Journal article
Film-based activities to overcome the 'Gap-fill Syndrome'
English Australia Journal, Vol.25(2), pp.51-57
2009
Abstract
One of the greatest advantages of using films for English language instruction is that films encourage learners to engage with what is happening on the screen on both an intellectual and creative level. As Allan (1985) points out, films are 'realistic slices of life' and, therefore, an excellent vehicle for focusing learners on situational language, where an understanding of both verbal and non-verbal communication tends to be a prerequisite for the negotiation of meaning. In other words, 'by thinking along different dimensions, the learners can understand more meanings' (Eken: 2003) and 'participate actively in an exciting quest rather than respond passively to the surface details' (Boggs 1996). As Eken (2003) suggests, the use of films for language teaching should be viewed as 'a principled approach aiming to improve students' abilities not just in language but also in critical and creative thinking'. This helps to support the point of view that, when planning to use films in the classroom, teachers should make sure that film-related activities are selected, adapted or designed with the objective of developing not only the learners' linguistic competence, but their cross-cultural awareness as well. Currently, it seems that the use of films in English language teaching in many classrooms around the world is suffering from a dominant 'Gapfill Syndrome', a common tendency of teachers to engage their learners in 'relentless' viewing and listening gap-fill activities, which can be more of a hindrance than an aid to the understanding of the language of the film. Gap-fill activities often require excessive written support, and this quite often leads learners to pay more attention to the completion of the task at hand rather than the observation of nuances of language which are embodied in or can be generated from the film.
Details
- Title
- Film-based activities to overcome the 'Gap-fill Syndrome'
- Authors
- Arizio M Sweeting (Author) - University of Queensland
- Publication details
- English Australia Journal, Vol.25(2), pp.51-57
- Publisher
- English Australia (ELICOS Association)
- Date published
- 2009
- ISSN
- 2202-6169
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2009 English Australia (ELICOS Association). Reproduced here with kind permission of the copyright holder.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Education - Legacy; School of Education and Tertiary Access; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449338802621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
60 File views/ downloads
423 Record Views