ESLinsider.com is a site that I created for those interested in teaching English abroad. It provides resources such as how-to videos, online TEFL courses, guides and a blog. It’s also a place where you can find out what it is like teaching and living in Eastern Asia: China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
Because that’s where I taught and/or lived.
It has a presence on Youtube with over 200 videos and over a 2,200,000 views. The main channel for ESLinsider is here.
I also made an infographic in 2019 about the Youtube stats.
This post will take a look at the 10 most popular videos.
Update: Some of these may no longer be the most popular as years have past since this was originally published.
Most of the videos are how-to videos shot in the classroom. The other videos posted here have to do with culture, money, advice from teachers and teaching ESL without a degree.
In this post on ESLinsider’s reviews I also made an infographic that is kind of snazzy – if you care, lol.
1. Teaching English To Kids in 5 Fun Steps
I took some time to make this one. My goal was to make it informative and fun. This video takes you through a lesson plan and gives you some structure as well as some ideas for class in a fun way.
The majority of the how-to videos were uploaded in 2011 this one was later in 2014 and it’s growing fast. At this rate this video will become the most popular video ESLinsider has on Youtube.
This video was filmed in a kindergarten in Busan, South Korea.
UPDATE: It’s a little tedious to keep track of these numbers so I have stopped doing that, wink, wink.
By the numbers since 2014:
- 300,000+ views
- 286 likes
- 191 shares
“Amazing!!! I have my very first day teaching kids on a EFL context in Nicaragua! I’m pretty sure they will love a class like this one! Thanks!” – iMedia’s comment
2. The Preview – ESLinsider’s 1st Video On Youtube
This video and another longer version were the first to go on Youtube in 2010. This video was a preview of the videos that went on Youtube and on the site. It shows a sample of some of the how-to videos.
This video is a preview of 3 of the how-to videos.
- The first one is an icebreaker called “Categramble” that can be used with lower intermediate to advanced students.
- The second listening activity is called “One Hand, Two Hands“. This is a listening activity that is used here to tell the difference between plural and singular nouns. It can be used with all levels.
- The third one is called “Whispers“. This is a speaking activity that works well with younger students through elementary school and sometimes even older.
This video contains footage from a public school in Changwon, South Korea and a kindergarten in Busan.
By the numbers since 2010:
- 170,000+ views
- 220+ likes
- 73+ shares
“Nice video with very cute kids^^ What is the name of the song at the end of the video? Loved it! :)” – Leyl’s comment
This video is on a channel that was discontinued. The following videos are placed on ESLinsider’s main channel.
3. “Teacher Says” – A Warm-up/TPR Activity For Kids
This activity can be used as a warm up for kids or it can be used for teaching body parts and actions as well. It works well with young kids. If you can’t get them to make a mistake then that probably means they are too old for it or their level is too high.
In my experience it works until about 3rd or 4th grade.
This was filmed in a kindergarten in Busan, South Korea.
By the numbers since 2011:
- 159,000+ views
- 78+ likes
- 50+ shares
“Loved it! Good strategy to teach human’s body parts!” – Shimeny Soares comment
4. “Line Up” – An Icebreaker
“Line Up” is an icebreaker that will work well on the first day of class. It’s a simple getting to know you activity with a twist.
This video was filmed in a public elementary school in Changwon, South Korea. As you can see the students here were adults. They were in fact parents of some of the children that I taught. There was an adult class once a week.
By the numbers since 2011:
- 119,000+ views
- 41+ likes
- 26+ shares
“Great job!!!!!” – Cesar’s comment
5. “Sprite” – A Simple Vocabulary Activity
Sprite is a simple and effective game that works well with practicing vocabulary. Students get a chance to practice writing, speaking, and listening. It’s also fun too as they kids get to move around which is important.
This video was filmed in a public elementary school in Changwon, South Korea. These children were mostly in the fourth grade. I think some were in the 5th grade too.
By the numbers since 2011:
- 48,000+ views
- 58 likes
- 39 shares
6. Why The Obsession With Asian Women
Did you know that according to some studies Asian women and white men are considered the most attractive by most people of different races?
By the numbers since 2012:
- 44,000+ views
- 173+ likes
- 391+ comments
- 20 shares
7. “Pass The Bag” – Vocabulary Game
This was another popular game for teaching vocabulary. It uses music which can be fun and refreshing. This video was filmed in a kindergarten in Busan.
By the numbers since 2011:
- 43,000+ views
- 62+ likes
- 40+ shares
“Haha, they are sooo cute! And he is great at giving dynamic classes!” – Ursula’s comment
8. How much money can I make teaching English in Asia?
This video talks about how much money you can make teaching English in Northeast Asia. It specifically talks about hourly wages and salaries for teachers in South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and China.
I share my experience and how much I made teaching.
By the numbers since 2011:
- 30,000+ views
- 123 likes
- 12 shares
- 169 comments
A little note…
Some videos that I didn’t post here were a bit more popular in terms of views.
Such as:
- A popular icebreaker called “Tell The Truth”. 31,000+ views
- A good warm-up activity for beginners and intermediates. 29,000+ views
- Another popular icebreaker “Categramble”. 26,000+ views
However, there a few videos that are growing faster that were added later like the last 2 on this list. So I have included them here. I also thought they would add a little variety to this post.
9. Advice On Teaching Abroad From 26 ESL Teachers
I interviewed about 30 ESL teachers in China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan. One of the questions that I asked them was if they had any advice for newcomers. Here they share it.
By the numbers since 2014:
- 26,000+ views
- 170 likes
- 34 shares
10. Teaching English In Asia Without A Degree Or As A Non-Native Speaker
This video talks about teaching in Asia without a degree or if you are not a native English speaker. Those are the two main requirements (degree + native speaker) that you usually need to teach there.
Teaching without those requirements can be illegal and sometimes it isn’t. It largely depends on how you get your visa. There are some loopholes to that.
I am also not advocating that or not, but rather just telling it like it is. It can be illegal and there are risks, but that being said most teachers abroad probably taught illegally at least once.
Read more about teaching English in Asia without a degree.
There are other videos with more views than this, but this one is newer and growing.
By the numbers since 2015:
- 15,000+ views
- 67+ likes
- 7+ shares
So what other kinds of videos will you find there?
Most videos are how-to videos. You’ll find instruction and ideas on:
- Lesson planning
- Warm-up and icebreakers
- Vocabulary games and activities
- Sentence/Q&A games and activities
- Teaching tips
- Teaching numbers, reading, writing, etc.
- Classroom management and more
All of these videos can be found on the site and you’ll also find written instructions below the video that you won’t find on Youtube. They are also organized better on the site.
You can catch the latest blog updates, get feeds from other teachers in Asia by following ESLinsider on Twitter. You can also read reviews of ESLinsider’s online TEFL courses.