The Effects of Feature Films Upon Learners' Motivation, Listening and Speaking Skills: the Learner-Centered Approach

DOCUMENT RESUME ED 470 811 FL 027 497 AUTHOR Lin, Li-Yun TITLE The Effects of Feature Films upon Learners' Motivation, Listening and Speaking Skills: The Learner-Centered Approach. PUB DATE 2002-08-00 NOTE 302p. PUB TYPE Reports Research (143) Tests/Questionnaires (160) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC13 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS College Students; *English (Second Language); *Films; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; *Listening Skills; *Speech Skills; *Student Centered Curriculum; *Student Motivation; Teaching Methods; Videotape Recordings IDENTIFIERS *Learner Centered Instruction; Taiwan ABSTRACT This study examined the efficacy of utilizing a learner centered approach in combination with a curriculum built upon video materials within a Taiwanese university English as a Second Language, classroom. It investigated how the combination of these two teaching methods would affect students' motivation, listening performance, oral performance, and sense of autonomy. Data were collected from experimental and control group students via listening comprehension and oral production tests, a motivation survey, a motivation and attitude toward film-based instruction survey, a survey on the applicability of the learner centered approach, a self-assessment survey about English language proficiency and attitudes, and interviews. Results revealed significant differences between the groups in oral performance and motivation, though there was no real variation between the groups on the two listening comprehension examinations. The experimental group demonstrated more positive attitudes toward film-based instruction than the control group. They also shifted their perceptions toward the adoption of the learner centered approach, moving toward a more negative opinion regarding the practicality of introducing a learner centered methodology into the language laboratory setting.(Contains approximately 580 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ;"1-FeLV)-14-NA-,-Nrtiitigkqt-X455Z)Teg: tElAiii7PicAntimmi 00 The Effects of FeatureFilms Upon Learners' Motivation, Listeningand Speaking Skills: The Learner-CenteredApproach g Li-Yun Lin U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND ED ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY , This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy. 1 BEST COPY AVAILABLE ABSTRACT This research examines the efficacy of utilizing, in the university languageclass setting, a "learner-centered approach" in combination witha curriculum built upon video materials as the primary source of input. The specific analyticalfocus of this work is to determine how the combination of two relatively progressivetrends in language teaching impact upon the Taiwanese student's 1. motivation; 2. listening performance; 3. oral performance; and 4.sense of autonomy. This study builds upon the assumption that the combined influence ofa collaborative classroom management style and a video-based curriculum will enable young adult learnersto 1. acquire more efficient learning strategies; 2. identify their preferred individual learningstyles; 3. adopt more realistic academic goals; 4. develop enhanced self-assessmentskills; and 5. attain a greater sense of "autonomy" in social, psychological and personalspheres. This authentic environment experiment lasted fora full academic year. The subjects for this study were 93 freshmen enrolled in two English laboratory classesat Chinese Culture University during the autumn 2000 and spring 2001semesters, a total of 36 academic weeks. The test instruments included: 1. two listening comprehensiontests; 2. one oral production exam; 3. an intrinsic and extrinsic motivation questionnaire; 4.a questionnaire on the student's motivation and attitude toward film-based instruction; 5. a questionnaire on the applicability of a learner-centered approach; 6. a self- assessment questionnaire about the learner's English proficiency and attitudes; and 7. interviews between the teacher and students. The statistical analyseswere conducted using the SPSS program, and the one-way ANCOVAwas used to adjust the influence 3 11 of the extraneous variable. The 0.05 level ofconfidence (P-value) was used asa criterion level for determining significantdifferences. The findings revealed significant differences inoral performance and on the motivation questionnaire, butno real variation between the experimental group and control group on the two listening comprehensionexams. The experimental group actually demonstrated more positive attitudestoward film-based instruction than the control group. The experimentalgroup shifted in their perceptions toward the adoption of the learner-centered approach, movingtoward a more negative opinion regarding the practicality of introducinga learner-centered methodology into the language laboratory setting. These findingsare discussed, and the theoretical and pedagogical implications are proposed. 