Developing Speaking Skills through the Use of Authentic and Semi-Authentic Audio-Visual

Resources in 11th graders from Escuela Normal Superior del Distrito de Barranquilla
Universidad del Atlntico. Barranquilla, Colombia 2016

Scarleth C. Bula &

Yaridis I. Cervantes
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Martha Garca Chamorro
Advisor

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Victoria Lynch
Jury

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Keiby Caro
Jury

Barranquilla, Colombia 2016

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank first and most importantly, our advisor Martha Garcia Chamorro for
embracing our research project when the completion of it seemed unobtainable. This work
would not have been possible without all of her knowledgeable guidance and patience during
this long process. We would also like to thank Mrs. Quintero for allowing us to conduct our
research study for the last three years, in her classroom during her English classes at the Escuela
Normal Superior Del Distrito De Barranquilla. Also, Mrs. Quinteros students who were
involved actively during the whole process. We truly appreciate their participation in the
workshops we proposed, their opinions and very interesting insights into them.

From Scarleth,
To begin with, I thank God for providing the school, the serviceable people, time and money
needed to do this research project but above all, I thank Him for such sedulous, hardworking
and brilliant research partner that taught me many things during these years and collaborated
with me to achieve this first great goal. Second of all, I thank my family, but especially my
sister, cousin and aunt (RIP) who had always supported me morally and economically speaking
throughout my school years and that have believed that if I persist and work hard, anything will
be possible. Finally, I would like to thank all my friends and professors whom I have always
counted on during my hardest and most stressful times.

From Yaridis,
First of all, I thank God for blessing me with the strength to keep up and finish this research
project. Second of all, I give my heartfelt thanks to my parents, Jos Cervantes and Ides
Alvarez, for all of their guidance, support and high expectations throughout the years. Lastly, I
would like to express my deepest gratitude to the best co-researcher anyone could ask for,
Scarleth, for her great ideas and perseverance. Thank you so much for everything.

DEDICATION

To God who gave us the strength,

patience, wisdom and intelligence
needed to make this research project possible.

To my parents for all their guidance,

support and high expectations
throughout the years.

ABSTRACT

Scarleth Bula, Yaridis Cervantes, Foreign Languages Teaching, in the Universidad Del
Atlntico, Barranquilla.

Abstract of Bachelors Thesis, Submitted on:

April 7th 2016

Developing Speaking through Authentic and Semi-Authentic Audio-visual Resources.

For many years, authentic audio-visual materials have been used in the classroom as a
complement to English classes, which have allowed learners to be exposed to real English with
satisfactory results. Consequently, the teachers role is crucial and consistent on selecting the
appropriate authentic audio-visual resources, taking into account students proficiency, to pair
them effectively with the current topic. This research project reports the results obtained in a
study that was addressed to investigate whether a guided use of authentic and semi-authentic
materials can increase students ability to communicate orally while raising cultural awareness
attempting to close the gap between regular instruction and native-like English. The research
project conducted was a qualitative one and the analysis of the collected data demonstrated that
following specific patterns during instruction authentic and semi-authentic audio-visual
materials indeed make a positive impact on students speaking ability.

Key words: Teaching English as a foreign language, authentic, audio-visuals, semi-authentic,

speaking, multiple intelligences, real English.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
1.1

Introduction.. 10

1.2

Justification...12

1.3

Hypothesis 14

1.4

Variables15
1.4.1 Dependent variable
1.4.2 Independent variable

1.5

Research problem..16

1.6

Research question..18

1.7

Objectives..19
1.7.1 General objectives
1.7.2 Specific objectives

CHAPTER II: REFERENCE FRAMEWORK

2.1 Background...20
2.2 Legal framework...29
2.3 Theoretical Framework.33
2.3.1 Affective filter
2.3.2 Audio-visual materials
2.3.3 Authentic versus semi-authentic materials
2.3.4 Comprehensible input hypothesis
2.3.5 Non-authentic language versus authentic language exposure
2.3.6 Scaffolding
2.3.7 Speaking
2.3.8 Student-centered approach

2.4 Conceptual Framework41

2.4.1 Real English
2.4.2 Skill
2.4.3 Speaking
2.4.4 Student-centered approach
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK
3.1 Type of research.....43
3.2 Epistemological approach..44
3.3 Population and sample46
3.4 Contextual framework47
3.4.1 Macro
3.4.2 Semi-micro
3.4.3 Micro
3.5 Techniques and instruments..49
3.5.2 Survey
3.5.3 Howard Gardner multiple intelligences test

3.6 Analysis of the data collected54

3.6.1 Class observation
3.6.2 Howard Gardners theory of multiple intelligences test
3.6.3 Survey to the students about their English learning process
3.6.4 Triangulation of instruments
3.7 Conclusion..74

CHAPTER IV: PROPOSAL

4.1 Title....77
4.2 Introduction77
4.3 Justification....79
4.4 Objectives...80
4.4.1 General objective
4.4.2 Specific objectives
4.5 Theoretical framework ..81
4.6 Methodology..84
4.7 Conceptual framework...86
4.7.1 Audio-visual resources
4.7.2 Authentic audio-visuals resources
4.7.3 Scaffolding
4.7.4 Semi-authentic audio-visual resources
4.8 Workshops.88

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS AFTER PROPOSAL

BIBLIOGRAPHY

LIST OF TABLES AND GRAPHICS

ANNEXES