Using Multimedia in the Foreign Language Classroom | Page 41

extensively. Real characters acting in real settings prove to be more effective as they
offer more opportunities for observation and real language production.

2. How to use video

The first thing to do is of course to choose the video. Students appreciate a

video when it relates to their interests, so our first concert should be to find a video
which fulfills this criterion. A video which captures students’ interest will help them
concentrate and learn more effectively. The second criterion should be length.
Tomalin (1990) suggests that for an one-hour class an extract of about three to five
minutes is sufficient. If there is a longer video, what we should do is to play the video
once as a whole and then play again by focusing on a specific part of it. There should
be at least three viewings. These, according to Tomalin (ibid) should aim at
familiriasation, language study and behaviour study.
Familiarisation
This first viewing sets the scene and allows the student to appreciate the text
as a whole. It should be kept in mind that, as it is often emphasized in teaching the
four skills, it is essential to help students create a purpose for viewing. Watching a
video then becomes a purposeful activity. This can be achieved by either a
brainstorming activity, where students make guesses about the content of the video,
stimulated by the title or some other clues, or by the teacher writing some whquestions on the board. It is also the time for the teacher to pre-teach some very basic
words which might obstruct comprehension. The activities which can be used at this
part should aim at checking overall comprehension. True- False or multiple choice
questions are suitable in this respect.
Language study
After students have viewed the video as a whole, it’s time for a more detailed
viewing. This time students concentrate on the way language is used to convey
meaning. This input language is very important for students to enrich their linguistic
repertoire, to learn new words but also new structures. As speech is accompanied with
paralinguistic features, comprehension is facilitated.
Behaviour study and language use
This third viewing allows students to concentrate on the characters’ behaviour.
This allows them to see what linguistic structures the characters use according to the
situation as well as the cultural connotations of language. It is also a good chance for

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