4 .t441-1- *x'FF g J-M-f V tA4-4- f-Z-t-tti4t X ° La.ftgLik.EVt÷,-i-Vi If V ALA 1. V fib;; 2. 0.1-4 ; 3. z.fiV ° Et) itEAA ' tglk.1--11* 1. 1141.,ttiV-in-. V Iff4;2.4tAkAiti.-44-11-4; 3. a.31 -ktILZ...-Afil A; 4. ft A YJ4i; 5. 4% A V j7 5t4ba=5 1.xv7h--6 'QA--tt$02.-z...tORLAOR 2. VkAg.tE,41-VI ftzttalk ° 3. foOMEI tliasJE42$11A-z.lotti.1i° 4. I0/:1-X;tA E,4.1$0.11t-otk_11-57)1* ° 5. 4R41t tgtA2- l-- ±W3 1-tc=5-'-7-±v2:4-a.It-,544J7 */14.4 25- 67A. AR 4-Z-it,° 6. 1-4.RLx V ALA 47 U 4K4*-z11 'AZ-MA.44M #1.04.11114.hiat -Z-4g-kt ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like toexpress my appreciation to the National Science Council, which provided funding througha grant for the purchase of necessary equipment, and other assistance for the fulfillment of thisproject. I am also very grateful to Dr. David Nunan,former President of TESOL, whose book The Learner-Centered Curriculuminspired me to undertake this research.He unselfishly spent time andenergy reviewing this paper and gave me invaluable opinions and suggestions regarding thisresearch. I am especially grateful to Professor SusanStempleski at Hunter College of the City University of New York, who generouslyspared numerous hours editing and reviewing this paper while shewas already busy working on projects of herown. I was deeply impressed by her editing skills, and her unbelievablecarefulness and patience.Without her enthusiastic help and effort, thisdissertation would never have appeared. Over the years her books and researchabout the use of video have inspired me to explore and develop various ways of using video materials. Next, I would like toexpress my deepest appreciation to Professor Johanna Katchen at Tsing Hua University, theperson who first aroused my interest in theuse of video in the EFL classroom. And heramazing patience and carefulnesson revising this paper was deeply appreciated fromthe bottom of my heart. Her constant encouragement to attend various national and internationalconferences greatly stimulated my further enthusiasm for theuse of films. And, I want to particularlyexpress my gratitude to Professor Pi-chong Su at 6 Kaohsiung Normal University, whosetwo NSC reports about the use of video have greatly influenced the undertaking of this research. Withoutreferring to her works, this paper could never be done. Thank you! My very special thanks go to Tim Fox. Formany long years, he has helped edit every one of my published articles while they were each still inan immature or unrefined state. In order to edit thispaper, he worked day and night. Thank you, Sir. His enthusiasm for teaching never fails to inspire and influenceme. His creative way of teaching with video has stimulatedmy exploration of teaching with film. He has helped me to survive the long and tough research journey. I am grateful beyond words to Professor Hui-Lien Chiangat National Yanmin University for her unselfish loan of materials from her video/filmcollection, and for her very insightful suggestions regardingmy research. I am particularly grateful to Lucy Chung-Kuen Yao, Directorof the English DepartmentatChinese CultureUniversity,forherlong-termsupportand encouragement. I also owe inexpressible thanks tomy colleagues in the English Department at Chinese Culture University, especially CandyLieu, Branda Chou, Open Kai, Che-Yu Cheng, Ganga Shiue,Mei-chin Chou, and Je-fong Hu for their support and encouragement. I want to express my special appreciation to allmy students at Chinese Culture University for allowing me to use themas research subjects, and for giving me so much precious feedback about my teaching all theseyears. Without their cooperation, my project would not have progressed so smoothly. My appreciation alsogoes to three student assistants, I-shieng Leou, Chi-fong Wang, andWun-zu Wang, for their 7 VI dedicated help conducting NSC projectsover the last few years. I would like to expressmy deepest gratitude to members of the Yangminshan Elementary School PTA Association. Iam especially grateful to Chi-Lien Tong, Si-Ping Chi, Zo-Hua Wang, Tzu-FongChun, and Mu-Shien Lee. Withouttheir support and sharing of my ups and downs, andtheir help in taking care ofmy two children, I could never have had theenergy and strength to do research through

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