Bridging Japanese Language Teaching and Culture Through Video Clips

ACTFL 2005, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD
Saturday, November 19

Fumiko Nazikian, Columbia University ([email protected])
Miyuki Fukai, Columbia University ([email protected])

Background of Study

• Position of teaching culture in foreign language classroom
• Importance of culture in learning foreign language
• Difficulty in developing learners' sociolinguistic competence

Rationale For Using Authentic Video Clips

• Semi-authentic conversations
• Linguistic and extra-linguistic expressions
• Exposure to different speakers
• Language use integrated with culture
• High degree of empathy and involvement
• Interesting

Rationale For "Rejection"

• Realistic situation learners will encounter
• Contextual variables (e.g., interlocutors' relationship)
• Semantic formulas (e.g., apology, excuse)
• Linguistic elements (e.g., style, particles, prosody)
• Extra-linguistic elements (e.g., body language)

Video-Based Activities

1. Develop materials

• Choose scenes
• Prepare transcripts and identify "refusal"
• Digitize clips (iMovie and QuickTime Pro)

2. Upload digitized clips to streaming server

3. Deliver materials through a Web-based course management tool

• Use "Test and Quiz" function to let students fill in the blanks on transcripts
• Provide links to clips

Study

• Participants: 17 college students learning Japanese (8 intermediate and 9 advanced)
• Procedures
  1. Pre-test (discourse completion test)
  2. Multiple-choice and true-or-false test based on the transcripts
  3. Video viewing and transcript-based test)
  4. Post-test (discourse completion test; similar but different from pre-test)
  5. Post-activity questionnaire (5-point Likert-scale items on effectiveness of and attitudes toward video-based activities, difficulty level of videos)
• Analysis
  (1) and (4): code strategies used
  (2) and (3): count number of correct/incorrect answers
  (5): quantify responses

Results of the Questionnaire

Demographic information

Contribution to developing language skills: Useful for listening skills and for learning casual speech

Q: How do you think this project will contribute to developing your language skills? Rate the degree of agreement with the number scale: 0 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

Opinions: More interesting for intermediate students; too easy for advanced students

Q: Please circle one NUMBER in each category that fits your opinion the closest: 0 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

Difficulties:

(Intermediate) Contraction >> speed >> vocabulary expressions >> omissions
(Advanced) omissions >> politeness

Q: If you found the video generally difficult to understand, please circle the reasons as many as applicable. Then rate the degree of difficulty with the number scale: 1(a little difficult) to 4 (very difficult).

Conclusions, Implications, and Limitations

Conclusions/Implications

• Effectiveness of video-based activities perceived by students
• Difficulty in choosing appropriate intonation --> Possibility of video clips to expose students to actual language use in natural settings
• Support autonomous learning by using the Web as delivery method

• Ultimate/Desired procedures
  1. Raise students' awareness of cultural aspects of speech act by using authentic video clips
  2. Reinforce understanding of culture and language through explicit explanation
  3. Provide students with the opportunity to practice in role plays

• Limitations
  • Small sample size
  • No control group

Acknowledgment

This study was funded by Language Consortium. We would like to thank Dai Kojima for his assistance in preparing materials for the study.

References

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