Nurmanova Aigul

 

KTU, Turkestan

      

TV-communication in English  Classroom

 

Over the last two decades, the use of films and videotapes in both ESL and EFL contexts has become an increasingly more important component of second language instruction. Beginning in the early 70s Morley and Lawrence (1971. 1972) wrote convincingly in favor of their use as valuable teaching resources. As dims, the later videos, became more readily available for teaching purposes, growing numbers of teachers promoted their use, bringing authenticity, reality, vari­ety, and flexibility into the second-language classroom (e.g., Brinton and Gaskill 1978; Rivers 1981; Morrisroe and Barker 1984). From time to time language profes­sionals have commented en potential "technical" diffi­culties associated with film and video equipment; however, lost have agreed that the utilization of films and videos not only enhances language-skill development but incorporates the study of culture as well (Shapiro 1977). This notion of cultural incorporation is particu­larly relevant in non-English-speaking locales; films and videos provide exposure to a wide variety of native speakers of English and an opportunity to study both language and cultural features in context,

A complete overview of the present-day literature could include a discussion of a wide variety of film/video uses. It is the purpose of this article, however to confine discussion to the use of commercially produced films/videos in ESL/EFL instructional settings characterized by content-based curriculum and a communicative, student-centered approach. All though many educators have chosen to uses films/videos solely for viewing ñîmðrehension that is the process of comprehending visual and verbal messages (Kelly 1985). I will focus on their use a springboards for other classroom activities, primarily for speaking, listening, and writing skills development.

Rational

Today's world is a visually oriented world. Films and videos capture audiences not only in the field (entertainment but in the business and corporal world, in government and public-service organizations, and in ether fields in education. The benefits î utilizing these powerful media have recently gained wider recognition in the ESL/ EFL context.

Films and videos are flexible instruments for second-language learning end instruction. Their values are many; they diversify a curriculum; they add an extra dimension to course design; they provide a rich variety of language and cultural experiences; and the bring "an air of reality into the classroom" (Lonergat 1983.69; Geddes 1982:64) thereby simulating real world language demands (McGovern. 1983:58).

Another special value of films and videos lies in providing students with natural exposure to a wide; variety of authentic speech forms of the target lan­guage, speech forms not normally encountered in the more restricted environment of the classroom, Finally, these values, combined with the inherent compelling nature of the visual experience, have a powerful motivational impact on students during both the actu­al viewing and the accompanying activities.

The “built-in” contextualization provided by films/videos can be considered a prerequisite to mean­ingful expression. Classroom viewing, accompanied by directed classroom activities, oral and written, offers significant additional experiences upon which the stu­dents can draw, in a relatively simple way, then, films and videos provide the relevant schema background that mates language in that context relevant and comprehensible.

The need for such schema development has been widely acknowledged and has contributed to the trend toward content-based curricula—that is, teaching based on informational content, both relevant and academically appropriate for students. The use of films/videos in a content-based curriculum provides students with the opportunity to explore various aspects of a giver, thematic topic, while developing possibly weak background knowledge; such content exploration and language exposure, in turn, naturally promote more sophisticated language use. In fact, content and language are mutually reinforcing. The content provided is not merely something with which to practice language; rather, language becomes the vehicle with which to explore content (Eskey 1984).

The benefits of utilizing films and videos in a sec­ond-language classroom are many. It is important to remember, however, that these media should be seen as means to an end, not as ends in themselves (Morley 1981). That is, the screening of a film or video should be recognized as the catalyst for subsequent language use, rather than a simple viewing session that termi­nates at the end of the film or video. (See Morley and Lawrence 1971; J. Willis 1983a, 1983b for further discussion.) They are most effective as springboards for language production and practice and as complement to a content-based curriculum. In addition, the socio-cultural uses of these media should be fairly apparent (Maxwell 1983; McGroatty and Gaivan 1985). Overall, their versatility should enable teachers to incorporate them into second-language curricula, and structure their use to meet course objectives.

