Use of Media in Language Teaching_Brinton_2001

The I-Jse of Mediain Language Teachingr

DONNA M BRINTON

ln "The Use of Media in LanguageTeachinp" Brinton presents a rationale for and an overView of mediamaterials and equipment traditionaliy used in the second/foreign language classroom.To better guideteachers in their use of media, she provides a five-part framewor-k for structuring media-basedlanguage lessons, accompanied by a variety of sample lessons that il lustrate this fr^amework.

INTRODUCTION

As a tool for language learning/teaching, rnediahave undoubtedly always facilitated the task oflanguage learning for both instructed and nonin-structed learners. Just as childr-en learning a firsror second language grasp the meanine of rvordsfrom the objects that surround them, ncn.narivespeakers (both inside and outside the classr-oon'r)make use of the here and no\Ar or objeca in theirnmediate environment (see Hudelson 1984;Pica, Young, and Doughry l9B7; \{Iesche andReady 1985; Lynch 1996) to process incomingspeech.

In the second language classroom, theextent to which media are used has varied rvidely,depending on the methodology selected. In somemethods, media have figured prominend,v as aforce that drives the curriculum. In tireSt. Cloud (or audiovisual) method, l'hich n'asdeveloped primarily for the teaching of French asa foreign language (Bowen, Madsen, and Hilferty1985; Stevick 1976), all language items \\'ere intro-duced to learners via contextualized, audior.isualpresentations (usually filmstrips or slide shorvsr,r'ith an accompanying soundtrack. The underl,v-ing approach assumed that language is anacoustic-visual whole that cannot be separatedfrom its constituent elements. Similarl;', in theSilent Way (Gattegno 1972; Larsen-Freeman1986; Stevick 1998), the sound-color charts androds form a central visual component of themethod, allowing the teacher to present and

elicit language rvhile at the sanre tinte providingthe students with tools for the creative consrnlc-tion of language.

In other methods, rneclia are r-elcgatedmore to the design or procedule level.z InCommunicative Langtrage teaching (Larsen-Freeman 1986, Li t t lervood l981; see alsoSavignon's chapter in this volume), fbr example,much emphasis is placed on the need for real-life objects or texts (e.g., r-r-raps, railroad time-tables, application iorms) to lend auther-rticiry tothe communicat ive siruat ior-r , rvhi le in theNatural Approach (Krasl-ren and Terrell 1983),magazine pictures are used as all elicitationdevice in the listening comprehension and earlyproduction stages, and charts, lnaps, and propsare used to motivate and enhance communica-tive interchange in later stages of acquisition.Finally, in experiential approaches to languagelearning (see Eyring's chapter in this volume),language teaching media are ofren taken out ofthe hands of the teacher and placed in thehands of the students. such that studentsinvolved in project work might be expected toproduce a scripted slide shorv or a voice-overvideo documentary as their final class product.

Whatever the approach, language teachersseem to agree that media can and do enhancelanguage teaching, and thus in the daily practiceof language teaching we find the entire range ofmedia-from nonmechanical aids such ashousehold objects, flashcards, and magazine pic-tures all the way up to sophisticated mechanical

Brinton, Donna M' 2001' The Use of Media Intanguaee Teachins. In Celce-Murc ia, M. (ed.) TeachingEnglish As A Second Or foru ini".

459

aicls strch as r,iclco c.ulcrits ancl cor-r-rltutcl-s (seelSoko l i k ' s chap te r - i n l l t i s r r r l u rne ) - ass i s t i l u

1.r :acheLs in thei r jobs, br ingin i r t l re onts ic le u.ot - l r lir-rto the classroorrr, ancl, ir-r shcr-t, making thetask of langtrage learning a more rneaning{irland exci t i r - rq o l le . I (eeping t l r is fact in mincl , le trrs exiuline the tvpes of instrr,rctiorral rnedia usedin t i " rc lunguage c lassroon.

MEDIA: A DEFINITION

.Ju.st as rve often clifferentiate the teaching of" iarge ( , '6s|1111-s"- i .e . , t l ' re sreat l i terat l l rc . an.at rc l o thcr contr - ibr i t ions o{ 'a societ l ' - I r -ont t ta to{"'srnall 1' 61111111'6"-i.e., the cLlstoms ar-rd habitsof a pe ople-(Chasr : r in 1988) , i t is ge rntunc hercto differentiate benveen "lar-ge M nteciia" ancl""small i i i . rt icdia." C)ertainl1,, zrs u'ith cullurc. urecliarneal ts rnani ' c l i { ferent r i , i r rgs t r l d i i f r : r r :n t neonlr ' .' fhe

most imr"nediate conn()iatiotr o{' the tcn'rr"uredia," at least as related to lauguaue tenchine,is t l-rat of the "larse i\,f rnedi:r"-of technoloqicalinnovations in lanuu:rge teaching, of urcchanicalparaphernalia, ar-rd of slossr,, polished audiovisrralaicis-rvit ir all t lre meclia anxictv tl- ial t lrcse canconjure lrp in teacher-s. Horver er-, rhe r-e is I irt le evi-clence that such glossr' :rudiovisual aicls are anymore effectir,e than teacher-made, nonrlechan-ical aicls (e.g., paper plate l-rand puppers, ittrrcherpapef verb charts, and rhe l ike) or props fi-orndaily l i fe (e.g., cereal boxes, calnpaign i i lrttons,travel pamphles, bumper stickers) rhar havebeen adapted for classroom teaching purposes. Iwould therefore like to suggest that all rhese aiCs,mechanical and nonmechanical, glossy anci non-eloss1,, commercially' available and teacher-r-rlade,should be part of our definit ion of languageteachins media.

