(LUẬN văn THẠC sĩ) using movies to increase motivation and listening comprehension of third year EFL students at academy of finance an action research study

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES --- NGUYỄN THANH HUYỀN USING MOVIES TO INCREASE MOTIVATION AND LI

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

-

NGUYỄN THANH HUYỀN

USING MOVIES TO INCREASE MOTIVATION AND LISTENING COMPREHENSION OF THIRD-YEAR EFL STUDENTS AT

ACADEMY OF FINANCE

(NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG VỀ SỬ DỤNG PHIM ĐỂ TĂNG HỨNG THÚ VÀ KHẢ NĂNG NGHE HIỂU CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ 3

KHÔNG CHUYÊN TẠI HỌC VIỆN TÀI CHÍNH)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Code: 6014.0111

Hanoi, 2014

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

-

NGUYỄN THANH HUYỀN

USING MOVIES TO INCREASE MOTIVATION AND LISTENING COMPREHENSION OF THIRD-YEAR EFL STUDENTS AT

ACADEMY OF FINANCE

(NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG VỀ SỬ DỤNG PHIM ĐỂ TĂNG HỨNG THÚ VÀ KHẢ NĂNG NGHE HIỂU CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ 3

KHÔNG CHUYÊN TẠI HỌC VIỆN TÀI CHÍNH)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Code: 6014.0111

Supervisor: Nguyễn Đức Hoạt, Ph.D

Hanoi, 2014

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First of all, my greatest thanks go to my supervisor, Dr Nguyen Duc Hoat, for his guidance and helping with professional advice and kindness Without his instructions and correction, this work would not have been accomplished

I am also thankful for the staff and lecturers of Post-Graduate Faculty, University of Languages and International Studies for giving me assistance and providing me with valuable knowledge

My gratitude is also sent to my students at Academy of Finance, who provided

me with inspiration for the research topic and who helped me with the research data

Finally, I am indebted to my family and my dear friends who constantly gave

me support and encouragement during the time my study was carried out

ABSTRACT

For years, finding ways and materials to make the learning experiences for EFL students more inspiring and fruitful has been one of the most important tasks of English teaching Recently, it has become very popular among EFL teachers to use movies in class to teach English And many researchers have reported that authentic video is motivating and beneficial However, few studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between students‟ movie preferences and effective learning Therefore, in the present study, the effectiveness of using films of the most popular movie genres was examined

This study aims at finding out how the use of movie in class can help increase student‟s motivation and English listening comprehension To reach the aim of the study, an action research was conducted on 90 2nd year non-English majored students

at Academy of Finance, Hanoi The study lasted for 2 semesters from February to June, 2013 The researcher conducted a survey to collect data which were analyzed to evaluate participants‟ opinions on using movies to teach in EFL classrooms

The findings indicate that the use of movies can significantly increase student‟s motivation and listening comprehension and make students have good attitude to the learning process

Hopefully, the results of the survey will provide English teachers with useful information to teach EFL classrooms and add a small contribution to the ongoing process of renovation for English teaching and learning

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.Rationale of the study 1

2.Aims of the study 2

3.Research method 2

4.Research questions 2

5.Scope of the study 2

6.Significance of the study 3

7.Structure of the study 3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 The importance of listening skill in English teaching and learning process 5

2.1.1 Definition of motivation 5

2.1.2 The importance of motivation in English teaching and learning process 5

2.1.3 The importance of listening skill in English teaching and learning process 6

2.2 Previous studies on the use of movies in English teaching 8

2.3 Advantages and disadvantages of movie viewing in classroom 10

2.4 Criteria to choose 11

2.5 How to exploit 14

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 18

3.1 Rationale for the use of action research 18

3.1.1 What is action research? 18

3.1.2 Advantages of action research 20

3.1.3 How is action research carried out in a language classroom? 21

3.2 Participants 22

3.3 Data Collection Instruments 23

3.4 Procedures 26

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 28

4.1 Findings 28

4.1.1 Findings from questionnaire 28

4.1.2 Findings from questionnaire 2 30

4.1.3 Findings from observation sheet 32

4.1.4 Findings from interviews 33

4.1.5 Findings from tests 34

4.2 Discussion 35

4.2.1 Research Q1: To what extent does the use of movies in class increase students‟ motivation? 35

4.2.2 Research Question 2: What are the students‟ attitudes towards using movies in EFL classroom? 36

4.2.3 Research Question 3: To what extent does the use of movies improve students‟ listening comprehension? 37

4.3 Reflection 38

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 39

5.1 Summary of major findings 39

5.2 Recommendations 39

5.3 Limitations 42

5.4 Suggestions for further research 43

REFERENCES 44

APPENDIX 1

APPENDIX 2

APPENDIX 3

APPENDIX 4

APPENDIX 5

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale of the Study

Motivation is the key to any learning process If you do not have motivation, you cannot learn well Motivation often performs two important characters in second language learning process; it firstly arouses people‟s interest and secondly helps people keep their enthusiasm Also in English learning process, it takes time and effort

to be able to master the language The question is that, how can teachers increase

motivation for students? How can students be motivated during the class?

