Teaching and learning English through Instagram

A couple of weeks ago I read in an online newspaper that Spain, where I have been a teacher of English for more than 25 years now, is the country with the worst level of English in the European Union. Why, people ask me? Well, probably because what we do in English outside class in my country is… very little. So, my question is: how can we inspire our students to start doing something they really love, in English, outside the classroom, just for pleasure?

Let’s see what my advanced students say: reading classic writers, or bestsellers in English in your e-book? Boring, I don’t like reading! Watching film versions? Too difficult! What about TV series or films with English subtitles? Not on Spanish television, everything is dubbed into Spanish! Netflix? Too expensive! Classes abroad? No time for that, too busy!

Surprisingly, things change a little –only a little- when I mention the one thing they use every day: social networks? Yes, now you ARE talking! The problem? Well, social media was something I never thought I needed… until very recently: if you can’t beat them, join them. Why Instagram? Because it is fast becoming the most popular platform, and because I thought, uploading a picture and writing a caption under it, surely even I can do that?

One year later, I know this: the visual impact of images plus text makes Instagram a unique tool for learning and teaching English. If you are curious, just open an account, find someone to follow, and see for yourself: cooking, the arts, news, travelling, your favourite actor or sportsperson, there is something for everybody, teachers and students alike. I love BBC Sherlock and teaching English, so I just started @englishwithsherlock, and I cannot believe how much we are learning. What do YOU like? Who are you going to follow, in English?

Many thanks to @teachlearnlanguages for contacting me and inviting me to write for their website, it has been a pleasure.