A RATIONALE FORTHE USEOF MEDIA IN LANGUAGETEACHINGI often assume that the l^easons nhy we siroulduse media rvhen teaching second or foreign lan-guages are self-evident to experienced classroom

450

tcac]tcrs. All to<t fiequentll', horvever, I overhearsnatches of'conversation in classroom halluays orat pr o{bssional gatherings that disabuse me of thisnotiou. These comments, made by colleaguesregardine their inability or unu.illir-rgness to usearrciiovisuirl aids ir-r their classrooms, fall roughlyinto the follorving "categories":

Stalencnl 1.'I 'rn all t l 'rrrn-rbs. I can't use med.ia.,\ ' !atr;nrcnl2: My scltool clistrict has no budget for

mccl ia .,\ lrt lennnl J: I irave no timc to pr-epare media

rr.ratcrials of rny ol'n.,\lntrtntttl.4: The syllabus I teach from is too tightly

strucl.itrecl tO allclw lbr media materials to beltrotrqht inlo the clzrssroon.

Sl a l u n r n l -5.' I teacl'r aclvirnced levels (altematively, agivcn skil l arca strch as composition or r-eadinsi ar' lcl thcr-cf<tr-e doll ' t need to Lrse media.

Ilcfi lrc ltroceedine u'ith a rationale forrrsing rtrcciia in the langr_rage classr-oom, let uslirst cxanrine the underlying fallacies of thealtclve statelneltts.

J'he lirst tr\ro statements, I believe, can bedcalt rtitit summarily by realizine that those whohar.e n:rclc strch statemellts are subscribing to tllezr{irrcnrcntioned "large M' definit ion of media.That is, thcse individuals are msuming that class-room ntcclia materials are by definit ion (1)r n cch;rn ical (an d tl-rerefore unavailable, unu.ield,v,and/or anxier),-provoking) and (2) commercial(:ud thcrefrrre costly and inaccessible). In fact, asI har,e already pointecl out, classroom media needbe none of the above-they can be nonmechan-ical, unthreatening to both teachers and stlrdents,teacher-prcldr-rced rather than commercial, easilyavailable (especially in the case of the realia ofever1d21r lil'e), and reasonably priced (or ofteneven fi-ee).

The lallacies that underlie statementb 3ti-rrough 5 are somewhat more difficult to refute.On tl-re strrface, statement 3 (the time factor) ,presents a somewhat viable argument againstltsing nedia. Certainl)', if one disregards themanv attractive commercially available mediamaterials tl-rat teachers can select from (seeApper-rdix B for a parrial l isr of these) andassumes that statement 2 also holds true in a

Unit V Skills forTeachers

given case, the preparation of teacher-mademedia materials does demand an investment oftime and energ'y above and beyond that of nor-mal lesson planning. However, this statementoverlooks the reality that any lesson preparation istime-consuming, and that many media materials(such as the preparation of vocabulary flashcardsor the selection of magazine pictures to elicit andpractice a given language point) do not requireexhaustive amoultts of tirne, Adciitionally, andFerlral:s rnore imnortantll', tl-le statement ignoresthe "payoff' that can result from the hours spentpreparing or assembling sirnple classroom mediamaterials (e.9., a set of prespecified role assign-menls prepared on index cards to set up a role-pla;'situatiolt, or a collection of menus from localrestauraltts for a lesson on food items). ht fact,this pa,vofi which is realized in renns of theteacher's continuously, recl'cling these sanre mate-riirls rvith different student audiences (and evenfclr difl'erent reaching purposes), is often fargreater tlian the amolrnt of tirne invested in moretradit ional c lassroom lesson planning (see

Jensen's chapter in this volume).3Statement 4, I believe, is based on a com-

rnonll; held misunderstanding of media as "extra-neolls" to normal lesson activities. In other words.proponents of this view fail to recognize thatmedia can form a viable point of departure forachieving lesson objectives. In facr, rather thantaking up additional class hours, rhe use of mediadesigned with a parricular srudenr populationand teaching objective in mind can often help toeconomizethe teaching task. This is achierad in thesense that the media appeal to students' sensesand help them process information (Hartnett1985), thus reinforcing the teaching point andsaving the teacher unnecessary explanation.

Finally, those who hold the view expressed instatement 5 are neglecting the fact, grounded inthe very definition of language, rhar languageskills are not isolated entities, and that as language_teachers we need to build bridges benveen skills.We can do so by creating u .rnifi.d context inwhich the teaching of tarious skills is effectivelyintegrated around media. For example, rve canstructure multiskill thematic unitsa requiring stu-dents to process information from a variety of

The Use of Media in Language Teaching

sources (e.g., a political cartoon, a video docu-mentary and letters to the editor, all concerningthe same controversial topic) followed by an inter-view assignment in which students poll nativespeakers for their opinions on this topic and, asa culminating activity, lrite a paper summariz-ing the opposing points of view on the topic.

In short, media help us to motivate studentsby bringing a slice of real life into the classroomand by presenting language in its rnore completecommrrnicative context. Media can also providea density of information and richness of culturalinput not othen^rise possible in the classroom,they can help students process information ancifree the teacher from excessive explanation, andthey can provide contextualization and a solidpoint of departure for classroom actirrities. Thefolloi,ving statements summarize the rationale forusing media in the language classroom:

I Given the role media play in the world out-side the classroom, students expect to lindmedia inside the classroom as well. Mediathus serve as an important motivator in thelanguage teaching process.Audiovisual materials provide students withcontent, meaning, and guidance. They thuscreate a contextualized situation withinwhich language items are presented andpracticed.Media materials can lend authenticity tothe classroom situation, reinforcing for stu-dents the direct relation between the lan-guage classroom and the outside world.Since the learning styles of students differ(Oxford 1990; Reid 1987; Skehan 1989;Wenden and Rubin 1987; see also Oxford'schapter in this volume), media provide uswith a way of addressing the needs of bothvisual and auditory learners.The role that input plays in language learn-ing is virtually uncontested (Krashen 1987).By bringing media into the classroom, teach-ers can expose their students to multipleinput .sources. Thus, while decreasing therisk of the students' becoming dependenton their teacher's dialect or idiolect, theycan also enrich their language learningexperiences.

iI

451

')

With reference to schema theory (Schank

and Abelson1977), which proposes that we

approach new information by scanning our

-"*oty banks for related knowledge'

media can help students call up exrsting

schemata and therefore maximize their use

of prior background knowledge in the lan-

guage learning process.Finally, research suggests that media pro-

vide teachers u'ith a means of presenting

material in a time-efficient and compact

manner, and of stimulating students' senses'

thereby helping them to Process infonna-

t ion more readi lv (Mol l ica 1979).