Another aspect that catches the attention of educators in Vietnam is that many students complain they can read very well, but they cannot hear anything from native speakers when they talk Rost (1994) appreciates the importance of listening in second and foreign language learning and states that listening is vital in the language classroom because it provides input for learners Without understanding input at the right level, any learning simply cannot begin Nevertheless, teaching listening is a challenging job

It takes much time and energy to make progress in this skill For teachers, it is difficult tasks to get students participate in listening lessons For students, they often feel fed up with activities in listening lesson

In Vietnam, most students have taken English classes for at least 5 years before they enter college However, most of them remain insufficient in their ability to use the language Many surveys conducted by language educators and scholars have revealed that films in video format should be utilized as teaching aids because movies provide exposures to the real language used in authentic settings and the culture in which the foreign language is spoken They also have found films that draw the learners‟ interest can positively affect their motivation to learn (Sommer, 2001; Kusumarasdyati, 2004; Luo, 2004) The fact is that in Vietnam, not much attention has been paid to this way

of teaching foreign languages Most of teachers use textbook and materials as their main tools to teach in class With a view to making some changes, a study entitled

"Using movies to increase motivation and listening comprehension of third year EFL students at Academy of Finance: An action research study" is carried out to

investigate the effects of the movies to be used in EFL class to support the students

and help them feel more comfortable with the approach of learning a language through movie viewing and thus facilitate learning

2 Aims of the Study

Firstly, the study aims to find out possible explanations for the weak competence of the students in listening comprehension skills and their passiveness when participating

in listening activities Besides, the researcher aims to figure out how the use of movies

in EFL classroom increases students‟ motivation and their listening comprehension

As a result, recommendations are made to further improve the effectiveness of the use

of movies in EFL classes at Academy of Finance, Hanoi

3 Research Method

This is an action research study, with the use of a number of data collection instruments, namely observation, questionnaires, tests and interviews The data are then analyzed to figure out the findings for the research

Action research has proved to be the best choice for this study because the study is aimed at improving the students‟ motivation and their listening comprehension within

a certain context The combination of different instruments used in this research would help to gain reliable data and help the researcher have a close investigation into the problems that the students may find challenging

4 Research Questions

The research questions are posed as follows:

- To what extent does the use of movies in class increase students‟ motivation?

- What are the students‟ attitudes towards using movies in EFL classroom?

- To what extent does the use of movies improve students‟ listening comprehension?

5 Scope of the Study

The focuses of the study are levels of motivation, students‟ attitudes to the use of movies in classroom and changes in their listening comprehension The researcher used only 1 class and two movies to carry out an action research study on the topic of

using movies as a teaching aid instrument in EFL classroom at AOF for six-week period

The research was conducted on third-year accounting students at AOF Regarding its scope, the research was only aimed at justifying the effect of movie viewing on the students‟ listening comprehension Other aspects of English skills would not be investigated

6 Significance of the Study

The study highlights the important role of using movies in English teaching and learning process at AOF The findings of the study are believed to be useful for both teachers and students to be aware of the essential role of movies with the aim to prepare students for listening lessons and increase their motivation Furthermore, this study also helps teachers to upgrade their teaching activities in relation with the process of renovation for teaching

7 Structure of the Study

The thesis is divided into five chapters: Chapter 1: Introduction, Chapter 2: Literature Review, Chapter 3: Methodology, Chapter 4: Results and Discussion, Chapter 5: Conclusion

Chapter 1: Introduction

This chapter provides an overview of the study such as background to the study, the aims and objectives of the study, the research questions and the outline of the study

Chapter 2: Literature Review

This chapter includes the importance of motivation and also the essential role of listening skill in English language learning The researcher also states previous studies

on the use of movies in English teaching and learning process In addition, the criteria

to choose the movies and how to exploit them in the best ways are also mentioned in this chapter

Chapter 3: Methodology

In this chapter the researcher points out the methodology used to collect the data including learners‟ questionnaire and observation sheet The setting and the procedures are also stated clearly in this part

Chapter 4: Results and Discussion

This chapter shows the results from the data collection with detailed data analysis All the research questions are answered in this chapter

Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 The Importance of listening skill in English teaching and learning process 2.1.1 Definition of motivation

The word “motivation” might appear simple and easy, but it is in fact very difficult to define Because motivation cannot be seen, heard or felt, it can only be inferred from behavior Thus, it seems to have been impossible for theorists to reach consensus on a single definition