 

Teacher's role

The effective incorporation of films and videos requires careful attention. Too often films and videos are used ineffectively, and are thus viewed as not suffi­ciently "academic" or simply unjustifiable "time fillers." When employed appropriately, however, they are powerful classroom resources. As media specialists Sayer-Higgins and Lemler (1975, cited in Morley 1981) have noted,

Films . . . do not stand alone in the instructional process. Their productivity depends in great measure on how ably they are used. Their potential is attained when they serve as a rich experience which the instructor and students relate to other experience, interpret, generalize, talk back to, think critically about, and respond to in other intellectual ways. The instructor who understands this principle does not ''show" films but USES them, making them a vital part of the course and a memorable learning experience for student.

That films and videos should be viewed as class­room resources is the essential point; they are neither a substitute for the teacher (Hutchings 1984; Kennedy 1983) nor for instruction (Kerridge 1982: 111-12). Foremost, it is the teacher's responsibility to promote active viewing. Unlike home television view­ing, which-encourages passive, mindless involvement, classroom viewing should promote active partici­pation from the beginning of the lesson (Allan 1985: 46; Morley and Lawrence 1971, 1972; Tomalin. 1986:30). Because students are not often conditioned to see the "screen” as a teaching tool, as they do a textbook (I. Willis 1983a), the teacher must be certain that the students understand the instructional objec­tives of a screening session at the outset.

Maximizing the instructional potential of these media requires the teacher to approach their use sys­tematically (Morley and Lawrence 1971). This sys­tematic use demands a substantial time commitment, for it necessitates film previewing, film selection, and careful lesson planning.2 From such efforts the teacher will be able to create clearly defined instructional objectives as well as effective exercises and activities to complement the film/video.

With a carefully planned lesson the teacher can ensure that students gain confidence and feel in command of the medium. (See Lonergan 1983 for further discussion.) Being "in command of the medium" does not imply total comprehension of the film/video. The visual stimulus alone can provide enough information for successful follow-up activities at many levels  (Allan 1985:40; D.Willis 1983), making the use of films and videotapes worthwhile for students with varying profi­ciencies, ranging from beginning to advanced. What is important is that the films and videos be sufficiently comprehensible for students to complete the language-related task assigned "without superhuman and tedious bridging work by the teacher" (Kelly 1985:55). This issue of comprehensibility is not solely deter­mined by the degree of difficulty of the film or video; it is partially determined by the specific demands made on the students by the accompanying assignments. A film/video-related activity can be considered appropri­ate, and worthwhile, even if it only requires students to deal with a small portion of the film's content.

 

Film and videotape selection criteria

 

The careful selection of films and videos is of the utmost importance. Not all films or videos are suited to all students, levels of ability, or educational objec­tives (Maxwell 1983). Depending on student proficien­cy levels, instructional objectives, and curricular themes, a variety of film and video genres can be used effectively in the classroom. Selection is further complicated by the fact that each film and video will dictate different types of activities, thus requiring care­ful teacher consideration.

Films and videos can be linked to a syllabus in various ways: by language items, by functions, by thematic units, etc (See Allan 1985:50 for further discussion.) If one is working in the contest of a content-based cur­riculum, the subject matter of the selected film or videotape is most important. If selected to comple­ment a curricular thematic unit, students can use pre­viously learned information in the film-related activi­ties, or vice versa, reflecting true-to-life demands.

The ideal length of a film or video has been the sub­ject of some discussion, McKnight (cited in Mac William 1986:133) found that the average class­room screening session lasted between 30 and 40 min­utes; rarely were they less than 20 minutes in duration, even for beginning-level students. At the same time, there are proponents of 30-second to 12-minute sequences (J. Willis 1983a:50). The ideal film/video length is difficult to specify because of the numerous factors that need to be considered: linguistic and not linguistic information processing and retention, attention span, memory, classroom: scheduling, equipment availability, course objectives, student proficiency level, etc. However, if one chooses to use films and videos for more than language comprehension—that is, as springboards for other language activities—it is important to select films/videos that are long enough to convey meaningful content yet short enough allow classroom time for pre-viewing and post-viewing activities. It has been suggested by some (Kerridge 1982; Stoller 1985) that a maximum of two hours be devoted to a combined screening and accompanying activities session.                                                  

Classroom activities                           

In order to exploit films and videos fully in the classroom, one should integrate pre-viewing, viewing, and postviewing activities into the lesson. The nature and length of these activities depend on the selected film/video, student needs, students' ages, and instructional objectives. A teacher may choose to integrate all three activities in a given film/video lesson while planning only two for another lesson. The activities presented below are, for the most part, standard communicative activities that have been adapted for use with films and videos.     