CLASSROOM MEDIA:

"AN OVERVIE\^/At the height of the audiolingual era, if we had

asked the average second or foreigrr language

teacher to designate those media tl-rat they felt

were appropriate for the teaclring of languages,

we rvould no doubt have received a fairll'large

range of responses, with the blackboard and

other simple classroom aids along with the audio-

tape medium (and the ubiquitous language labo-

ratorl,) dominating the responses. Today,

needless to say, that range of responses u'ould be

even largeq as the ever-expanding horizons of

technology present us with exciting new adrances

such as computer-assisted instr-uction, satellite

transmission, and interactive video.

Despite these expanding horizons, rve find'today that rather than abandoning the more trzdi-

tional, or small m, media and shifting allegiance to

the newe! more technological innor'ations, lan-

Srage teachers are simply incorporating ne\\'tech-

nology into their repertoire of teaching aids, with

many using sophisticated video and computer tech-

nologies (see Sokolik's chapter in this volume)

alongside the less sophisticated (but tried and tme)

magnetboard or ovet"head projector. In attempting

to provide an ovendeu' of the range of media avail-

able to classroorn teachers today, it is per-haps best

to use the trzditional classification of "noutech-

nical" and "technical" media, as listed belon'.5

462

Nontechnical Media

Tl-ris category presents ol--'''iotts advantages in set-

tings rvl-rere electricity is unreliable' technical

resources are scarce, or funding is limited. Other

advantages of the forms of media included in this

categorl'are their lotv cost, their availability, their

accessibilin,, and their user-friendliness. Items

that belong in this category npically include:

blackboalds/ cltr-toons,/rr'hiteboards line drawings

n-ragnetboards/ objectsT/realiaflanr-relboards/ PamPhlets/pegboal ds brochttres,/

flasl'icardsr/iudex cards fl)'ers,/urenus

r ra l l c l ta r ts ,pos ters . eq t r ipmentlnaps, scrolls operatioll manuals

board gaines PtlPPetsrnoiiuted pictures/ r'rervspapers/

phot i - rs l r r rgaz i l les

Technical Media

Altl-rough these forrns of n-redia are costlier and

less ttset-friendly than the uoutechuical media,

thev carn'rvith thern a larger degree of "psycho-

logical reality" in that they can bring the outside

n'orld in all its cornplexities iuto the classroom.

In fact, since students in todar''s language classes

tend to sttrround themselves u'ith technology in

their dailv lives, they may gro\\' to expect it in the

language classroom as n'elI. Items that belong in

this category tlPicallY include:

record playeraudiotape player/

recorderCD plaver/recorderradiotelerisionvideo player/

recordertelepl-rone/

teletraineroverhead projector

In considering this group, it is important to

make a ferv further distinctions-namely, whether

the meclia constifttte software (consumable media

filmstrip,/film projector

opaque projectorslide projectorcomputerlanguage labcornputer labmultimedia labself-access center

Unit V Skills for Teachers

iI

items) or hardware (equipment), whether thematerials are commercially produced or teacher-produced, and whethcr they are authentic ornot.6 \4b must also consider rvhether they arebeing used alone or together with other mediain a multimedia environment. Finally, we mustalso consider the purposes for which these mediaare being used-i.e., to aid in presentation, toprovide practice or stimulate coulmunicativeinteraction, or to provide feedback (as in the caseof audio,/videotaping student oral products forsubsequent discussion and evaluation) .

To include a description of the possible usesot all the above forms of media is beyond thescope of this chapter. Horvever, to take but oneexample, the blackboard, we can see hou' eventhis simple medium can function effectively ar rherarious stages of a lesson. In the presentationstage, for example, the blackboard can be usedfor'verb paradigms, time lines, or orher graphicor visual cues to elucidate a teacl-ring point, whilematrices or grids written on the blackboard canserre as elicitation tools. In tl-re practice stage,maps, stick figures, and other line drawings canfunction as contextualizers for a giren activit)lFirrally, in the communication stage, the black-board can be used to storyboard student ideas ina groupproduced narrative or to cluster and mapstudent concepts as they are being developed.

Suffice it to say, then, that each form ofmedia presents unique advantages-be it thear.ailability and immediacy of feedback that theblack/whiteboard can supply, the economy oftime that pre-prepared overiread transparenciesor a Powerpoint presentation can provide theteacher, or the richness of authentic input thatfilm or the Internet can offer. Ultimately, eachmedium leaves its own imprint on the teaching/learning process, and it is up to the teacher todecide which one to select in order to teach agiven point.

GUIDELINES FOR USINGMEDIA IN THE CLASSROOMGiven the range of classroom media (both hard-uare and software) discr"rssed above, it is not sur-prising that language teachers are overrvhelmed


by tl-re choices available ro them. As Penfield(1987, p. 1) rightfully notes, "roo ofren [media]are neglected because teaclters are not alwayscertain horv to adapt these rich and complexlearning materials to studertts' needs and lan-guage competencies." Clearly, guidelines for useare in order.

In fact, guidelines for the selection, adapta-tion, development, and implementation ofmedia-based materials do not differ radicallyfrom the kinds of guidelines n'e find mentionedmore universally regarding lesson planning andtextbook evaluation (see, e.g.,Jensen's and Byrd'schapters ir-r this volume). Thus, such issues as theappropriateness of the materials for the targetaudience, their: technical and pedagogical quality,their teaching objectir.'e(s), and the pre-/post-procedures to be nsed all pla;,as important a rolein the selection and use of audioaisual media ir-rthe classroom as they cio in rirose of conventionalprint media. Further, and this point cannot bestressed enough, media-based materials shouldnot be vier,r,ed simply as extraneous to the lesson,or as contingenq/ plans. Rather, they should beplanned as carefully as the lesson itself andshould form a central (if not tlu central) compo-nent of the lesson-one that is interwoven withthe other lesson components, such as the readingtext, the writing assignment, or the speaking task.

