is to heat water, pause¹³ the video if there is a long waiting period.

Some how-to videos use special video software to cut parts, put words on the computer screen or do other things. However, your main is goal is to speak fluently¹⁴ without worrying about mistakes, so avoid such software for now.

Introduce your subject

Finally, the last step is to record your video.

A great way to introduce it is to say your name and then say what you are going to show. You can even include a sentence or two about why your skill is good to learn. Or, if you are preparing food, you might tell how the dish got its name. Then, say what supplies are needed.

For examples of how this might sound and to read additional¹⁵ tips, visit our website at www.51voa.com.

I'm Alice Bryant.

Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning¹⁶ English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

Key tips for giving instructions

How-to videos use sequence¹⁷ words when giving instructions. Some use words like "first" "next" "then" and "finally" to state the order of each step. Others say "step 1" "step 2" "step 3," or "the first step" "the second step," and so on. Do whichever feels more natural. This video on how to cook lobster¹⁸ tails makes the order of steps clear.

Instructions are also usually given in commands. In English, the command form leaves the subject out of the sentence. Instead, it begins with a verb¹⁹ and uses the shortest verb form with no s- ending. For example, "Then, fold the sheet in half" begins with the verb "fold." You can find examples in the lobster tail video and this one on sewing on a button.

Other how-to videos use the going-to future verb form. Or, they use a mix of the going-to future and command forms. This video about bellydancing uses both forms.

Note that some videos use wording like "You need to..." or "You want to..." to tell people what step to do next. For example, "Then, you want to take this side of the sheet and fold it in."

Do not prepare too much

One small piece of advice: Avoid preparing too much. Remember that you will not be reading notes from a paper or computer screen. While recording, try to speak freely²⁰ without thinking about making mistakes.

After your first recording, spend some time reviewing for things like grammar, vocabulary and fluency²¹. Take notes on what you did well. And, take notes on a few errors so that you can improve in your second recording. 

And don't forget to have fun!

Words in This Story

origami –n. the Japanese art of folding paper into shapes that look like birds, animals and other things

tip –n. a piece of advice or useful information

audio –adj. of or relating to the sound that is heard on a recording or broadcast

fold –v. to bend one part of something over or against another part

fitted sheet –n. a piece of bedding cloth that has four corners, and sometimes two or four sides, fitted with elastic²²

introduce –v. to mention or refer to something for the first time

1 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

2 complex   

adj.复杂的，合成的，综合的；n.联合体

参考例句：

• What he said was too complex for me to understand.他说的太复杂了，我无法了解。
• Justice is part of the complex machinery of the law.正义是复杂的法律机器的一部分。

3 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

4 audio   

n./adj.音频(响)(的)；声音(的)，听觉(的)

参考例句：

• Often,the meeting is recorded on audio or video media for later reference.通常这种会议会以视频或者音频形式记录下来，供以后查阅。
• You don't even have to pay for audio programs.你大可不必为自己听这些节目付费。

5 improvement   

n.改进，增进；改进之处，改善的地方

参考例句：

• The doctor noticed a gradual improvement in his patient.医生注意到病人在逐渐恢复健康。
• I can detect signs of improvement in your thinking.我可以察觉出你思考问题方面的进步。

6 grammatical   

adj.语法的，符合语法规则的

参考例句：

• His composition is excellent except for some grammatical mistakes.他的作文写得很好，只有几处语法错误。
• He can barely form a grammatical sentence.他几乎造不出合乎语法的句子。

7 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。

8 ideally   

adv.理想地，圆满地；理论上地

参考例句：

• She was ideally suited to the job.她是这项工作的理想人选。
• Ideally,we would like to start at the beginning.要是有可能，我们真想从头开始。

9 visually   

adv.视觉上；外表上；看得见地；形象化地

参考例句：

• a visually handicapped child 弱视儿童
• Our findings relate to physically rather than the visually handicapped pupils. 我们的研究结果是关于肢体残疾的学生，而不是视力有障碍的学生。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

11 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

12 permits   

许可( permit的名词复数 )； 许可证； 执照

参考例句：

• The building permits are granted by the City Building Department. 建筑许可证由城建局签发。
• This task permits (of) no delay. 这项任务不允许有任何耽搁。

13 pause   

vi.暂停，中止，停顿；n.中止，停顿，踌躇，休止符

参考例句：

• After a little pause, he went on with his speech.稍停一会儿后，他又继续讲演。
• He made a pause and then went on reading.他停顿了一下，然后又读下去。

14 fluently   

adv.流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• He speaks English very fluently.他说英语说得很流利。
• He could speak English as fluently as an Englishman.他说英语和英国人一样流利。

15 additional   

adj.添加的，额外的，另外的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
• I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。

16 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

17 sequence   

n.连续，接续，一连串；次序，顺序

参考例句：

• He had to attend a sequence of meetings.他得参加一系列会议。
• The book is more satisfying if you read each chapter in sequence.这本书依次读各章会更好。

18 lobster   

n.龙虾，龙虾肉

参考例句：

• The lobster is a shellfish.龙虾是水生贝壳动物。
• I like lobster but it does not like me.我喜欢吃龙虾，但它不适宜于我的健康。

19 verb   

n.[语]动词

参考例句：

• The sentence is formed from a verb and two nouns.这句子由一个动词和两个名词构成。
• These are the finite forms of a verb.这些是一个动词的限定形式。

20 freely   

adv.自由地，随便地，无拘无束地

参考例句：

• She was unable to keep back her tears,and wept freely.她抑制不住泪水，痛痛快快地哭了起来。
• A liquid flows freely and has no fixed shape.液体能自由流动，无固定形态。

21 fluency   

n.流畅，雄辩，善辩

参考例句：

• More practice will make you speak with greater fluency.多练习就可以使你的口语更流利。
• Some young children achieve great fluency in their reading.一些孩子小小年纪阅读已经非常流畅。

22 elastic   

n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的

参考例句：

• Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
• These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。