According to Harmer (1991), the nature of motivation is some kind of internal drive that encourages somebody to pursue a course of action Skinner and Belmont (1991) develop the definition further, noting that students who are motivated to engage

in school “select tasks at the border of their competencies, initiate action when given the opportunity, and exert intense effort and concentration in the implementation of learning tasks; they show generally positive emotions during ongoing action, including enthusiasm, optimism, curiosity, and interest” (Skinner and Belmont, 1991, p.3)

Crooks and Schmidt (1991) define motivation in terms of interest in and enthusiasm for the teaching method used in class, persistence with the listening task as indicated by levels of attention or action for an extended duration; and levels of concentration and enjoyment From the researcher‟s point of view, this definition is exactly right for the motivation in this study Through the innovation of teaching method like the use of movies in class, students are interested and motivated to participate in the tasks with high concentration and enjoyment

2.1.2 The importance of motivation in English teaching and learning process

Interestingly, many researchers consider motivation as one of the main elements that determine success in developing a second or foreign language Motivation is a central issue in understanding second language proficiency McDonough (1981) believes that motivation is important in influencing a person‟s success or failure in learning a foreign language Among other things, motivation is the need for achievement and success, curiosity, desire for stimulation, and new experiences It is more important than language aptitude Oxford and Shearin (1994) state that motivation determines the extent of active, personal involvement in second

language learning Ellis (1997) concludes that the relationship between motivation and achievement is an interactive one A high level of motivation does stimulate learning, but perceived success in achieving L2 goals can help to maintain existing motivation and even create new types

Obviously, unmotivated students are insufficiently involved and therefore unable to develop their potential L2 skills As a result, motivation is one of the determining factors in the success of foreign or second language learning

2.1.3 The importance of listening skill in English teaching and learning process

The importance of listening in second and foreign language learning is admirably summarized in a recent publication by Rost (1994): “Listening is vital in the language classroom because it provides input for the learners, without understanding input at the right level, any learning simply cannot begin” (p.141-142) There are more and more studies indicating the sheer importance of listening in communication and language learning (Dunkel, 1991) As Lewis (1993, p.32) highlights: “Almost all the world‟s natural output is spoken rather written As well as listening being a vital skill for almost all interaction, it follows from this that it is therefore the most important medium for input in learning a foreign language by increasing student‟s ability to perceive speech, the amount of input will be increased and therefore aiding language acquisition”

Moreover, listening is the ability to identify and understand what others are saying This involves understanding a speaker‟s accent or pronunciation, his grammar and his vocabulary, and grasping his meaning (Howatt & Dakin, 1974) Willis (as cited in Saricoban, 1999) lists a series of micro-skills of listening, which she calls enabling skills They are: (1) predicting what people are going to talk about, (2) guessing at unknown words or phrases without panic, (3) using one‟s own knowledge

of the subject to help one understand, (4) identifying relevant points; rejecting irrelevant information, (5) retaining relevant points (note-taking, summarizing), (6) recognizing discourse markers, e.g Well, Oh, Another thing is, Now, Finally, etc., (7) recognizing cohesive devices, (8) understanding different intonation patterns and uses

of stress, etc., which give clues to meaning and social setting, (9) understanding inferred information, e.g speaker‟s attitude or intention

The focus of listening teaching and learning has also changed a lot and it has moved from teacher-centered approach to more learner-centered one That is why listening is now recognized as an active receptive skill (Anne and Lynch, 1988) in which the listener activates previous or existing knowledge to integrate new knowledge

According to Austin (1970), a teacher‟s roles in a listening lesson are to create interest, reasons for listening, and the confidence to listen Underwood (1989) appreciate teacher‟s role in directing students in listening lessons Students will naturally turn to their teachers when they have difficulties in understanding spoken English and teacher will wish to assist in whatever ways they can The author sets objectives to the teachers Firstly, teachers are to expose students to a range of listening experiences, which can be done by using many different listening texts such

as stories, conversations, descriptive talks, etc, which incorporate a variety of language Secondly, it is necessary for teachers to make listening purposeful for the students This can best be achieved by providing tasks, which are as realistic as possible, so that the students can relate what they are doing in the lesson to things that happen in real life, outside the classroom Thirdly, teachers are to help students understand what listening entails and how they might approach it Often, this means changing the attitudes of students, particularly if in the past their attempts to learn to listen have been unsuccessful It is worth spending a little time explaining the processes of listening to students and talking to them about how they listen in their native language The final objective is to build up students‟ confidence in their own listening ability Success breeds success and students who feel they are succeeding will be encouraged to go on trying The teacher‟s role in this study is to provide experiences and activities in which students can benefit from It is important to remove the idea of testing from listening activities and to take advantage of the almost universal interest in problem-solving as a basis for most of teacher‟s listening work (Underwood, 1989)

In order to make listening tasks become more attractive to students, it is necessary for listening teachers to be cautious about the reasons why listening is challenging to learners and it is the role of the teacher to help them with useful learning strategies