A FRAMEWORKFOR STRUCTURINGMEDIA LESSONSThe framework presented belowT is intended toput the application of media to language teachinginto a unified perspective and to assist teachers inbetter structuring media lessons. In constmctingthis franework, I've divided up the tvpical "lesson"into five stages: (1) the infortnation andmot'iuationstage, where the topic and relevant backgroundinformation are presented; (2) the input stage,where the teacher ensures comprehension of theitem or items presented; (3) the focus siage,wherethe students practice the tasks and are providedwith guided opportuniries ro manipulate itemsuntil they feel comfortable and confident;

453

(4) the more communicativr:ly oriented transferslage, in rvhich students are given opportunit iesto offer personal comments or share experi-ences relating ro the given context; and (5) anoptional feedbac!; sta,ge in which audio or videorecordings of students are used to guide theassessment of the students' pcrformance (e.g., astudent speech, an interview, a ciass discussion,a role play, a group problem solving activity).8Figure 1 presents the fiamenork.

In applying this framework, teachers needto be aware that the above points in the frame-work outline olttions availabie to teachers indesigning and implementing media lessons andare not intended to represent procedures thatmust be foilowed lockstep. Note also that mediacan play a role at any or all of the five stages of thelesson, anC that a variety of media might be usedin the various stages to complement each otherand to achieve the designated teaching objective.

I. lnformation and motivation stage

ll. lnput stageL Teacher presents/elicits vocabulary2. Teacher presents/elicits structures3. Teacher presents/elicits functions4. Teacher presentslelicits concepts5. Teacher presents/elicits content

f f r E ^ ^ . . ^ - - ^ - ^| | r . I LrLUs JLd.E€

l. Teacher models language items/proceduresltasks2. Students practice items/tasks in conlext

a. Drillb. Elicitation

3. Students man i pu late language/content/tasksa. Notetakingb. lnformation transferc. Pair work/small-group work

lV. Transfer stagel. Class discussion2. Students interact, using context set by media materials

as a point of departurea. Role play/sociodramab. Problern solving acrivityc. Information tap activiryd. Game

3. Task-based assignment4. Follow-up writing assignment5. Sharing of personal experience6. Field trip

V. Feedback stagel. Teacher tapes the activity.2. Students li: en to/view the tape.3. Students perform a self-assessment of their performance.4. Students yiovide peer feedback to others.5. Teacher provides feedback to studenrs.

Figure l. A Framework for Structuring Media Lessons

SAMPLE MEDIA LESSONSThe following sample lessons, selected to illustratea range of available media, demonstrate how theframework in Figure 1 can be applied in making

i:::,,',, tii

:

decisions about media use for languagc teachingpurposes.e Note that numbers in brackets indicatithe relevant parts of the framework that irave beenapplied in designing each lesson.

sample Lesson r: The "Ugry Lamp" (magazine picture)

Audience: Beginning-level adult students enrolled in an intensive language/visa program;intermediate level EFL students.

Teachingobjective: To provide students with the language needed to express preasure/

displeasure; request an exchange for an unwanted item.

Media: Mounted magazine picture of woman holding an ugly lamp (see Figure 2).Skills: Speaking, vocabulary, writing.

Time: 2 class periods (r hour each) prus foilow-up (r5 minutes).Procedures:

r

{

t$

l. Teacher introduces the concept of gift giving and receiving. lf appropriate(e.g., holiday time), students may want ro share information ibout'whai they

I are giving to friends or wish to receive [l].2. Teacher introduces the magazine picture of the ugly lamp (see Figure 2),elic_

iting explicit vocabulary (e.g., lampshade, bow, frlwn) itt.t.1 ana structures(present progressive, descriptive adjectivet tll.2.].

3' The studenb and teacher examine the picture more closely, and the teacher' asks questions which elicit more implicit vocabulary [ll. l.] and structuresil1.2.]. For example:'yVho do you ihink gave the womair thii gift?,' (sister_in-law, elderly relative);"]vhe1e do you thinkAunt Harriet mrglt havl boughtthe lamp?" (she mighthave bought it from a thrift shop/garale ,"il1"*1."

-

4. Teacher presents language functions relevant to giving and receiving giftsfl1.3] and provides srudents with guided practice 1rr.z.a-1. ln pairs (gift g"iv",and receiver),r,.ud:lF_ practice the sequence of giving the gift, opening it, andexpressing thanks [ l l l .3.c. ] .

' r -"" 'o ' - ' -"-

5. For homework, as follow-up writing practice, students write a lecer to thegiver of the gift thanking him or her [1V.4.].

6. 9n

a subsequent day, the context is recycred, and the ranguage necessary: ,, for returning unwanted itemsttoa store and requesting."r[1",i"*.6r1gu i',

presented [11.4.] and practiced [ll l.2.a.].7. students are videotaped [v. r.] rore-praying the situation [1v.2.a.1. Thev

then watch the video footage [v.2.] and receive peer [v4.] andieacher [v5].,i:r' ' - feedback.

t ;;;inating activiry studenrs bring in unwanted items they have receivedand share their reactions to receiving these gifrs with their classmates [1V5.,].

465

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,/i/K,l'<)\s'A

enrolled in EAP courses at the(e.g., advanced students

Figure 2. The Ugly Lamp

university; studentsin intensive language

466 Unit V Skills..for Teachers

4.

Teacher distributes photccopies of a computer hardware or software advertise-ment.Together,the class members identif the item being advertised and locate anyinformation relevant to writing a concise senience definition of the product[ll l.2.b.]. [Note: This advertisement and the subsequent adverrisements should becarefully selected so that there is no overt sentence definition of the product.Thead should, however, contain the necessary information for students to draw fromin writing their definition.]

bgetheri students construct a complete sentence definition of the product.The teacher writes this definition on the blackboard fl|.1.], stressing the previouslystudied formula for definitions, as in the following example:

lzlCHAMCTERISTICSthat converts documenmfrom one word-process-ing program to anotherwithout losing format-ting specifications.

