Student false beliefs DVDs

Movies and documentary DVD’s should be watched only once

All videos are entertainment

This can be a frustrating one for teachers.

The movie or DVD is a great motivator in language learning. Many teachers will use movies or documentaries to provide context for topics. But they can be used in so many other ways.

I have used them to focus on vocabulary, idioms, slang, pronunciation, accent or intonation.

The main problem is that students can’t concentrate for long enough so what I do is use the movie with English subtitles. I use various strategies. With some DVDs I’ll show the entire program first so that the students get the context and the gist and some enjoyment (very important in itself).

Then I will replay the movie’s relevant parts focusing on the points we are studying.

I also will download the dialogue and get students to study the selected areas and then play the movie with the actual scene again. I find this to be a remarkably motivating activity.

However, students have to unlearn their internalized concept that a movie is only to be watched only once! This is remarkably deeply ingrained in the brains of many students on arrival to Australia. For some reason they resist watching a DVD for a second or third time. They need to be trained to unlearn this myth. I have watched some documentaries dozens of times and seen new things each time –and I am a native speaker!

I suppose the resistance comes from the fact that movies are seen as ‘entertainment’ (mostly due to Hollywood) Many students regard watching a movie not as work.

I am a strong believer in the use of electronic media as a teaching aid. In addition to the Hawthorn effect (change for change's sake) it adds the element of pleasure to learning which is often missing in the classroom.

Of course the scope for using segments of DVD‘s is unlimited–or limited only by the time the teacher has to prepare exercises and activities based on the DVD.

I have rarely found an environment which fully supports the use of DVD’s in the classroom. Many managers are against using them. Of course it depends on how they are used as they can be misused by the teacher.