Using Multimedia in the Foreign Language Classroom | Page 44

potential problematic areas. Self correction promotes learner autonomy while it is less
stressful compared to direct correction.
3.4 Behaviour study
According to Tomalin (1990: 16) behaviour study refers to the non verbal
communication. This comprises facial expressions, gestures, posture, physical contact
etc. As many of the above are culture specific, students need to be aware of how these
features are used in the English-speaking society (although the term can be misleading
considering that the English-Speaking society is not a uniform entity). Activities
which can be used are:
What’s the difference
Students view part of a video focusing on typical examples of behaviour, such
as the way people greet each other or how they ask for permission to do things. The
teacher explains to students the degree of formality between the people involved and
then asks them to compare what they see to what happens in a similar situation in
their own country.
What if . . . ?
This is a more demanding activity, as it requires from students to predict what would
have happened if the situation was different. Different relationships between the
speakers, or a different context require a different use of language.
3.5 Prediction
The teacher can stop the video after some part of it has been played in order to
ask students predict what will happen next. Prediction can elicit natural spoken
language and discourse skills which are necessary for students to master, as they are
often different from what students have come across in their mother tongue. Students
can be asked to predict what will happen next, what the characters might say, how the
story ends etc. The technique can be used for developing both speaking and writing
tasks. A speaking task may require from students to find arguments in order to
convince their fellow students that their prediction is more plausible than another. The
technique can also be used as a prompt for a writing task which can also be assigned
as a homework activity. For example, students are asked to write an end to the story.
The next day students exchange their stories and try to find which clues of the story
prompted their fellow students to choose the specific ending. Another activity would
be to ask students to guess the title of the story they have just watched.
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