Here are some useful guidelines to help you make the best possible introduction video!
Requirements for all videos:
- YOU MUST: Appear in the video. Students want to know who their Practice Buddy is and hear the language they are about to learn. It's important to represent yourself truthfully to students. Your video should be between 1 to 3 minutes.
- YOU MUST: Speak in all the languages that you have listed as Native in the video, including the languages you state you'll be teaching in.
- DO NOT: Provide personal contact information – Your video will be available to people on the internet, so protect your own privacy.
- DO NOT: Advertise or promote other services in your video.
- DO NOT: Use copyrighted music or any media for which you do not have the rights.
- DO NOT: Shoot vertical/square videos.
1. How to film your video
| GOOD: | BAD: |
| Do: Shoot horizontal video. Do: Put your camera/mobile phone on the level with your eyes and look into the camera/mobile phone. Do: Put the camera/mobile phone on a stable surface or use a tripod to keep the video still. | Do not: Shoot vertical video.Do not: Put the camera/mobile phone below your face and talk down to it. Do not: Hold the camera/mobile phone with your hands or allow the camera/mobile phone to shake. |
Lighting
| GOOD: | BAD: |
| Do: Use natural daylight or powerful lamp lighting from the FRONT Even better: Complimentary light from behind + 45 degrees | Do not: Record at night with poor lighting. Do not: Record with strong lights or lamps behind you. |
Optional advanced lighting tips: How to Get Better Video Lighting Tutorial
Sound
| GOOD: | BAD: |
| Do: Use quiet surroundings and speak in a clear voice. Even better: Using a field recorder or speak into a microphone. | Do not: Place microphone very close to mouth (causes “beatboxy” noises and distortion). Do not: Place microphone too far away from mouth (too quiet). Do not: Allow wind or any other distracting background noise. |
Optional advanced audio tips: 7 Tips for Better Audio Recording
Background
| GOOD: | BAD: |
| Do: Use a clean and tidy study room or classroom Even better: something that represents your language or country | Do not: Show moving or distracting things in the background (other people, etc). Do not: Use An overly busy or “chaotic” background Do not: Show any commercial logo in the background |
Optional advanced setting tips: How To Make Your Videos Look More Professional
2. What should you say?
Create a script and practice.
Your video is where you get to show students who you are. Be creative, and please include the following:
1. Who are you
Introduce yourself. What is your name, and what languages do you speak? If you have credentials, work experience, or other interesting backgrounds, feel free to share that.
2. What are your lessons like?
What do you enjoy about teaching, do you have a preferred method, and what is your attitude towards language teaching? You might include specific details about the activities you do during lessons, show materials you use, or teach potential students their first word or phrase!
3. Show your personality
- Smile – Make students feel welcome to your online classes!
- Be yourself – Show or tell something interesting about yourself. Do you have special hobbies that students might enjoy discussing with you? Choose clothing or a background that really represents you.
3. Some other tips
- Keep it short – Just a few minutes is plenty of time.
- Be natural – Do not read directly from a script! Look into the camera, make it as though you are speaking directly to your student.
- Speak in all the languages in which you are fluent – You don’t need to say the same thing again in every language, but you can move from one language to the next as you speak. We recommend adding subtitles so that students can more easily tell what you are saying in each language.
- Think of your learners – The care you take in preparing for your video shows students not only what you think of yourself, but how they can expect you to prepare for your classes with them.
- Mention uBitto – Doing this and adding a link to your teacher profile in the description will help people find and book your classes on uBitto.
- Dress Appropriately – Smart casual is acceptable, remember that 1st impressions count