2.2 Previous studies on the use of movies in English teaching

Visual aids are a great enhancement for teaching an ESL class An even better resource is the presence of film and video in class as they change the learning atmosphere of the class, and ESL students can hear authentic English in real life scenes and natural settings Many scholars have revealed that movies used in EFL classroom can become an important part of the curriculum This is based on the fact that movies provide exposures to “real language,” used in authentic settings and in the cultural context which the foreign language is spoken They also have found that movies catch the learners‟ interest and it can positively affect their motivation to learn (Kusumarasdyati, 2004; Luo, 2004)

Firstly, movies can be considered as authentic material and they provide the learners with genuine input (Mishan 2004: 216) Moreover, as Krashen (1985: 4) points out, a natural input helps the learners to acquire language without necessarily even noticing that they are hearing or reading a foreign language Using videos to facilitate learners‟ listening comprehension has also been widely discussed in the past two decade (Secules et al, 1992; Weyers, 1999; Linebarger, 2001; Kusumarasdyati, 2004; Luo, 2004; Lin, 2009) Joseph R Weyers (1999) carried out a study with an authentic soap opera to measure whether it can increase students listening

comprehension and enhance their oral production There were two groups in his study:

17 subjects in the control group and 20 subjects in the experimental group The experiment was conducted in two second-semester Spanish classes for 8 weeks at the University of New Mexico All the students were present for the pre-and post-treatment tests Both groups followed the established curriculum for second-semester Spanish However, the experimental group was supplemented by the experimental treatment The treatment required that the subjects in the experimental group watched two episodes of a Spanish soap opera per week, which was taped off-air with the

commercials and was not specifically designed for language learners The viewingconsumed approximately 45 minutes of the 60-minute class period Before viewingeach episode, the teacher gave the participants a short summary in English of the

telenovela The result of the experiment suggests that telenovelas are a valuablesource

in increasing the students‟ listening comprehension skills

Luo, J.J (2004) in his study examined the influence of DVD movies on students‟ listening comprehension Nine films were incorporated into the class curriculum over the entire school year The DVDs were the main materials of the course, supported by specially designed additional activities Instructional activities included story-telling, picture description and open-ended questions for group discussion on topics retrieved from the movies The researcher incorporated caption-

on and caption-off activities in order to practice student‟s listening skills The final results of the statistical analyses indicated that student‟s listening skill “did improve” through the instruction of using DVD movies in a motivating learning environment with “lower level of anxiety” after a whole school year (Luo, 2004)

Herron and Seay (1991) had conducted research on using video in listening comprehension for EFL students He used intermediate level of students and has divided them into two groups, experimental and controlled group The experimental group has substituted the regular classes with listening to the authentic radio tapes The controlled group followed the regular class activities without and exposure to the radio tapes The study has provided evidence that the experimental group performed significantly better on the final tests of listening comprehension with both the video and the audio than did the control group in which no strategy training occurred

Champoux (1999) has studied the use of films as a teaching resource and Allan (1985), Stoller (1988), Katchen (2003) and Sufen (2006) have analyzed the use of

films and videotapes concerning particularly EFL or ESL teaching

However, in Vietnam, the fact is that, not much research on this topic has been carried out A number of thesis or assignments focus only on studies of the use of pictures or short video clips as their teaching aids As a result, by combining these previous

studies, it is easier to notice why using movies in EFL teaching is a useful method and has several advantages compared to the more traditional teaching styles

2.3 Advantages and disadvantages of movie viewing in classroom

Movies provide a wonderful opportunity for students to gain background understanding to combine with their own understanding about a story or concept It has been studied that films enhance English language skill development since they bring variety, reality, authenticity and flexibility into the EFL classroom Good films can serve as a valuable pedagogical aid, both for classroom use and self-study The ultimate goal is to arouse sensitivity in the learner and to provide a stimulus to stretch his/her imagination and creativity Moreover, using movies can motivate the students

to study English and the visuality of the film may also help the weaker students to understand since it offers another channel of understanding in addition to just listening

to the language (Champoux 1999, Allan 1985: 65, Stoller 1988) Allan (1985: 65) also highlights the realistic examples that the films enable Combining both audio and visuality makes film a comprehensive tool for language teaching The visuality also supports the students: it helps learners by supporting the verbal message and provides a focus of attention while they listen In addition, viewers are not just passive observers but their responses also add to the power of the film According to Stoller (1988) films are a flexible tool for second language learning and instruction since they add an extra dimension to course design and assure a rich variety of language and cultural experiences Additionally, films expose the students to authentic target language, speech forms that are not normally encountered in the more restricted classroom environment The more realistic language often also motivates the students

