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USING DVD (Rik Ruiter)
14 March, 2005
USING DVD
In
this week’s meeting we looked at the pros and cons of using DVD, or good ole
fashioned video, in the class. Then we went on to discuss a variety of ways
of using them in an imaginative and educational way.
As
you will see, watching films need no longer limit itself to being the lazy
option for a tired teacher on a rainy Friday afternoon!
In
fact it was all so good we’ve decided to come back next Monday (21st) for
another session on DVDs, where we will actually see what we discussed being
put into action!
In
the meantime, here’s what we discussed this week.
ADVANTAGES
It’s
a chance to use authentic materials in the class.
Adds
variety to materials used in class.
Gives
a visual dimension to listening and other activities.
It’s
modern.
You
can bring other cultures into the class.
Exposes
students to a range of accents and situations where language is used.
It’s
fun and motivating.
DISADVANTAGES
Sometimes
it’s hard to find extracts from a film.
Fast-forwarding
to a particular clip is often clumsy and awkward.
We
may over-stereotype (e.g. students begin to believe American life is exactly
as they see it in the films).
AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL vs.
ENTERTAINMENT
The
comedy sitcom, “Friends” is popular in China, and many a teacher has shown
episodes in class to teach the students English.
But
just how much can students really understand?
And
apart from extensive listening practice, how much are students learning from
it?
With
a huge load of slang and rapid speech, we suggest, not much!
It
was suggested that using clips from films maybe much more constructive, and
not only for listening, but also as a platform for speaking and writing
activities.
For
example, you can show the beginning of a film and ask students to predict
what will happen. Or show the beginning and end and get students to
brainstorm what happened in the middle.
Also, films can be used for reciting lines,
imitating actors, recognising a familiar story in a new language, dubbing
scenes and so on.
The
films need not be in English either, unless your sole goal was listening
comprehension. And excellent use can be made of subtitles too.
There
are a multitude of activities you can do. One recommended source of
activities was “Video in action” by Susan Stemplesky and Bary Tomalin.
However, if you can’t get hold of that, all you need do is open the
attachment called VIDEO ACTIVITIES, kindly supplied by our speaker Rik, and
voila! a host of activities at your fingertips!
All
in all, the key message from this session was that DVDs (not only film clips
but also adverts, sitcoms, soap operas, even home movies) could be used as a
teaching tool, rather than just entertainment.
DVD PART 2:
21ST March 2005
This was a follow-up
we did a week later
Last week’s session was hands-on practice of
using the DVD in class, where Rik showed us what it was like to be a student
again whilst watching a Dutch movie. Thanks for that Rik.
To see the kind of activity we did refer to DVD
part one Video activities.
More ideas also came from Steve Samuels, who
writes:
At
the Hospital I have been running a DVD club every week. We watch ER,
first discussing issues that are about to be shown, and only addressing
vocabulary items afterwards. This has disadvantages, as you'd expect; still,
it is often more interesting simply to watch an episode for its emotional
impact than to regard the process as academic, which may occur if vocabulary is tackled prior to viewing.
To
satisfy both sides of this argument, I have suggested we watch all the best
episodes again, after a few weeks, to revisit the lexical items and
consolidate their knowledge.
The
most successful part of every session, however, is when we watch Seinfeld.
Not only is the delivery much clearer and less frantic than that of Friends,
but also there are very clearly printed subtitles and, even more helpful,
plenty of repetition which, of course, aids comprehension. It's fun, as the
characters act illogically; it's unlikely to be regarded as specifically
American, as every skit is presaged by Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up routine
wherein he examines some aspect of human folly, so the audience are
forewarned.
It's
also much better to watch Seinfeld with others, and I always laugh much more
than when I watch it at home.
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