CC BY
9
Matqobulova M.
teacher
Andijan State University
THE APPLICATION OF VIDEO CLIPS WITH SMALL GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE YOUNG LEARNERS'
SPEAKING PERFORMANCE
Abstract: this article analysis the application of video clips with small groups or with individual teaching-learning activities improved the speaking skills of young EFL learners the most; accordingly a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test design was done and reveals teaching-learning speaking English as a second language with video clips using Small Group Activity techniques could be one of the best alternatives to improve young learners' speaking performances.
Keywords: individual and small group activity; speaking performance; young learners; video clips, students, methods, speaking activity
Speaking can simply be defined as conveying messages verbally from one to another. Unlike writing and reading, speaking involves verbal and non-verbal signals to which the listener needs to pay attention to understand what the speaker is saying. This means that in face-to-face oral communication, a listener not only receives and hears what the speaker says but can also give feedback or a response in terms of what has being heard. In addition, speaking is also a multi-sensory activity because it involves paralinguistic features such as eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, tempo, pauses, voice quality changes, and variations in pitch voice projection and vocal variety, which affect the flow of conversation. Speaking is very important; it is considered the most difficult skill when compared to writing, reading or listening. Despite the difficulties, the English as second language learners still put listening on the top of their lists of skills to acquire since they believe that mastering speaking means mastering all the skills of English as a second language.
Real models of speaking English can be obtained from video clips. video is an 'extremely dense' medium, in which there are combinations of visual elements, sound effects, and audio. Video is a powerful teaching aid since learners can experience things they have never seen before. In addition, it is defined video as "the selection and sequence of messages in an audio-visual context" that can portray settings, verbal and non-verbal signals, and paralinguistic features of speaking which can provide important "visual stimuli" for language practice and learning. However, today a new trend has emerged: videos for education nowadays are presented with only short duration; these are called video annotations or video clips. This accord, it is better to serve students with "short segments of video thoroughly and systematically" rather than showing them "long sequences" which may lead students to be less active in observing and noting the activity. Off-air program videos, real-world videos and language learning videos are three kinds of video that
can be used in the English as foreign language classroom. Nevertheless, teachers should prefer the language-learning videos since course books accompany them. Besides, language-learning videos have other advantages such as good comprehensibility, design for education purposes and multiple other functions. Many studies have investigated the effects of video clips on language learners. Video increased the motivation of students since they could see how native English speakers talked with their paralinguistic features. Psychologically, students find them fun, stimulating, and motivating whilst video can also be used as a means for enhancing and developing positive attitudes, success in learning processes, and confidence in learning. Linguistically, videos can help revise new words and expressions, show all paralinguistic features and make learning more open and extraordinary, while culturally videos take students to a world beyond their classroom and can provide a different insight about the importance of cultural awareness.
In terms of cognitive aspects, videos can help improve students' curiosity, providing up-to-date information, maximizing abilities to infer from contexts, developing skills such as motor skills, information and research skills as well as communication skills. Finally yet importantly, videos also provide real models since they include all the characteristics of naturally spoken English in realistic situations and they allow students to experience and feel a certain situation without going there. Therefore, students do not have to visit England just to know how they order food at a restaurant there.
Indeed, there is no fixed definition of a small group. The term 'small group' means different things to different people. Some experts call it seminar teaching' while some others call it 'small group teaching' or 'small group discussion. Small group learning is a situation in which students sit in a small group of students to discuss a topic given by their teacher. These discussions lead to the production of arguments, which are important to enhance critical thinking. In discussions, students will develop their own thoughts and ideas and will get feedback as responses from their classmates or their teacher. Small groups prompt people to discuss a topic or idea among their participants with specific guidelines, which allows everyone to contribute as many ideas as they have under the direction of a presenter. Small group teaching circumstances where dialogue and collaboration among the group members are essential and fundamental to learning. In this circle, the teacher acts only as a moderator to help the students to communicate. A small group contains at least 10-30 students, however there is no obligation to put a specific number of students as a limitation, what matters is the use of small group techniques as a way of separating a larger class to put them together in order to get them all involved and working together with members of their own group.
However, there are usually many students in a classroom and not all might like having discussions. Therefore, it is recommended that combining small group activities with other strategies to provide variety in teaching learning. Teachers should teach-learn with regular language practice and they should try to make their lessons more interesting, getting all their students to participate, involving them all
in the lessons through a variety of activities and encouraging them to practice real communications. Individual learning, which is also called student-centered learning, autonomous learning or independent learning, is an approach to teaching learning, which emphasizes the role of the individual student a lot more. The responsibility for the teaching-learning process is focused on the individual students rather than on the teacher. However, individual learning is not a teaching learning process without a teacher nor does the teacher relinquish his responsibility as classroom manager, but he has a lesser role compared to the teacher running small group activities. The teaching-learning process in this kind of activity puts more emphasis on the students, so that teaching needs to be more focused to hit the target, and then such obstacles as gaps between the "learning" and the real life should not arise.
The use of video clips with small group activities were much better in terms of speaking skills for young learners than the results from learning with individual activities mode. There was a significant positive difference between the uses of small group activity compared to the use of Individual Activity for teaching-learning speaking skills. This suggests that even though the implementation of video clips with small group activity or individual activity could help students improve their speaking skills, the use of video clips with Small Group Activity is better than the use of video clips with Individual Activity since all the aspects of speaking measured improved to a higher degree. It is suggested that teachers of speaking in English should use the combination of clips as a supportive learning media with Small Group Activity teaching learning. Furthermore, teachers can try techniques such as slowing down the speed of the videos, having comprehension sessions pre-and post-viewing and repeating important scenes and pausing screenings in order to help students get a better understanding of the language in each video.
References:
1. Baker, J., & Westrup, H. The English Language Teacher's Handbook. London: Continuum.
2. Berk, R. A. Multimedia teaching with video clips: TV, Movies, YouTube, and mtvU in the college classroom.
3. Brewster, J., Ellis, G., & Girard, D. The Primary English Teacher's Guide. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.
4. Brown, H. D. Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. New York: Pearson.