48-to participate actively in film-related activities With the help of films teachers can present these characteristics to students better than with only a textbook By watching films the students can also explore the issues of appropriateness and pragmatics while observing also linguistic, paralinguistic and nonverbal behaviour According to Allan (1985: 48-65) films actually get students to talk and they can be a stimulus to genuine communication in the classroom by bringing out different opinions within the group

Authentic materials usually help them to notice, that knowing foreign language is very useful and that the language can be used every day in different contexts

Even though using movies can diversify the curriculum and motivate the learners to study a foreign language, using movies is not always straightforward and trouble-free From the teacher's perspective, it may be argued that the planning stage is time-consuming and demanding since it requires previewing the film and designing adequate activities According to Stoller (1988) using movies requires for instance extensive preparation and thus some teachers may feel that using movies is too demanding Since teachers usually are rather busy, preparing film lessons is considered too time-consuming and it is perhaps easier to follow a text book instead of preparing the film and the related assignments Moreover, Champoux (1999: 240-251) points out that using films is not only time-consuming for the teacher, but it can also take time away from other classroom activities In addition, Stoller (1988) mentions also poor equipment as a factor which may complicate the use of films in teaching However, nowadays the language classrooms are rather well equipped, and almost every classroom has either a television or a computer, which allows using for instance DVD films Nevertheless, the teacher must keep in mind the costs and make sure that the film lesson does not overrun the budget It is also important to notice that the students‟ reactions may vary and for some students, for instance, a certain scene can be distracting The teachers in Vietnam should be aware that young learners of English just would love to go to the cinema or theatre with friends to relax and then leave for home They might think movies are for entertainment and do not pay enough attention

to the benefit it might bring to them Therefore, it would be much better if they have chance to have movies in class under the instructions of teachers DVD films would be much interesting if it is used appropriately

In sum, it is obvious that the pendulum swings to the asset side, and the pros outnumber the cons So, why not give it a try?

2.4 Criteria to choose

An important factor when planning the movie lessons is choosing the movie It can be based on thematic content to reinforce and consolidate topics treated within the

language syllabus, such as discrimination, moral issues, mass media, ecology, education, and work, or to illustrate language functions and grammatical patterns in real use.Selection should be very careful especially with respect to accent since some problems may arise Comprehension may be hindered by dialectal varieties of the language used by the characters

There are also other important points that need to be made sure before using movies in foreign language teaching These are, for instance, copyright matters, the teaching environment in which to use films and the proficiency level of the learners It

is also important to remember, that the films are not a substitute for the teacher Moreover, students should understand that they are not expected to understand every word The teacher should get students to accept that getting the „main idea‟ is enough

In addition, it is the teacher‟s responsibility to promote active viewing and the film should also promote active participation from the beginning of the lesson in order for the students to be more than just passive listeners and watchers

Each film dictates different types of activities Thus, careful selection and previewing of the films is important It is also important that the students understand the instructional objectives of a film lesson Thus, it is important to give understandable and simple instructions to the students, in order to make them understand that the film is not just an entertaining way to pass time but that it has certain pedagogical goals However, Allan (1985) emphasizes that it is important to choose topics that are relevant to the students The stories should interest and appeal in order for the students to stay motivated All in all, the topics should be both interesting and pedagogically rich

Additionally, one important factor that should be taken into account when selecting appropriate movies is the proficiency level of the students and the comprehensibility of the film The film should be sufficiently comprehensible so that students can complete the language related tasks and that the teacher does not have to work too hard in order to help the students to understand the language

Allan (1985) points out some concrete factors which should be taken into account when choosing a film for certain proficiency level Firstly, the density of

language is important There should be enough pauses in the dialogue in order for the students to be able to follow along Secondly, the film should provide the students with enough visual support This means that the visual messages support the verbal message and it is also possible, at least to some extent, guess what is happening in the film Thirdly, delivery of the speech is also a factor that affects understanding If the characters speak too quickly or there are various different accents, it can be difficult for the students to understand the language However, for instance different accents are again a simulative challenge for the more advanced learners

Moreover, according to Stoller (1988), also the length of the film is a useful thing to consider It is important to choose films that are long enough to convey meaningful content, yet short enough to allow classroom time for pre-viewing and post-viewing activities

The teacher also should think about the reasons why he or she wants to use the film, what for and with which students It is also important to think beforehand, what

he or she expects the students to understand from the film It makes the preparations easier, if the teacher also thinks about what techniques might work with the film, how much time the film will need and what kind of preparatory work is necessary before the film lessons However, Stoller (1988) states that films can be linked into syllabus

in various ways: by language items, by functions or by thematic units It is also possible to use content-based curriculum, in which case the subject matter of the selected film must be related

There are many kinds of movie available such as Thriller, Comedy, War movies, Action movie, Romance, Documentary, Walt Disney movie, etc However, in Vietnam, youngsters love to watch Walt Disney‟s Picture films for some reasons Firstly, films of Walt Disney are popular all around the world They usually make films that catch the interest of many types of people, especially kids and teenagers Secondly, the messages in their films are very gentle, understandable and encouraging