Students are next divided into small groups of three or four students, with eachgroup receiving one advertisement for a computer software or hardware item.Using the pattern provided, each group of students works for roughly four or fiveminutes to construct a sentence definition of the product [ll l.3.c.].At the end ofthis time period, rhe groups pass their ads to another group, with each groupreceiving a new ad.This Process continues until all groups have seen all ads andstudents in each grouP have had a chance to write appropriate sentences with def-initions for each product.

:With the help of the teacheri students now pool their answers.They decide for them-selves the most useful information,to include [Vl.];the teacher then writes theagreed-upon definition on the board under the headings indicated above. Errorsin spelling, sentence structure, erc., can be dealt with at this stage by eliciting peercorrection. ::

on a subsequent day, the teacher can recycle the material in a more game-likeatmosphere ilV.2.d.], either by giving srudents names of fictional products andhaving them compete to write the "best" definition of the product or by havingstudents play a "sorr and unscramble" game in which they are giv"n ri""a-,lp i;;;:from categories X,t and Z on separate strips of paper and .rk"d ao pur the itemstogether to form sentence definitions.

: . : . '' t : ] , ! r :.}'....

. , , . : . , t : : ,:i':tlal l..:. :' ar ..1

IX]SPECIFIC TERMSoftware Bridge


A(n) 1x1 is a(n)[Y] that [z]

mGENEML CLASS

is a software program

5.

7.

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Sample Lesson 3: Over-the-counter,.prugSll:,,

4.

5.6.

7.

8.

' " ' " ' : : ; ' : : ' i : ' l ' : ; : : : : ; ; : 1 1 1 ; f ' ; " " ' l ; t : 1 . . t t

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Audience: Beginning- or intermediate-level adult/community education students.

Teaching To develop an awareness of the availability, use, and potential misuse ofObjective: over-the-counter preparations; to increase reading for specific informa-

tion skills; to expand topic-related vocabulary.

Media: Packages/containers of over-the-counter drug preparations (".g.,headache remedies, cold medications); information grid (see Figure 3).

Skills: Reading, vocabulary, arrd speaking.

Time: 2 class per'iods (l hour each).

Procedures:l .

2.

3.

Teacher introduces concept of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs; elicitsfrom students information on the types of OTC products they typi-cally use [].Common complaints (e.g., headache, alleigy, cold sores, constipation)are reviewed p.l.].Teacher introduces information grid and demonstrates the procedurestudents are to follow via the example (Sudafed) fl1.l.].Terms in thegrid are explained [.l.].Students are divided into small groups of four or five and OTC prod-ucts are distributed to each group.Students work in groups to transfer information into the grid pl.3.b.].

Once all student groups have completed the task, they share theirresults with the class at large.Students discuss previous experiences they have had with OTC drugs(side effects experienced, etc.) [V5.]As a follow-up, each student is assigned a symptom (e.g., warts, feverblisters, heartburn) and told to go to the drug store and finrj threeproducts intended to remedy this condition. They are to comparethese products using the grid format anci report back on their find-ings to the class on the following day flV.3.].

468 Unit V Skills forTeachers

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Ski l ls:

Time:

Procedures:

Sampie Lesson 4: Postcard Description Activity(photographic postcards from various countries) l2

Recently arriveci international students living in the ESL conrext (any level).

To increase awareness of cultural stereotyping; to serve as a discussion stimulus forimpressions formed of the United States, its people, and its culture.

Picture postcards depicting stereotypical images of countries (one for each pair ofstudents); a barrier (u.9., a notebook, manila folder) to separate students.

Speaking, cuitural awareness, writing.

I c lass period ( l hour) plus fol low-up (10*15 minures).

l. Teacher introduces the activity by discussing postcards in general and the kindsof postcards that people send to their friends when they are on vacation [1.].Amodel postcard (e.g., one depicting a Durch girl wearing wooden shoes with awindmill and tulips in the background) may be shown to promore discussion.

2. Students are asked what kinds of postcards they have sent home since arrivingin the United States, who they ha,re sent these to, and wirar kindc nf mase'oocthey have written on them fl.4].Teacher explains/models the paired activity: Students are to form pairs, withstucient A receiving a postcard from a given country. They erect a barrierbetween them so Student B cannot see student A's postcard. lt is student A'stask to describe this postcard to ptudent B, without mentioning rhe name of thecountry il l l. | .]. Student B then attempts to discover the identity of the country[V.2.c.].once all students have completed the task, students share their postcards andthe cultural stereotype depicted with the rest of the class.Follow-up discussion ensues on the general topic of cultural stereotyping, withthe teacher eliciting a definition of cultural stereotyping from the studentsilv. I l.Teacher elicits cultural stereotypes of Americans and organizes these on theblackboard under the headings "Posirive" and "Negative" 111.4.1. Students discussthe possible harm of cultural stereotyping and share some srereotypes heldabout their own cultures [V.1.].As a follow-up assignment, students are asked to bring in postcards from theircountry (alternately: postcards from the United States) and share further infor-mation ilv.s.]. Depending on class level and focus, rhey may be asked as well towrite a brief paragraph defining cultural stereotypes [1V.4].Teacher videotapes the srudent activity [v. | .] for subsequent playback. He orshe has students view the tape [v.2.]; in groups, they discuss the performancesand give each other feedback [V.4.].

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

B.


Audience:

TeachingObjective:

Media:

Skil ls:

Time:

Procedures:

The Use of Media in Lansuage Teaching

Sample Lesson 5: Radio Psychiatrist(phone-in broadcast taped off-air) I I

High-intermediate to advanced international students enrolled in an intensive lan-guage institute or other visa program; advanced EFL students in the secondary orpostsecondary context.

To expose students to authentic English;to help rhem gain insights into issueswhich concern Americans; to provide them with a forum for problem solvingactivities.

Advice column (DearAbby,Ann Landers) on topic of audiotape (mounted on indexcards); Pre-PrePared audiotape of phone-in radio psychiarrist show (possibly slight-lY edited). t+

Reading, listening, speaking.