Pre-viewing Activities, The primary purpose pre-viewing activities is to prepare students for the actual viewing of a film/video. Because comprehension is partially determined by a student's own background knowledge or ''schemata," an effective pedagogical strategy is to devise activities that access this knowledge. The activities listed below should be viewed as possible suggestions for pre-viewing activities; they are not listed in order of preference, not is the list all-inclusive. Some of the activities naturally evolve out of certain films; the film/video itself, the needs of the student, and the goals of the class session should be considered before deciding on a specific pre-viewing option.

1.  Student Interviews/Polls. Students can interview or poll other class members about issues related to the film/video. Ideally, the question(s), generated by the instructor, should highlight an issue, concept, and/or problem that will surface in the film/video. The discussion that accompanies the interviews/polls helps prepare students for the content of the film/video, thereby aiding comprehension.

There are many variations for an interview/poll activity. Students can ask each other the same question(s), or students can be given separate questions. Students can record their findings so that once interviews/polls are completed; they can report findings to another student, a small group of students, or the entire class. If, for example, students were to view Anthropology: A Study of People (BFA Educational Media) as a part of a thematic unit on “Cultures,” stu­dents could interview two or three students by asking the following questions.

a. Why are there differences among different peoples?

b. What determines or influences these differences?

c. How can we benefit from knowing about these differences?

If The Ugly Little Boy (Learning Corporation of America) were shown to complement a thematic unit focusing on "Technological Innovations," students could poll classmates by asking

Do you believe that we will be capable of con­tacting beings from the past or future in the next 100 years? What about beings from outer space? Why? Why not?

2. Problem Solving. Students can be presented with a problem that highlights issues from the film or video. In small groups, students can discuss and attempt to solve the problem, later reporting possi­ble solutions to the class. For example, if students were to view Does Anybody Need Me Anymore? (Learning Corporation of America) as a part of a unit on "Women's Roles," they could consider the following problem:

Sarah, a housewife, has spent the last 27 years of her life at home. She was bringing up her kids, preparing meals for her family, and taking care of household chores such as cleaning, ironing, and shopping. Now her children are out on their own, living in their own apartments, studying away from home. Her husband, a taxi driver, comes home tired every evening, ready for the newspaper, a beer, dinner, some TV, and a good night's rest. Sarah feels like her life is empty now. There are no children at home to care for. Her husband isn't that interested in good meals, so she doesn't spend much time cooking. Her husband is too tired to listen to her when he gets home. Sarah wants to do something new with her life.

 

Do you have any suggestions? What do you think are some options for Sarah? Discuss Sarah's problem in your group. Come up with a list of suggestions for Sarah.

 

3.  Discussion of the Film/Video Title. Students can examine the title of the film/video in order to hypothesize its content. This quick activity can be dons as a class or in small group, the latter allowing for more student participation.

4.  Brainstorming Activities. The teacher can pose questions or elicit information that link students' past experiences with the film/video. For instance, if the film Stuntman (Pyramid Films) accompanies a unit on "Professions,'' students could participate in the following activity:

Individually, think of FIVE professions that can be dangerous or have risks. Write down the risks of those professions. Then, in groups, compare lists. Choose the three most dangerous professions listed.

Students could then be asked to interview three stu­dents from other groups about the three most danger­ous jobs selected in their original group. Would you like to be a ________? Why? Why not?

5.  Finn Summary. Students can skim a written summary of the film/video for the main idea(s) and/or scan the summary for specific details. Teacher-generat­ed questions, help students locate that information deemed most important for viewing comprehension.

The teacher can also present a short lecture summariz­ing the main point of the film. To facilitate note-taking, a "skeleton" of the lecture notes can be distributed, with blanks for students to fill in missing information.