Many films are well-known in Vietnam such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,

Cinderella, Treasure Island, The Story of Robinhood and His Merrie Men, Little Chicken, Aladdin, Tarzan and Jane, etc These are very good movies for young

learners of English as the content is very comprehensible, the music is so interesting and the characters are beautiful and professional Especially, the DVDs are easy to find That is the reason why the researcher in this study decides to choose 2 Walt

Disney movies to present to her students as a teaching aid instrument; they are High

School Musical 1 and The Parent Trap 1998

It is not an easy task to make a good movie class because there are so many things the teacher must be aware of However, if the teacher really takes it for granted when using movies as a teaching aid, he or she will make the students really interested and motivated

2.5 How to exploit

According to Stoller (1988) the film lesson and its activities should consist of pre-viewing, viewing and post-viewing activities This ensures that the students stay focused and motivated throughout the lesson, and the goals of the lesson are clear to them Stoller (1988) emphasizes that the pre-viewing activities prepare students for the actual viewing Some examples of pre-viewing activities could be student polls, interviews, problem solving discussion of the title of the film, brainstorming activities, information gap exercises, and dictionary or vocabulary exercises and so on Pre-viewing is important in order for the students to be able to follow the film and understand the storyline and characters Pre-viewing can make it easier for also the weaker students to benefit from the film and its many beneficial aspects Pre-viewing task gives the ESL instructor an opportunity to provide some background information

on the film (director, producer, actors, year of production, music, writer, etc.) or discuss the background and setting of a scene (characters, plot, and themes)

Stoller (1988) points out, that viewing activities during the film, on the other hand, facilitate viewing of the film The activities help students to deal with specific issues and focus on characters or storyline also at crucial junctures in the film Some examples of viewing activities are directed listening, information gathering, film interruptions and second screening For instance a film interruption helps the teacher

to control whether the students have understood what happens in the film viewing tasks provide an opportunity to deepen the understanding of a film and

While-conduct a comprehension check One idea is for the teacher to play important scenes with the sound off and the English subtitles on (subtitles can be in the students‟ first language if the level demands) The teacher then replays the scene with both the subtitles and sound, and replays it a third time with the sound alone and no subtitles This technique is suitable for dramatic scenes, or when dialect or slang is spoken, because it facilitates understanding and makes students feel more confident (Roell, 2010)

Finally, Stoller (1988) highlights also the importance of post-viewing activities They are meant to stimulate both written and oral use of the target language utilizing insights and information from the film Post-viewing activities should extract the main ideas, concepts or issues of the film, since the small details may have been missed, and

it is essential to understand the main points of the film Post-viewing activities can be for instance film summaries, alternative endings, discussions, comparisons, speed writing, using notes for writing practice, role plays or debates Post-viewing activities allow students to check their comprehension and use the new language they have learned (Roell, 2010) In the activity called “Fly on the Wall,” students reconstruct a movie scene from memory, as if they are unseen witnesses After writing down their accounts, they view the scene again to check their recall and have the opportunity to amend their rendition (Sherman 2003) To strengthen their descriptive abilities, students can analyze characters in a film and write descriptive portraits of the characters‟ appearance, education, profession, relationships, likes and dislikes, and other qualities According to Allan (1985: 66) it is important to try to exploit all the positive sides that a film can offer on language teaching For instance visuality is obviously a great part of films, and it can help also the weaker students to follow the film and understand what is happening There are non-verbal signals in a film, for instance gestures, facial expressions, eye-contact, posture, proximity, appearance and setting All these factors play an important part in the film and may help or, on the other hand, also possibly hinder watching the film

In brief, the following are some techniques for using film or video in EFL classroom:

 Active viewing:

Active viewing increases students‟ enjoyment and satisfaction and focuses their attention on the main idea of the movie presentation Therefore, it is necessary for the students to take an active part in the movie Before starting the showing, the teacher should write some key questions on the board about the presentation so that the students can get an overview of the content of it After viewing the questions, the students answer them orally For more comprehension, the students may be provided with cue sheets or viewing guides The teacher then let them watch and listen for specific details or features of the target language

 Freeze framing and prediction

Freeze framing means stopping the picture on the screen by pressing the still or pause button Teacher freezes the picture when he or she wants to teach words and expression regarding mood and emotions, to ask questions about a particular scene or

to call students‟ attention to some points By freezing the scene, the students can be asked what is going to happen next and they, then, will speculate on what will happen

in the next action Freeze framing is excellent for speculation This activity also fires the imagination of the students by leading them predicting and deducing further information about the characters

