10. VISUAL, AUDIO, AUDIO-VISUAL AND DIGITAL AIDS 89
10.4. Audio-visual means of education and approaches to video-production101
Audio-Lingual Methods were followed by Audio-Visual Method as an outcome of research inquiring how effective teaching and learning can be depending on the resources used. If the input is given by audio-visual means, i.e. seeing and hearing is involved, 50% of the information gained will be stored in the long term memory.
The efficiency can be increased up to 70 % if the audio-visual imputes accompanied by students’ oral production. Originally sound-slides, ‘book-cassettes’, sound-films and educational television were used. The best practice of applying traditional audio-visual means has been implemented by contemporary teachers who use videotapes, DVDs and any other audio-visual digital sources (like Flash-presentations) to facilitate language learning.
The classification of videos to be integrated in the language education procedures is the same as those of audios, i.e. authentic videos, authentic videos republished for language teaching purposes, private authentic videos recorded for language teaching purposes, educational authentic videos and videos published for language teaching.
The process of applying video-materials for receptive purposes
A. Pre-medium stage: Exercises before watching the video-source Guessing the topic of the video-source based on
o some key words or expressions o some text related to the topic
Prediction of the rest of the video-source based on o some key words or expressions
o some text related to the video-source o some noises or music
Collecting words and expressions related to the video-source Elaborating on the (new) vocabulary with the help of a mono- and/or bilingual dictionary
Paraphrasing (new) words and expressions in individual student
work and/or in pair-work with peer(s)
Collecting pieces of information related to particular criteria Matching
o pictures illustrating the topic of the video-recording with words
o pictures illustrating the topic of the video-recording with data and/or names of people / places / events
o pictures illustrating the topic of he audio-recording with parts of text
o …
Labelling a visual (picture, map, plan, scheme, etc.) with o words and/or expressions
True-or-false / Wrong-or-right / Double choice (test-like) exercises
Acting out a story as suggested in the listening material Creating and acting out a continuation to the story Role-plays, simulations, drama
Project-activities o Writing a diary
o Writing a letter and/or a post-card
o Writing an article / report for a newspaper / magazine
o Creating a riddle / cross-word puzzle o …
The advantage of video-technology is that one can record students’
performance, too. As mentioned before regarding audio-production, recordings can be used for feedback – self-evaluation – purposes and in project work, too.
As far as video-project work is concerned, it can aim at the production of television programmes such as news, weather forecasts, sports ‘transmissions’, quizzes, advertisements and commercials, traffic information, portraits of people,
‘feature films’, soap operas, TV-sketches, situational comedies, documentary films (introducing places, traditions, past events, nature, etc.), fashion shows, puppet shows, bedtime stories, video-clips, promotion videos (introducing the work and life of an institution or a company. Further genres could be video guides of a town or of an institution like a school; video documentation of family, school and community events; ‘video letters’ to friends abroad.
It is usually role plays and isolated pronunciation exercises that can be recorded with the aim of peer-, teacher and self-evaluation. Various procedures have been elaborated to support this idea. (Lonergan, 1984, Poór, 1997)
The process of applying the video-feedback technique with role-plays A. Preparatory stage: before the role play
1. Setting the objectives and deciding on timing, time- frame, topic, forms
2. Planning
3. Implementing lead-in (bridging) activities
B. Active stage: while students act out the role play 4. Setting tasks
5. Learners prepare for the role play
6. Acting out the role play and recording it with a camera
C. Follow-up stage: after the role play
7. Feedback: analysis and evaluation of learners’ performance by the learners involved, their peers and the teacher by replaying the video-recording
8. Reflection on the whole process by the learners and their teacher
Criteria for the feedback and evaluation of videoed role plays Self-reflection sheet (A)
Performance Criteria
Above usual
As usual Below usual
My self-confidence
My identification with the role I played
How could I make myself understood?
The implementation of non-verbal elements of communication
My pronunciation My intonation
The appropriateness of the language I produced
The accuracy of the language I produced (language structures / grammar)
The choice of vocabulary How did I feel myself in action?
Self-reflection sheet (B)
I was surprised to experience that … What I found the most disturbing was … The role play work out the following way:
I / We faced the following difficulties during the role play:
… and I / we solved them the following way:
I would be pleased to act out the same role once again, because …
I don’t think I want to act out the same role once again, because …
While the role play and preparing for it I practised:
Next time I would do the following things in a different way (What? And How?):
I need practising …
Reflection sheet for peer-observation
Choose a peer of yours to observe while acting out the role play and reflecting on her/his performance
Her/his self-confidence
Her/his identification with the role s/he played How could s/he make her/himself understood?
The implementation of non-verbal elements of communication The atmosphere of the role play
What you liked was …
Did s/he and her/his fellows in the play face any difficulty?
How could s/he / they solve it?
How real is the picture s/he sees her/himself during the feedback discussion?
Any points s/he raised that you would not have thought of:
Anything you learnt for your own benefit from both the role play and the feedback discussion
10.5. Information and communication technologies
Contemporary digital, i.e. computer-operated information and communication technologies offer an unlimited chance for self-directed learning. Thus the principles of learner autonomy have to be followed when creating a fruitful learning environment based on ICT.
One can use software targeted at language teaching and learning; resources such as databases, dictionaries and encyclopaedia; tools for productive use like word processing and data processing programmes. (Legenhausen, 1996)
As soon as students are able to express their thoughts on a onto-one basis by e-mail, there is a realistic chance for encouraging them to enter on-line discussion forums, such as chat-rooms.
Topical chat-rooms that is MOOs offer a lot of perspectives for language educators where a theme can be initiated for discussion among language learners.
As soon as a story can be outlined and a problem can be spotted, a simulation can be initiated, that is students carry on with the story in order to negotiate the solution. This chat-room-specific application leads us to the world of virtual reality. This form of application is called VRML and it offers the visualisation of fictive participants and venues.
Various multimedia programmes offer chance for correction and self-evaluation. They can be sources for diagnostic or attainment tests. With the help of built-in microphones and web cameras on the computer, some multimedia integrate the practising of pronunciation and elementary units for interaction in a comparative way that resembles language lab applications to some extent.
Internet-based digital technology offers the chance for on-line audio-communication and video-interaction with the help of Skype, ICQ, MSN and other kinds of applications. The majority of the previously named software mainly offers the chance for communication between two parties.
Should teachers want to involve more learner-communities in real-time communication, video-conferencing can be the mode of creating real situations for language learning. The exploitation of the benefits of Internet-based on-line communication adds new values to education, as the limits of the classrooms are extended and other student-communities can be invited. Thus the term of ‘virtual classroom’ has also appeared in the profession. ‘Virtual classrooms’ do not only provide new information gained from set sources and peers in other classes, schools, towns, countries and even continents, but create a firm basis for creative types of learning such as project work.
As project work has developed, new technologies give us the opportunity to involve our students in designing and producing multimedia and/or web pages.
Activities of this kind offer language learning opportunity while creating the programmes that often act as source of learning for other people. This latter can be the case in numerous European projects for school-to-school co-operation.
Revision questions and tasks
1. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using visual, auditory and audio-visual aids? What can they be used for?
2. Mention some techniques of using the video.
3. What are the ways of exploiting computers?
4. How and to what extent can/should the Internet be used in English classes?
5. What should a teacher pay attention to while using the blackboard?
6. Describe a set of visual aids that you have used and think of at least two possible purposes/ways of using them.