6. Information-Gap Exercises. After introducing stu­dents to the topic of the film/video, they can fill in a grid similar to the one below:

 

What I know about the topic     

What I am unsure of about          the topic

What I hope to learn about the topic  

 

 

 

 

7. Dictionary/Vocabulary Work. Students can be introduced to important words/phrases needed for better comprehension of the film or video through dictionary or vocabulary exercises. For example:

Directions: The name of the film you are about to view is The American Indian Speaks (Encyclo­pedia Britannica Educational Corporation). Look up the term "American Indian in the dic­tionary'. What other terms are used to refer to this ethnic group? (Answers: Native American, Indian, Amerindian)

To accompany the film Martin Luther King (BFA Educational Media), the following exercises are appropriate:

1.  Look up "civil rights" in your dictionary. What does it mean? Explain it to your partner. Then interview your partner. Has a civil-rights movement ever occurred in your country or region? Discuss.

2.  Look up the word "boycott." What does it mean? Explain it to your partner. Then discuss this question with him/her: Have there ever been any important boycotts in your country?

Viewing activities. The primary purpose of viewing activities is to facilitate the actual viewing of a film/video. More specifically, these activities help stu­dents deal with specific issues and focus on character or plot development at crucial junctures in the film/videotape. The activities listed below, by no means an exhaustive list, should be viewed as possible options to be used while showing a film/video.

1.  Directed listening. Students can be asked to listen for general information or specific details considered crucial for comprehension. Similarly, students can be asked to consider a particularly relevant question while viewing the film.

2.  Information Gathering. As in directed listening, students can be asked to gather pertinent information while viewing the film or video. For example, if stu­dents art viewing Energy for the Future (Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corporation) during a unit on "Energy Sources," students could be asked to fill in the following grid:

 

Renewable energy sources            

      Non-renewable energy sources

 

 

 

3.  Film interruptions. The film can be interrupted in progress to clarify key points in the thematic devel­opment of the film. In addition, a Film can be inter­rupted so that students can discuss the content of the film up to that point or predict what will happen in the remaining portion(s) of the film. The latter exer­cise is especially effective in a dramatic films/videos.

4.  Second Screening. Films can be shown in their entirety a second time. However, the length of the film and the pre-viewing and post-viewing activities may make this option undesirable. It is important to keep in mind that if films/videos are primarily used as springboards for other classroom activities, it is not necessary for students to understand all aspects of the film/video.

Post-viewing Activities.  These activities stimulate both written and oral use of the target language, utilizing information and/or insights from the film/video. Because the entire class now has a shared experience, designing post-viewing activities that extract main ideas, concepts, and/or issues from the film/video since the small details may have been missed) is effect­ive. Post-viewing activities can easily lend themselves to writing and/or speaking practice. Ideally, the two skills can be linked, allowing students to use the information from a speaking activity, for example, in a writing assignment.

1.  In-Class Polls or Interviews, Students can inter­view classmates to rind out reactions to the film or to explore issues raised in the film. Students can report findings orally (either to the entire class or to a small group) and/or in a written essay.

2.  Film Summaries. Students can work alone or in small groups to identify the main points of the film/video. Students can then summarize main issues raised in the film in written and/or spoken form. (See Williams 1982 for a suggested step-by-step lesson plan for a "witness activity," one that requires students to simply report what they have witnessed on the screen.)

3.  Alternative Endings. Especially with dramatic story-lines, students can work together to come up with an alternative ending and report it in an oral and/or written activity.

4.  Discussion. Film-related questions focusing on issues, personal experiences, and/or cultural observa­tions can be raised to stimulate small group discus­sion. Similarly, students can examine problems central to the theme of the film/video; working together, stu­dents can share insights, propose solutions, and later report them in spoken and/or written form.

5.  Comparisons. Students can compare what they knew about the film/video topic before the viewing with what they learned as 1 result of the viewing, (See pre-viewing activity #6.)

6.  Agree/Disagree/Unsure Activity. Students can react individually to a series of statements related to the film/video. For example, during a unit on "Media," students can complete the following exercise:

Do you agree (A) or disagree (D) with these statements based on the film Impact of Televi­sion (Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corporation)? Or are you unsure (U)?

1. Television is a wonderful educational tool.

2. Watching television is a waste of time.

3. Selective television watching is crucial.

4. People read less because of television.

After comparing answers in small groups, students select a statement that they either agreed with or dis­agreed with and comment on it in an essay.