 Vision on – Sound off

As video is an audiovisual medium, the sound and the vision are separate components Silent viewing arouses students‟ interests, stimulate thoughts, and develop skills of anticipation In silent viewing, the video segment is played with the sound off using only the picture This activity can also be a prediction technique when students watch the film for the first time One way of doing this is to play the video segment without the sound and tell the students to observe the behavior of the characters and to use their power of deduction The teacher presses the pause button at intervals to stop the picture on the screen and get students to guess what is happening and what the characters might be saying or ask students has happened up to that point Finally, video segment is replayed with the sound on so that the learners can compare their impressions with what actually happens in the movie

 Sound on – Vision off

This activity can be interesting and useful to play a section of a video unit and remove the visual element from the presentation by obscuring the picture so that students can hear only the dialogue but unable to see the action Through this activity, the students predict or reconstruct what has happened visually depending only on what they hear

 Captions or Subtitles on

It is easier for students to watch with both sound and visual on In terms of listening and the overall ESL comprehension, captioned videos are more effective for the following reasons:

- Students are more motivated to learn the English dialogue

- The gap between reading and listening skills is bridged

- Students can follow a plot more easily

- Pronunciation of words is learned

- Word recognition is enhanced

- Idioms become better understood

- Reading and processing skills are improved (King, 2002)

 Reproduction activity

After students have seen a section, students may be asked to reproduce either what is being said, to describe what is happening, or to rewrite what has happened This activity encourages students to try out their knowledge Students will benefit from experimenting in English, even though it may be challenging and mistakes can be made As it seems a bit difficult to act out, guidance, help and reassurance from instructor may be needed

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter is to provide readers a detailed description of how the study is carried out, namely to describe in detail the action research, the participants and the procedures of the study The chapter is to give readers an elaborate description of every step of the research

As mentioned above, the study aims to answer the following research questions:

- To what extent does the use of movies in class increase students‟ motivation?

- What are the students‟ attitudes towards using movies in EFL classroom?

- To what extent does the use of movies improve students‟ listening comprehension?

3.1 Rationale for the use of action research

3.1.1 What is action research?

According to Jerry G Grebhard (1999), the concept of action research originated in the work of Kurt Lewin (1948, 1952) Action research had been defined

in many different ways In Stephen Corey‟s definition “(Action research is) a way in which teachers try to study their own problems scientifically, in an effort to evaluate, guide and correct their procedures” Tsui‟s definition was more detailed and simpler:

"Action research is a very effective way of helping teachers to reflect on their teaching

and to come up with their own alternatives to improve their practice.” (Tsui, 1993)

Teachers in general and teachers of English in particular actually carry out action research for most of their time Whenever s/he identifies a problem which is happening in the class, it is his/her task to find ways to solve that problem Therefore, action research is inevitably a very common practice As defined by Mills (2003: 4), action research is “any systematic inquiry conducted by teacher researchers to gather information about the ways that their particular school operates how they teach, and how well their students learn The information is gathered with the goals of gaining insight, developing reflective practice, effecting positive changes in the school environment and on educational practices in generals, and improving student outcomes.” A typical action research needs to go from one step to another Nunan (2001) defines the framework of a research as consisting of seven steps:

 Step 1: Initiation (Identify the problem)

 Step 2: Preliminary investigation (Collect data through a variety of means)

 Step 3: Hypothesis (Develop research questions)

 Step 4: Intervention (Devise strategies and innovation to be implemented)

 Step 5: Evaluation (Collect data again and analyze it to work out the findings)

 Step 6: Dissemination (Report the result by running workshops or issuing a paper)

 Step 7: Follow-up (Find alternative methods to solve the same problem)

Another researcher that has conducted a thorough investigation into action research, Eileen Ferrance (2000) suggested an action research cycle as follows:

Figure 3.1: Action research cycle

In brief, action research is a kind of scientific study which is often carried out

by a teacher or an educator in order to solve a practical problem in a classroom As it was named, it focuses mainly on the actions of both students and teachers So, it can solve the problems which are related to all actions and activities in a classroom The problems which are solved by action research are often practical and useful for teachers

3.1.2 Advantages of action research

One of the most significant features of action research is it is very situational, which means it appears to provide specific solutions to specific problems in each context While other types of researches focus on experimenting or testing a pre-assumed theory or concept, action research aims at “improving the situation” Therefore, it is very beneficial to the teaching and learning process

When thinking of choosing an appropriate methodology, the researcher, who is also a teacher, found out that action research is the best choice for the purpose of improving the students‟ pronunciation

First of all, action research means “act upon research” It is impossible to assume listening problems that students are having without having adequate amount of observation An action research enables the teacher to have a thorough investigation

on the listening problems of students on a weekly basis Thanks to this, the findings would be up to date and mostly reliable The teacher can have a thorough look and is able to work out a detailed analysis on the students‟ performance during the progress

of the research In short, an action research helps the teacher design a detailed program which is most suitable to the class and therefore benefits students to the most This program will be consulted for building up a more suitable listening course for students who share the same problems as the subjects of the research