2-3 class periods ( l hour each).

l. Teacher introduces the lesson uy .rt ing students how people who are experi-encing personal problems can get advice [1.4].what forums are available (e.g.,advice columns, counseiors, psychoiogistslpsychiatrists)l Students are asked toname specific situaticns in which people might seek the advice of a psychiatrist.

2.' The first half of the advice column is distributed to students, and topical vocab-ulary is discussed f l . l . l .

3. In groups, students discuss the problem [lll.3.c.] and write rheir "answer" to thePerson requesting advice [1V.4.].They then share this with the class and compareit with the actual answer written by the advice columnist tlv.l.].

4. In the subsequent class period, the teacher introduces the topic of radio talkshows and asks students what kinds of talk shows they are familiar with [1.4.].

5. After a brief introduction to the topic of the taped phone-in call, srudents listento the first half of the call-i.e., the caller's explanation of the problem. Asnecessary, difficult vocabulary is discussed [ll.l.]. Depending on class level, thestudents may listen to this segment of the tape more than once and may alsowork on answering prepared questions in groups [ll l.3.c.].

: ',

6.

7.

8.

As in step 3 above, students are then asked to formulate their own answer tothe predicament and to predict rhe answer that the expert will give [1v.2.b.].Students listen to the expert's advice (again, more than once if necessar:y) andsubsequently discuss whether they feei ihis advice will be of assistancerto tlrecaller.They compare their own advice with that of the expert tlv. i.].optionally, on a third day, students can participate in a problem solving tlv.2.b.]or role-play ilv.2. l.] activity, with situations prepared by the reacher. For eachrole play, one student plays the role of the advice seeker, and one or morestudents can play the role of the advice grver.

471

Sampie Lesson 6:"People's Court". (off:air videotape)ts

Audience: High-intermediate or advanced young adult or adult ESL students.

Teaching To increase listening comprehension in authentic situations and to introduceObjective: specialized vocabulary items; to provide a format for problem solving;to familiarize

students with one aspect of the American judicial system.

Media: Videotape of "Peoplet Court," a broadcast of actual small claims court proceedings,recorded off-air.

Skills: Listening, speaking, vocabulary, culture.

Time: 2 class periods ( | hour each).

Procedures:The lesson is introduced by the teacher, *tro giu", a brief introduction to theU.S. judicial system [.] and explains the role of small claims court within thissystem $.5.1.The program "People's Court" is explained, and .relevant vocabulary (e.g., judge,plaintiff, defendant) is presented fl. l.]. Students are asked if they have everwatched this program; those who have share their impressions of it [V.5.].Students view a selected case (broadcasts of "People's Court" typically consistof two cases) up to the point where the judge retires to make a decision. Classmembers consider the basic points of the case, judge the arguments of theplaintiff and defendant, and preciict what the iudge will decide ilv.2.b.l.Students then view the remainder of the tape and compare their decisions withthat of the judge. They may wish at this point to suggest how thelitigants could have improved their arguments, or discuss the testimony of thewitnesses [V. l . ] .On a subsequent day, the teacher may present students with various situationswhich might be heard in small claims court (e.9., a dry cleaner who damagedsomeone's expensive dress, or a florist who delivered the wrong flowers to awedding) and prepare the students for a role-play situation in which studentstake various roles (witnesses, plaintiff, defendant, bailiff, judge). Students aregiven time to practice the role play prior to performing it IV.2.a.].Students perform the role play, which is videotaped by the teacher [V.l.] andthen placed in a viewing facility so that students can review their performances

[V.3.] outside of class.

A follow-up to the video role play can include an actual site visit [V.6.] to a smallclaims courc. (These visits should be scheduled in advance by the teacher;thecourts are usually glad to accommodate.)

Following the field visit, a debriefing session is held, and students share theirirnpiessions tlv. |.1.

L

2.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

472 Unit V Skills for Teachers

CONCLUSIONAs outlined above, instructional media come inan almost infinite variety of forms and can playequally varied roles. The following are factors thatshould be considered when incorporating instmc-tional media into our language teaching goals:

r Type of skill/concept to be presentedI Student preference: the age, interests, expe-

riences, and learning styles of the studentsconcerned

the text and come prepared to discuss therole that media play in these methods. Inwhich methods/approaches do you feel thatmedia play a central role (i.e., are part of theunderlying philosophy)? In which methods/

-approaches do media play a more peripheralrole?Exainine the rationale given in this chapterfor the use of media in language teachir-rg.Which reasolts clo you feel are most con-vincing? Can you think of any others?Select three items from rhe list of technicalmedia and threc iterrrs fi:om those listeciunder non-technical media that you are likelyto Llse in the langr-rage classroom. Drarv up alist of the advantages ancl disadvantages ofeach. Can you think of specific teachingapplicatior-rs for these for-rns of media?

4. Is there a feasibility factor involved ir-r the useof audiovisual media? In other n,ords, areccrtain teachers ol' teaching situations limiteclto the q,pes of media thel' cal select? \Arhy orn'hy not?

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIESCollect packaged food items that you harrearound ),our household and design a suruivallevel grid actir.iq' similar to the one describedin this article for over-the-counter med.ication.Keep in mind that the purpose of the grid is topro'uide stndenLs rvith guidance in selectingfood items and to train them in reading pack-age labels for specific information.Select a picture or series of pictures from amagazine and appl;' the framework for design-ir-rg media lessons discussed in this chapter.Bring this material ro class and share with oth-ers your ideas on how you would use it. Be pre-pared as well to discuss your selection criteria.Observe an ESL class. What was the obiectiveof the lesson? What aids did the teachir use?Think of additional aids that would haveimprorred the lesson.Drau'ing on the suggestions given in Byrd'schapter in tl 'ris volume, develop a list of cri-teria for selecting and evaluating mediamaterials.

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Teacher prefbrence: facility rvith equip-ment, familiarity,/adroitness u'ith the givenmedium, teaching styleAvailabiliq' of software and hardrvarePhysical circumstances of the classroom,/lab

However, as Wright (1976, p. 65) notes, u/eshould also keep in mind that "language teachingis a collective title for a variery of activities under-taken by different people in ver] different circum-stances. There is consequently no single medium'ideal for language teaching' as is so ofrenclaimed." Ultimately, availability and teachercre Liiry/adaptabiliry will play major roles indeterrnining to rvhat extent media l'ill be usedand u'hich media will be selected.

