Innovation in Language Learning

This paper examines motivation as an explanation for students’ communicative outcomes. As motivation has been widely accepted by researchers and educators as one of the key factors influencing the rate and success of second language learning, this paper reviews the literature that investigates the role of films in creating a more favorable environment for promoting communicative competence. The issues and problems of learning English in a Malaysian context will be examined in this paper. The author intends to propose a possible solution to these issues and problems through a teaching intervention programme for one semester at the School of Education and Modern Languages, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). Gardner’s Socio-educational model will be reviewed along with previous research, done domestically and internationally, on the usage of films in the language classroom. The findings of this study will give us insights to better understand the issues pertaining to motivation in learning a second language (L2) and how it affects students’ achievement at the tertiary level in Malaysia. In addition, it intends to look at teaching strategies, which include teacher communication style and teaching and learning activities by utilizing films in the language classroom. Apart from creating the relations between students’ interests in culture and their orientations, attitudes, and motivation towards learning English, the use of films explore the potential to provide an environment with rich source of L2 input and this will help to stimulate learners to desire to engage with and understand a range of texts.