Secondly, in this action research, the data is taken from every student and treated individually Therefore, the teacher can see students‟ progress easily S/he will

be able to get the most up-to-date information and make sensible changes if necessary

to the research while applying it to meet the demand of the students For listening mistakes that persist for a long time, the teacher can spend more time on it by giving more practice time in class, as well as paying more attention when giving feedback to students Performance of students is collected weekly, and any potential problems can

be solved in time

Last but not least, by using an action research on the use of movies, the researcher gives the student a strong sense of themselves They will have chance to practice listening on their own This is typically different from other types of research

in which the teacher treats all the students in one class the same way In this case, data

is carefully collected and analyzed for each student The students‟ awareness as well as their gratefulness for the teacher‟s effort will serve as a strong motivation to make progress in their listening skills

Despite the obvious advantages, the research has some shortcomings compared

to other types of research, such as an experimental one It is sometimes claimed that action research has limited application This comes from one of its typical characteristic, which is situational This means the research program may work well in one class but cannot be applied to other classes in different context If the same research is carried out in another class, the result may not be effective as expected In other words, action research lacks generalization

3.1.3 How is action research carried out in a language classroom?

Action research in schools, colleges or universities solves everyday practical problems experienced by teachers, rather than the “theoretical problems” defined by non – teaching researchers It should be carried out by the teachers themselves or by someone who is interested in educational research

Action research in education focuses on the three related stages of action:

1 Initiating action, such as adopting a text, choosing an alternative assessment strategy

2 Monitoring and adjusting, such as seeing how a pilot project is proceeding, assessing the early progress of new program, improving a current practice

3 Evaluating action, such as, preparing a final report on a completed project”

find out the causes of the problem from professional books or journals, colleagues and students

Secondly, the teacher designs the strategies for improvement and tries them out

in some following lessons Next, a lesson is observed or video-taped to get data to illustrate the changes and improvements

Finally, the teacher reflects on the reasons for the changes and improvements

To ensure the success of the applied strategies in action research a survey is necessary

to get the evaluation from students From the results of the action research some conclusions and comments will be made

If the teacher was trained to conduct action research, he could solve his problems on his own or in collaboration with other teachers It also needs the supports from both students and education administrators Its results should be popularized and shared with anybody who is interested in

3.2 Participants

The participants of the research were all the students in class CQ48/21.03 The researcher, who is also a teacher, was in charge of teaching English for 3rd year students at Academy of Finance Naturally, they became ideal samples for the research

Taking every factor into consideration so as to minimize the risk of invalidity and to ensure that every single participant was treated under the same conditions of the research, the researcher reached the final number of 25 students whose performance would be appropriate data provider for the research They were the ones who participated thoroughly in the research from the beginning to the end They are all in a multi-level classroom setting and their level of proficiency is pre-intermediate and intermediate

The participants in this study were Academy of Finance (AOF) undergraduate students, between the ages of 19-21 They are all 3rd year students because for the first two years and even at high school they just studied grammar and not much of listening and speaking The researcher supposed that third year students could utilize the benefits of watching movies to learn English listening because these students certainly

had the basic knowledge to comprehend not very complicated English talks as well as the skills to deal with new contexts in a movie The study took place over six-week period of time, from August, 2nd to September, 13th at Academy of Finance (AOF) in the academic year 2013 In this study, in order to get students‟ perceptions on using

movies in ELT classroom, 2 Walt Disney movies presented to the students were High

School Musical 1 and The Parent Trap 1998. These two movies were chosen because there are similar scenes in each movie and the participants of the project could be exposed to repeatedly utilize English language, such as school activities, songs, daily conversations among friends and family members The language used in these films is understandable and not too difficult to comprehend In addition, the messages conveyed by the characters are meaningful and quite attracting Especially, the spirit and the atmosphere created in the films would completely arouse the students‟ interest The pedagogical goals in these films are very clear and attainable During the films, the students were asked to do listening exercises to check their listening comprehension and after that, the students were expected to share their thoughts and understanding of what they had seen

The sample class had chance to participate in the research program during 6 weeks The first week was for some investigation into the study The next 4 weeks

were for High School Musical 1 and The Parent Trap The last week was for

consolidation of the research program Every student of the sample class covered the same materials and the same setting The researcher was also the instructor who gave presentation to the class and one English teacher was invited to observe the activities during the time of the study

3.3 Data Collection Instruments

In order to ensure the validity of the research, a number of different instruments were implemented, which were largely qualitative

Questionnaire (Appendix 1 & 2)

Questionnaire 1 comprised of six questions and was conducted at the first week and Questionnaire 2 was delivered to the student at the last week of the research Questionnaire 1 was to find out the problems of the students in listening skill and