Yeh, H. C. (2018). Exploring the perceived benefits of the process of multimodal video making in developing multiliteracies. Language Learning & Technology , 22 (2), 28-37.
Summary
This article attempts to establish the benefits of using various multimodalities especially in nurturing students’ multi-literacies in educational contexts. The study involved 69 advanced English as a foreign language undergraduate students who took a course titled Multimedia English for one semester (18 weeks) at a Taiwan university. The students were first trained to use various kinds of multimedia tools to learn English. Towards the end of the semester, they were given a project to work in groups; there were about 14 groups in total. The assignment required students to create a digital video focusing on different aspects of Taiwan such as traditions, culture, food, and music among others. Afterwards, the students were to individually write reflective essays on the video-making process as well as create PowerPoint presentations on the same. The objective of writing the reflecting essays was for the students to report what they had learnt during the video-making process.
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The results, mainly from the students’ reflections showed that many of them had learnt more English vocabularies, nurtured their speaking skills, became better writers and translators, developed editing skills, and learnt more about the Taiwanese culture. In particular, the students would be compelled to search for English words of Taiwanese foods, artifacts, and cultural items. In this way, they became more confident in expressing themselves. Additionally, the fact the videos they made would be uploaded on YouTube helped them express themselves better, and in the process, built more confidence.
Reflection
In my perspective, as technology incessantly becomes ubiquitous, there is need for educators to make it part and parcel of learning. Use of technology can improve creativity and make the learning process easier. In the context of the above article, it is impressive that the author realizes that better learning of a language; especially English in this case, should involve assigning activities to students and using various multimedia tools to improve the process. As students explored the Taiwanese culture, they would use the internet to learn new vocabularies. The learning process was even enhanced given that group members would be assigned different tasks; hence there was sharing and collaborative kind of learning. The production of the video also provided the opportunity for students to edit and revise their work before submission while PowerPoint presentations gave them more confidence to express themselves in English. I believe such an approach provides an opportunity for students to develop dynamic skills ranging from writing, speaking, and researching. However, I also believe there was need for better evaluation of skills gained rather than mostly relying on students’ self-reports. The author is hell-bent on using students’ comments regarding what they had learnt, which in some cases could not be reliable.
Huang, S. Y. (2015). The intersection of multimodality and critical perspective: Multimodality as subversion. Language Learning & Technology , 19 (3), 21-37.
Summary
The aim of this article is to analyze the relevance of multimodality to critical media literacy. The rationale is that often times, when students learning English as a second language are given a multimedia video or film to analyze, they mostly focus on the linguistic part instead of making meaning of the issues at play. In this study, students were given two movies to analyze using various multimodal tools: Romeo Must Die and Maid in Manhattan. The students were supposed to analyze issues such as politics, racial relations, and gender stereotypes, especially in relation to power between men and women. All the students involved in the study were taking a course in English and learning English as a second language. The students presented their analyses in the form of slides, with images captured from the different movies displayed on the slides with an explanation of the issues taking place.
According to the results, most of the students were able to correctly capture images from different scenes of the two movies with brief explanations of what was happening. Additionally, some students would go into detail to explain the meaning of the different camera angles. For instance, in one scene, a student explained the meaning of capturing a woman character with a high camera shot while a man was captured up-close. In this case, the student correctly explained that the man was depicted as having more power than the woman. Therefore, as much as the students learnt to express themselves particularly in writing, they also gained valuable skills in analyzing media content.
Reflection
In my perspective, I believe learning English for foreign students should enable them to understand, apply, and critically analyze various media tools and content. Knowledge should be applied for it is meaningless to only learn English to express oneself but fail to use it to understand and analyze various issues. In the above article, requiring students to analyze movies is a prolific way of developing critical thinking skills. In essence, it is an active learning process in that students practice what they have learnt in an exercise that assesses dynamic aspects. Students need to watch keenly, listen, write, organize their content, and edit it to show their prowess. It is also an effective way of teaching advanced English literacy skills. Learning a language should not just adopt the traditional reading and writing mode; rather, it should adopt novel tools and techniques to improve the process and build more confidence in students. Ideally, learning English should help students express and correctly perceive and interpret day to day activities, tools, and events.