7.  Ranking/Group Consensus. By ranking various characters, issues, etc., of a film/video, students can attempt to reach a consensus. For example:

A.  Individually, rank the characters from the film La Grande Breteche (Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corporation) from the "best" character to the "worst." Place a number 1 next to the person who you think is the best, number 2 next to the person you think is the second best, and the number 3 next to the worst person:

_____the Count

_____the Countess

____ the young Spanish prisoner

B. Discuss your own rankings with your group. Then, come to a group decision and rank the characters. Be ready to explain your reasons to the class.

_____ the Count

_____the Countess

__ the young Spanish prisoner

 Ñ. In your group, decide what characteristics/ actions made you feel the way you do about each character.

8.  Paragraph Organization. A number of exercises will help students with paragraph organization:

a. After eliciting the main ideas of the film/video, students can list details that support those major issues; these main points and supporting details can be used to write a paragraph or composition.

b. Teachers can cut printed film summaries into "strips,” comprising one sentence or an entire para­graph. Students can practice organizing paragraphs or parts of paragraphs by assembling the strips into logi­cal order, thereby reconstructing the summary.

c. Based on a close examination of an introductory paragraph, focusing on certain features of the film/video, students can identify ideas to be developed in subsequent paragraphs. Once the main ideas of sub­sequent paragraphs are identified, students can com­pose those paragraphs. For example, after viewing the film Silences (McGraw-Hill Films), students read the following brief introductory paragraph:

The movie Silences made an unforgettable impression on me. There were numerous images that shocked me; in addition, there were many sounds that helped me understand the horrors of war.

Directions: After reading the introductory paragraph, what do you think the main idea(s) of this composition is/are? How many para­graphs might there be? Why? What would each paragraph focus on? What are some examples you could include in those paragraphs? What is an appropriate title for this essay?

9.  Speed Writing. After introducing a topic related to the film, students are asked to write about it for a short period of time. The emphasis here would be on writing fluency rather than accuracy.

10.  Using Notes for Writing Practice. If students have taken notes while watching the film/videotape (see  "viewing activities" #1, #2), students can pool their notes to obtain a more complete set of notes. Then, using these notes, students can write a brief summary or examine a particular aspect of the film/video.

11.  Roleplays /Simulation Games. Students can roleplay characters or a situation from the film/video. (See Òîmalin 1986:41-43 for suggestions for setting up a successful roleplay activity.)

12.  Debates. Students can hold a formal debate concerning an issue raised in the film. Such formal activities take careful preparation. For instance, after viewing The Ugly Little Boy (Learning Corporation of America), students can be asked to discuss the follow­ing questions:

Why did the scientist bring the Neanderthal boy from the past to the present? Were the scientist's experiments ethical or unethical?

After discussing those questions, students form new groups. Group A comprises students who feel the sci­entist's work was ethical; group  is composed of stu­dents who feel his work was unethical. The groups come up with a list of reasons for their stand on this ethical question and prepare to debate the other group.

The pre-viewing, viewing, and postviewing activities listed above represent a sampling of the types of class­room activities that can be utilized with films and videos. Teachers who recognize the needs of their stu­dents and have clear instructional objectives should be able to make productive use of these and other activities.

 

Limitations

Although the use of films and videos in the second language curriculum is endorsed by many profession­als and has proven to be an excellent teaching tool, their use is not without limitations. First, using such media effectively requires rather extensive teacher preparation. As overworked as most teachers are, it is difficult to find the necessary time needed for pre­viewing films, film selection, and lesson planning. Second, if one's school does not have the equipment, or has poorly serviced equipment, a film/video component in the curriculum would be unwise. Similarly, if one's school has an inadequate (or nonexistent) film/videotape library, it may be dose to impossible to select, films/videotapes that would justifiably enhance one's syllabus. Third, this modern audiovisual tech­nology can easily roaster its viewers, causing teacher and student alike to lose sight of instructional objec­tives, furring both into passive and uncritical televi­sion-like viewers (J. Willis 1983a). These possible pit­falls can be circumvented if one is cognizant of them and consciously attempts to avoid them.

 

Conclusion

Films and videos, widely recognized as powerful communication media, can greatly enhance and diver­sify a second-language curriculum. With careful selec­tion and purposeful planning, films and videotapes can motivate students, thereby facilitating language learning. Moreover, the integration of pre-viewing, viewing, and post-viewing activities into the film/video lesson encourages natural language use and language skill development, making dims and video­tapes valuable teaching tools,

 

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