Easy Languages

Easy Languages is a non-profit video project that aims to help people learn languages through authentic street interviews. The videos also showcase the street culture of the participating partner countries, through its portrayal of typical, everyday situations—situations that otherwise wouldn’t be covered by regular media. Episodes focus on different topics, and are produced at various locations around the globe. Every Easy Languages video is subtitled in its local language and in English—a valuable feature for learners of all levels.

HISTORY

Easy Languages started as Easy German, a multimedia learning project by The Global Experience at Schiller High School in Münster, Germany. Its free, accessible format, and original approach to language learning made the videos popular on YouTube, attracting a worldwide audience interested in foreign languages and intercultural exchange. In 2013, Easy Languages became a social franchise, with an ever-growing community of co-producers from all over the world.

BECOME A CO-PRODUCER

Co-producers create videos in the local language according to the Easy Languages guidelines. They are strongly supported by the Easy Languages Network, e.g. through multimedia training or assistance in finding sources of funding. Co-producers receive 70% of the ad revenue that their videos earn on the YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/learnlanguages). If you are interested in becoming a co-producer, feel free to contact us.

Co-producers create videos in the local language according to the Easy Languages guidelines. They are strongly supported by the Easy Languages Network, e.g. through multimedia training or assistance in finding sources of funding. Co-producers receive 70% of the ad revenue that their videos earn on the Easy Languages YouTube channel.

HOW TO GET STARTED?

First of all: becoming a co-producer is easy. Many of our current co-producers started with no equipment and no experience. You can do it too!
Ask yourself these three questions:

1. Are you eager to learn?
   No prior experience is necessary, but you do need to be interested in learning how to produce videos in order for the experience to become fun. Consider it skills advancement: Whatever you learn while working with us on this project will come in handy for future endeavors. Knowledge of video production and comfort in expressing yourself in the digital world are important tools that you can use in your personal and professional life.
2. Do I have the time to contribute?
   Producing one or two episodes is fun. Creating them on a regular basis is time-intensive. You have to ask yourself whether you’re willing to invest the time and personal effort for this project. Don’t be intimidated or disheartened; we’ll be delighted to get even just one video from you!
3. Do you have people to help you?
   Things are easier accomplished with a team behind you. Since you can’t stand behind the camera and interview people at the same time, you have to ask the help of someone to either do camera duties or do the interviewing. Know anyone who is a videography enthusiast? Good friends with someone with a bubbly personality and is a natural in front of the camera? Pals with a language freak—or a polyglot—who would enjoy translating things for you? Sure, you can do all these by yourself, but nothing beats a team with complementary skills to get the job done faster and better.

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR EQUIPMENT

First step is choosing your equipment. You need two things:
1. A video camera: Basically any video camera will do! Obviously, the better the recording quality, the better the look of the resulting video. If possible try to find one that can record in full High Definition (HD). 2. A microphone: You need an external microphone to record audio that’s most suitable for the Easy Languages format. You can use a relatively inexpensive handheld recorder, like the Zoom H1. You have to synchronize the audio with the equivalent video in postproduction, however. Alternatively, a cable or radio microphone that records directly to your video camera works just as well.

Watch this video to see what equipment other co-producers of Easy Languages use.

HOW TO FUND MY EQUIPMENT?

In general we ask our co-producers to fund their equipment themselves. Consider this as an investment: Sooner or later you should be able to earn enough through YouTube to recoup some (or all!) the money you put into the purchase of equipment. In addition, you invest furthering your skills, by consistently producing videos and improving as you go along. Once you have a healthy portfolio full of videos, go ahead and use it to market yourself and what you are able to do. The Easy Languages team does not guarantee any funding to purchase equipment in line with the project. We are, however, more than happy to assist in identifying sources of possible funding, both private and public.

HOW DO I LEARN HOW TO SHOOT AND EDIT VIDEOS?

Many of our co-producers self-studied and improved their craft on their own! YouTube has tons of tutorials that cover almost every commercially available video-editing software in the market. We’re happy to give you tips and tricks on how to shoot and handle the camera and avoid the common mistakes that first-time co-producers may make in the Tutorials section of our channel. Remember that you may not need to watch all of the tutorials—look through the entire playlist and view those relevant to what you have. Also, don’t get scared: Things look much more difficult in the beginning than they really are. Producing videos is easy, not to mention gratifying, and we have nothing but encouragement for you.
Apart from regularly producing new video tutorials we also offer online training via Skype or Google Hangout to our co-producers.

SOUNDS ALL INTERESTING – WHERE DO I START?

Raring to go? Contact us at info(at)easy-languages.org. We can’t wait to work with you.

Easy Languages goes offline! – Welcome to our Easy Language Classes!

As avid language learners, we believe that the most successful way of learning a language apart from watching nice videos is through experience – to live through the language. Language learning is about the environment, motivation, enthusiasm and encouragement. What we want to do at our classes is very much connected with how we teach languages online: Easy Languages Classes should be connected to authentic life in Germany, contain lots of fun and evoke passion for language learning in our students. We therefore connect all our lessons with practical exercises and fun activities like cooking, going out, bike tours or walking tours to exercise our grammar and vocabulary.

Easy Language Classes are currently available for Easy German only. Check www.easygerman.org/#summerschool for further information.