Here is a great video clip I happened upon which, besides making you feel good, could easily be incorporated into a lesson plan for ESL learners at this time of year.

Before viewing the clip you might ask several warm-up questions, such as “What do you know about the Salvation Army? Are all ‘armies’ military organizations?”

Using a projection device, play the video for the class. Pause at selected spots to solicit discussion. Here are some sample questions:

1. Why do you suppose the man is ringing a bell?
2. Do the passersby pay attention to him? Why or why not?
3. We see a young group wearing aprons and carrying hand bells. Where do you suppose they are going, and why?
4. Before long, people are stopping and staring at the Salvation Army stand on the sidewalk. Why this change in their behavior?
5. What impact is this attention having on the original sole bell ringer? How do you suppose he feels?
6. If YOU were there, would you feel like making a contribution to the Salvation Army? Why or why not?

Don’t know about you, but this video lifted my spirits immensely and encouraged me to make a contribution today. The cold, lonely Salvation Army volunteer standing outside the local Walmart looked me in the eye and said, “Thank you, sir. Merry Christmas.”

While I’m a big fan of Skype for online voice and text chat, I recently came across a program called “ooVoo” that looks like an interesting alternative for those who are into video chat. All you really need is a microphone and a web cam to use it.

Like Skype, ooVoo offers both free and premium plans. The ooVoo free plan includes 2-way video chat. If you want to add more people to the chat, you will have to opt for a monthly plan or the per-use option. However, unlike Skype, ooVoo doesn’t require each chat participant to download and install the program. One installation suffices; all others can chat from their browsers.

ooVoo claims to be the U.S. market leader in video and audio conferencing (see this article), and businesses are clearly its target. But ooVoo could just as easily be used to enhance exchanges between teachers and students in blended and distance learning environments, and among teachers who might be organizing an event or just exchanging notes.

Any ooVoo users out there with a story to share?

I wonder if there is anyone who hasn’t seen A Christmas Carol — a movie favorite at this time of year about stingy old Ebenezer Scrooge, who is forced to face the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come on the path to redeeming his soul.

My favorite version with Alastair Sim (1951) was on TV the other night, and it was, as always, superb.

The newest incantation features Jim Carry in the role of Scrooge. In the trailer above, the narrator asks: “What if you were given a second chance, to get human life right?”

Not that everyone is unhappy with their lot, of course, but this kind of question does seem to stimulate animated conversation in ESL/EFL classes, especially among adults. And it’s great for practicing conditionals.