In closing, I encourage you to think cre-atively about ways to incorporate media inro yourlanguage teaching and I reiterare the follorvinguseful guidelines: Use media materials rvhenvariety is called for, when they help you ro rein-force the points you n'ish to make or set1,e ascontextualization, when they expedite y,ourteaching task and serve as a source of input,and/or when they help you to individualizeinstruction and appeal to the varieq' of cognitivestyles in your classroom. But above all, use rnediato involve students more integraliy in the learningprocess and to facilitate language learning bymaking it a more authentic, meaningful process.

DrscusstoN QUESTTONSl. Elsewhere in this volume, a number of lan-

guage teaching methods and approaches(both traditional and innovative) have beendiscussed. At home, review these sections of

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FURTHER READING

The following sources contain a u'ealth of inforrrationfor classroom teachers on the use of instructionalmedia for language teaching purposes:

LarimeE R. E., and L. Schleicher, eds. 1999. Ne.u lAqy5in Using Autlrcntic Alaterials in lh.e Classroont.Alexandria, VA: TESOI-.

Murphei', T. 1992. Il[usic anci Sorzg. Oxford: OxforclUniversity Press.

Penfield, J. 1987. The tr/[edia: Calnlyst.s fo,Conn nu,nic atia e L an gu a ge L t: u r n i?'L g. Re ad i n g, ir4A:Addison-Weslel'.

Stempleski, S., and B. Tomalin. 1990. Irideo in Action:fuciltes lor Using Vidco in Langua.ge hnclrirzg Nen'York: Prentice Hall.

Ur, P. 1984. Teaching l-istening Comprehensiott.Carnbridge: Cambridge Universitv Press.

Wright, A. 1989. Pictures for i,Lnxgu.ag? Lenming.Carnbridge: Cambridge Universiq' p1"s55.

ENDNOTESThis chapter is a revision of the one that I u'rotefor the 2nd edition of this text (Celce-l{urcia , ed.,1991, pp. 454-472). That chapter replaced hvo inthe lst edition-"An Audiovisual lr4ethod for ESL"by James Heaton and "Language Teaching Aids"by Marianne Celce-Murcia (Celce-N4urcia, I\4., andL. Mclntosh, ed., 1979, pp. 38-48; 307-315). I aurgrateful to both autllors for their ideas, frorr.rwhich I have borrowed liberalltr I am also gratefulto Marianne Celce-Murcia for her suggestions coll-,cerning revisions to this chapter, and to ChrisrineHolten, Janet Goodwin, Linarvati Sidarto, MikeSilverman, and Susan Ryan for tl-reir additionalinput.I refer here to the distinction made bi' Richardsand Rodgers (1987) in their use of the rerrnsapltroach., d,esign, and proced,ure, in rvhich o,llnoach,designates the underlying theories of languagelearning in a given methodology, desigrz refers tothe form and function of the materials and activi-ties used in the classroom, and fn'oced,ure refers tothe specific techniques emploi'ed.

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I

I strongly suggest that teachers share sucl-r rnateri-als, institute a materials library, and even collabo-rate in audiovisual materials preparatiolt, sincethis can further- ease the materials developmentburden and furtl-rer increase the above-mentionedpayoff.SeerEclelhoff (1981) Brinron, Snon', and \{esche(i989), Pally (2000), and Murphy and Stoller(folthcoming) for a disctrssion of sr.rch mtrltiskillsthematic unils. For samples of thematic turits thatsuccessfulll,integr-ate media in a thematic col-ltext,see Brinton er al. (1997a) and Brinron et al.( 1997b ) .Far fr-our exhar,rsrive, this list is sirnply inrended tosive an ide a of thc rzurgc o[ media that al-e npicallycncouutered in the secor.td iangtrage classr-oor:r.I trse tlre terrn au.llnttlir hele in its br-oad sellse, torefer to l laterials that rverc nol produced for lan-guage teaching ptrrposes per se. Both tvpes ofmaterials (i.e., authenric and peclagogical) have,1.t. ' i ' ' t.git inrate use in the language classroom.This framcn'ork is looseh,adapted fr.onr a franre-rtork for using magazine pictrrres in the larrguageclassroom developed b1, McAlpin (1980).These stages are adapted fi"our Edelhoff (1981).I have chosen to h ighl ig l r t tcacher?roducednredia lessons ratl ' ler th:rn comnrer.cial n-raterialssince the latter are ustrall l , accornDanied rvithteacher guidelines.

l0 This idea u'as provided by Doug Beckrvith and isused rr' i th his pern"rission.

I I This iclea ancl il',. u..ornpun1,ir-rg grid wer-e providedbr'.Jean Turner and are used rvith her permission.

12 This idea rvas provideC by Karer-r O'Neal and isrused rvith her perrnission.

l3 This idea u'as provided by \A/endy Saul and AtsukoKato and is used with their permission.

l4 According to rhe guiclelinei established for oFairrecording b1' nonprofit educational institutions, abroadcast program ma1, 5. recorded oFair andrctained by the educational institution for a periodof trp to 45 calendar daya after the date of recording.Upon conclusion of this period, the ofil-air record-ing rrrtrst be erased or destro),ed (Penfield 1987).

15 Used rvith the permission of Paula Van Gelder.

()


APPENDIX AThe materials listed below are useful teacherreference texts that contain additional suggestionsfor using instructional media to teach secondlanguages.

Allan, M. t 985. Tba&ing Engtish uith Vd.eo.London:Longman.

Anderson, A., and T. Lynch. lgBB. Listening.Cxford: Oxford Universitv press.

Bassano, S., and M. A. Chr.istison. 19g7. DrauingOut. Hayward, CA: Alemanv press.

Cooper, R., M. Lavery,, ar-rd M. i.jnvolucri. 1991.Video. Oxford: Oxford Unir.ersity press.

