In
this
unit, we will give some tips on the actual implementation
of Movie Talk in the classroom. The unit is divided into
three sections:
- Room and Equipment
- Presentation and Feedback
- Timing Factors
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1. Room
and Equipment
- In selecting a classroom for Movie Talk, keep the size
of your video display or TV monitor in mind, and make
sure all of the students will be able to sit
where they can see and hear clearly.
- Movie Talk is especially vulnerable to noise
pollution. If possible, find a room as far as possible
from loud activities.
| I hope this
doesn't happen to you! Years ago, when I used
Movie Talk in the ESL program at
Shenandoah University, I sometimes had to
compete with a brass band rehearsing in the
next classroom, on the other side of a thin
wall. I had to shout to make myself heard, and
once or twice I completely lost my voice!
(A.H.) |
- Lighting is also important. Ideally, it should be
possible to dim the lights as needed for video
visibility, but without plunging everyone into total
darkness. And try to make sure that the monitor is
placed so that ambient light will not create glare or
reflections that might spoil the view for one or more
students.
- What do you do when walking past a classroom that
seems to have something interesting going on? Right: you
stop and take a look. Curious onlookers may be attracted
to your movie like moths to a light, and their presence
may distract you or your students. Consider keeping the
door closed during class.
- To the extent that you have a selection of equipment,
procure a large video display or TV monitor with good
sound and audio controls. Use a high-quality DVD player
with the full set of pause, slow motion, and search
functions. Insist on
having remote controls for the monitor and the DVD
player; Movie Talk is much more difficult without
remote controls.
| Ah, bureaucracy! Years
ago, the ESL program at Shenandoah University
was dependent on the Library Media Center for
video equipment. The monitors and VCRs were
delivered to the Listening Module teachers
every day as scheduled, but without remote
controls. When I, as a new faculty member,
asked the director of the Media Center why
there were no remotes, he showed me the drawer
where he kept them, and told me that the
remote control devices had to be kept in the
Media Center, so they would not be lost or
stolen. I asked him why it should matter what
happened to them if they could never be used.
He thought for a minute and then agreed to let
our teachers sign out the remotes. (A.H.) |
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2.
Presentation and Feedback
- If you are using Movie Talk in a multiskill class,
then you may want to integrate the technique with other
classroom activities that focus on reading, writing, and
speaking.
However, if your
class focuses on listening
comprehension (as in the Listening Module of a FOCAL
SKILLS program), then we recommend that you stick to a
relatively "pure" form of Movie Talk. Use the board
sparingly, mostly for sketches, numbers, and names.
Don't write vocabulary on the board or use written
materials in class. The purpose of Movie Talk is to
improve listening
comprehension. Writing words on the board takes you away
from your task of providing listening input, and reading
takes the students away from their task of listening.
(Written materials that students can use before or after
class are a different matter; they may be helpful to
those who can already read the language.)
- Make sure you know how the video controls work before
you start! You don't want to be looking frantically for
the pause button, in dim light, while the movie plays on
and on.
- Showmanship is important. Other things being equal,
the movie will be more entertaining than you, so if you
want the students to pay attention to you (and you do want them to),
perform your narrations in a confident, showmanlike
manner. Don't be shy.
- Don't use notes; they would be distracting. You need
to know your material well enough to present it in a way
that will appear spontaneous to the students.
- Stay anchored to what is visible in everything you
say, especially if your students are at a low level of
listening comprehension. Use pause, rewind, slow motion,
or whatever is needed to help the students match what
they hear you say with what they see on the screen. Try
not to make comments that don't reflect what is visible,
unless you absolutely must. Then, try to use pantomime,
sketches, realia, or whatever will help make the
meanings visible. Remember, the basic principle of Movie
Talk is to make the spoken input comprehensible by
pairing it with visual input.
- Use careful pronunciation and controlled tempo.
Students at this level need clear acoustic models of the
language. We all slow down and articulate clearly when a
colleague is having trouble understanding us, do we not?
Rapid, casual speech is derived from slow, careful
speech by a set of natural processes that systematically
reduce the amount of phonological information in the
speech signal. That's why rapid, casual speech is harder
to understand: the listener has to "fill in" the missing
information that would have been present in careful
speech. For this reason, second language students will
find it easier to understand casual speech after you
have helped them become more familiar with the careful
style of speech.
- Do repeat words as
often as students request, or as often as you feel will
be helpful. That keeps them listening.
- Take every opportunity to watch your students for
signs of comprehension, confusion, or questions.
Use this feedback to decide when to repeat, rephrase,
slow down, or invite a question.
- To check comprehension and keep students alert and
focused, ask frequent Yes/No questions, or information
questions that can be answered with a word or short
phrase. Be careful about asking HOW or WHY questions, as
these require full-sentence answers and may tax the
abilities of students at the level for which Movie Talk
is intended.
- Don't single students out or require anyone to speak;
keep your Movie Talk classroom an anxiety-free zone.
Don't permit long silences after you ask a question;
wait a few seconds and then answer it yourself. Silence
is not input.
- Always be receptive to student questions and comments.
Don't "correct their errors," but do rephrase and expand
as needed.
- Don't allow more advanced students to monopolize class
time by talking too much; their input is probably not
what the other students need, but all can benefit from
your input.
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3. Timing
Factors
- In planning each class, a good rule of thumb is that
20 minutes of movie will take about 50 minutes of class.
(Naturally, this will vary depending on the material and
your personal presentation style.)
- Make sure you are well prepared for the movie segment
you expect to cover each day, plus a bit beyond that for safety's sake.
(Of course, you can speed up or slow down a bit, within
limits, to make the material that you've prepared fit
into the time you've allotted.)
- If you expect to finish a movie with classtime
remaining, be ready to start the next movie. Have a
break between the end of one movie and the start of the
next one.
- Give yourself and students breaks as needed. You will
need a rest from time to time; Movie Talk is fun and
effective, but it can also be tiring after a while.
Typically, teachers take a ten-minute break every hour,
but do what works for you.
- For best effect, try to time scenes with the breaks
and the end of class in mind. When you know a movie well
and are well prepared, you can often make major
junctures in the movie coincide with break time.
"Cliff-hanger" scenes are great places to take a break,
leaving the students in a delicious state of suspense.
When your timing works perfectly, it really heightens
the dramatic effects of the movie and the positive
energy of the class.
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| Before you go, Kevin has a
question: |
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