Innovation in Language Learning

Too often, films are used, in foreign language classrooms, as linguistic texts supported by visual images. Either focusing on a scenario or the novel from which it is adapted, these “language” classes tend to follow a literature-driven approach to film analysis. Grammatical notions are more or less awkwardly fitted into the study of the film, more for the benefit of the teacher’s grammatical syllabus than to help the students express a truly personal comment and appreciation of the film’s content. In other words, film images are used to distract the students from the “indigestible” grammar points. Because images represent a wordless support to historical and cultural notions and representations, they provide an ideal starting point for linguistic discoveries, regardless of the students’ previous experience with the target language. Intriguing, informative, and inspiring to a visually savvy generation, film pictures motivate learners and help them understand foreign contents and contexts. They visually demonstrate concepts that are new to students. They also help students frame a critical reflection in the context of the target culture. How can teachers, drawing on the visual dimension of films, maximize students’ cultural and linguistic learning in the language classroom? The presenter will demonstrate how images can be used to stimulate students’ intellectual curiosity as they explore culture and build a strong linguistic basis in the introductory and intermediate-low language classes. She will explain how to scaffold instructions towards specific linguistic and cultural goals. Each activity and lesson unit will be explicitly linked to a specific technology tool (WordCloud, TalkAbroad, Virtual Reality). Participants will receive ready-to-use material that they can easily apply in their own classroom.

Keywords: Film, technology, culture, critical thinking;