Crznmer, D., and C. Laroy lgg2. tr,Iusiiat Opmings:Using Musir in tlu Language Clasnoori. EssJx,UK: Addison \Alesley Longman.

Duncan, J. 1987. 'fechnolog; As.sisted Tbactring

Tbcltniques. Brattleboro, \T: pro Lingui" Associates.

Elyt P. 1984. Bring tlrc Lab Bcttk to Life. Oxford:Pergamon press.

Geddes, M., and G. Sturtr-idee, series eds.Pra ctical Language'fear I z i n g. \"b 1r.,,-,.,

", I -g. Lo n don :

George Allen and Ur-rrrin,/Heinemann.l. Planning arid Usittg tlrc Bleckboard. 19g0.

Mugglestone, p.

2. Using the Magutboarcl.1980. B1,rne, D.3. The Magazine picture Library. lgg0.

McAtpin,J.4. Using Blachbornd Drauing.l9B0. Shaw, p.,

and T. de \/er.S.

l!9tog'at)hic Slides in Language Tbaching.

_ 19Bl Ayron, A., and [4. Ivforgan.6. Video in the Language Clasiroom. lgg2.

Geddes, M., and G. Sturtridse.7 . Using tlrc Ouerlrca tl proj ec t or. I bB2. Jones, J.

R. H.Gerngross, G., and H. puchta. 19g2. prctures in

Action. New York: prentice Hall.Griffee, D. T. 1992. Songs in Action. New york:

Prentice Hall.Grundy, P. 1993. Natspapers. Oxford: Oxford

University press.Hill, D. A. 1990. Visual Intpact: Aeatiue Language

Learning Through pictur.es. Harlow, UK:Longman.

Lonergan, J. 1984. Video in Larzguage Tbaching.Cambridge: Cambridge Universiry press.


Mejia, E., M. Kennedy Xiao, and J. Kennedy.1994. 102 Vay Tbachabk Fitms. EnglewoodCliffs, NJ: prentice Hall.

Shapiro, N., and C. Genser. 1g93. Chalk Thtks.Berkeley, CA: Command performanceLanguage Institute.

Steinberg,J. lgg2. Wntcha Gonna Learn From theComics? How to (Jse Comics to Tbaclt

_ - Lorguages. Iv{arkham, Ontario: pippir-r.Wright, A. 1974. 100(t pictures for Tbachsrs to Copt.

Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.- 1976. Visual Materials yoi ne Language

Tbacher. London: Longman.

APPENDIX BThe materials listed below are useful audiovisualpackages that are comrnercially available for theteaching of English as a Second Language. Thislist is not intended to be an exhausti-ve one, butrather to give an idea of the range of materialsavailable.

Ashkenas, J. 1985. Cotnics and Conuersation: [JsingHumot' to Elicit Conuasation and, DneloOVocebulary. Studio Ciry, CA:Jag publicationsl

1991. More Comics and Conuersation: (JsingHumor to Elicit Conaersation and, Dnelo.ltVo c aI ul"ory. Studio Ci ry, C.A: Jag publ icatio ns.

-, ed. 2000. Nau Comics and Conuersation:Using Hum,or to Elicit Conuersation andDeaelop Vocabulary. Studio City, CA: JagPublications.

Ballard, M. 1985. The Magnetic Way intoLanguage. Amhersq Ny: Creative Edge.

Clark, R. C., ed. lg82. Index Card Games for ESL.Brattleboro, VT: pro Lingua Associites.

-, ed. 1993. Morc Index Card Games andActiuities for Engtish. Brattleboro, VT: proLingua Associates.

Educational Solutions. Sitent Woy Materials(Cuisenaire rods, sound-color.hurtr, fidels.pictures, etc.) . New york: Educat ionalSolutions.

Frauman-Prickel, M. lg8b. Action Engtish pictures.Halnvard, CA: Alemany press.

Fuchs, M.S.,J.Critchley, and T. $de. 1986. Famiku:10 Card Games -fo, Language Learners.Brattleboro, \{l: pro Linzua Asociates.

47q

Hadfield,J. 1984. Harrap's Communication Games: ACollection of Games and Actiaities fo,Elementary Students of Engli^sh. Walton-on-Thames, UIL Nelson Harrap.

1990. Intermediate Communication Games: ACollection of Gamzs and Actiaitizs for Low toMid-Internt ediate Studcnts of Engli,sh. Walton-on-Thames, UIt Nelson Harrap.

Hancock, M. 1995. Pronunciation Gam,es. NewYor'k: Cambridge University Press.

Henry, L. 1999) . Pronunciation Card Games.Brattleboro, VT: Pro Lingua Associates.

Jacot, Y. 1981. See h-Say It. Reading, MA:Addison-\4/esley.

Ligon, F., and E. Thnnenbaum. 1990. PictureStories: Language and, Literacy Actiuities forBeginners. White Plains, NY: Longman.

Ligon, F., E. Tinnenbaum, anC C. R. Rodgers.1992. More Picture Storics: Language andProblzm-Posing Actiuities for Beginzers. WhitePlains, NY: Longman.

Maley, A., and A. Duff. 1975. Sounds Interesting.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

- 1979. Sounds Intrigdng. Cambridge:Cambridge University Pr css.

Maley, A., A. Duff, and F. Grellet. 1980. T:hz Mind'sEye. Cambridge: Cambricige University Press.

Markstein, L., and D. Grunbaum. 1981. What'sthe Story: Sequential Photographs for LanguagePractice. Volumes I-[V. New York: Longman.

Morari, P. R. 1984. Lexicarry: An lllustratedVocnbulary Builder for Seccnd Language.Brattleboro, VT: Pro Lingua Associates.

Nelson, G., and T. Winters. 1993. Operations inEnglish: 55 Natura,I and Logical Sequences forLan.guage Acquisition. Brattleboro, \/T: ProLingua Associates.

Silr,erson, S. K., M. Landa, and J. Smith. ig83.Speak Easy: English 'l-itrouglt Video MinrcSketches. London : Longman.

Yedlin, J. l99l. Double Aclion Picture Cards.Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.


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