Are you an English teacher looking to add live streaming to your course offerings? Or maybe you're already live streaming but want to make sure you're doing it effectively. Either way, check out these six tips for live streaming English courses:
Keep It Professional
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to let your personality show through when live streaming. However, you want to maintain a professional image at all times. This means keeping the language clean and avoiding any controversial topics. As a course creator, professional language and demeanor are key when streaming live because it lends credibility to your teaching.
Make Use of Trusted Platforms
There are many popular live-streaming platforms out there, but not all of them are created equal. When choosing a platform for your English course, be sure to do your research to ensure you’re using one that is reputable and has a good reputation. One of the best ways to do this is to read reviews from other users. Many of the popular platforms offer interactive features that can help make your lessons more engaging for students. For example, you may be able to use a chat box to answer questions in real-time or use a polling feature to get feedback from students. Utilizing these features can help keep students engaged and make the learning process more fun.
Keep It Consistent
One of the biggest challenges of live streaming is consistency. It can be tough to commit to streaming on a regular basis, but it’s important to do so if you want to retain students. Try to stream at least once a week, and let your students know in advance when you’ll be going live. This way, they can plan their schedules accordingly. The benefit of consistency is that it helps build trust between you and your students. They’ll know that they can rely on you to be there for them, and this will make them more likely to continue taking your courses.
Be Mindful of Audio And Lighting When Live Streaming
Lighting is important for live streaming because it can help to create a good mood and atmosphere for your viewers. You want to be sure that the lighting in your room is not too harsh or too bright, as this can be distracting or uncomfortable for viewers. It's also important to make sure that there is enough light so that your viewers can see you and your content clearly.
Audio is also important for live streaming. You want to make sure that your audio is clear and easy to hear. There are a few things you can do to ensure good audio quality:
- Make sure you're in a quiet room with minimal background noise
- Use a microphone that is clear and easy to hear
- Avoid speaking too loudly or too softly
Plan Ahead
One of the best ways to ensure a successful live stream is to plan ahead. Make sure you know what you're going to talk about, and have all of your materials ready to go. This includes any slides or visuals you plan on using, as well as any handouts or worksheets you'll be referring to. You should also have a general idea of how long you want your live stream to be. It's often helpful to start with a shorter stream and then lengthen it as you get more comfortable. Once you have your live stream planned out, it's important to test everything ahead of time.
This includes testing your internet connection, your webcam and microphone, and your live streaming software. It's also a good idea to do a trial run with a small group of people before you go live to test the stream quality and make sure everything is working properly.
Get Your Live Video Equipment Sorted
This might seem like an obvious one, but make sure you have everything ready to go before you hit that “start streaming” button. This means having the right cables, adapters, and software all set up and working properly. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to fix technical issues in the middle of a live stream. If you’re using a laptop or desktop computer, you’ll need to connect it to your camera. For many cameras, this will mean using an HDMI cable. If you don’t have one handy, you can usually pick one up at your local electronics store. If you’re using a phone or tablet to live stream, you’ll need an adapter to connect it to your camera. There are a few different types of adapters available, so be sure to choose the one that’s compatible with your device and camera.
Finally, make sure you have a good internet connection. Live streaming requires a lot of bandwidth, so you’ll need a fast and reliable connection to avoid any buffering or lag issues. With all of that sorted, you’re ready to start live streaming your English classes. Just hit the “start streaming” button and you’ll be good to go.
