The Use of Movie Film as an Instructional Material

Introduction

Language instructors have been concerned in investigating the effectiveness of a

variety of strategies that can be used in the classroom to optimize the educative

process. In fact, numerous studies have been employed in search of the most effective

and most interesting method in language teaching and learning. With the onset of

technological advancement, one innovative method that has gained popularity in

classroom teaching is the use of movie film. Globally, many countries have employed

the use of movies in the classroom to enhance the facilitation of the target language.

Recently in Korea, the use of movie film has gained popularity among language

teachers. According to Jeong (2013) movies are a repository of authentic text, which

has wonderful power not only to entertain people but also to provide various kinds of

ideas and inspiration. With this, many teachers regard the utilization of movies as an

effective method in teaching authentic everyday conversation. Further, she also added

that using movies and multimedia in language teaching allows the possibilities for

second or foreign language learners to acquire more genuine and useful learning

materials. It also helps students understand the target people and culture as well as

learn the target language. Movies help in the facilitation of active listening and

comprehension since it made the story livelier. Hence, movies in the language

classroom offer a great learning opportunity not only of to the language teachers but

also to the language learners.

Presentation of the Lesson

English 13: Mythology and Folklore is a pre-requisite major subject which aims to

give students an exposure to different myths and folklore and their contributions to the

literary heritage of a particular place. The Greek and Roman Mythology moves into the

very essence not only of the cultural value but more so of the significant human

experience. This subject is taken by the second year college students following the

standard curriculum. The topic of the lesson is about the story of “Helen of Troy”. The

movie film will present the content of the history of Greek and Roman times from the

great Trojan war and to how the famous quote “the woman that launched a thousand

ships” was derived.

The movie film will be focused on the anthology of “Helen of Troy”. It will also

involve the significant historical battles and the engagement of the Greek gods and

goddesses in the Trojan War. There will be guide questions that will be provided before

the beginning of the movie. The questions will focus on the content of the story

specifically on the significant part of the plot: introduction, rising action, climax, falling

action and the resolution.

The objectives of the lesson are for the students to summarize the content of the

story, to identify the importance of the story and its contribution to the Greek and

Roman mythology and, to recite the significant values gleaned in the story movie/film

based on their idea.

Discussion

This study is primarily anchored on the theory of Constructivism by Jerome

Bruner (1966). He stated that a theory of instruction should address four major

aspects. First, is the predisposition towards learning. This means language

learners should develop a love for learning and spontaneous explorations. The

second aspect is the way in which a body of knowledge can be structured so that

it can be most readily grasped by the learner. Third, connotes the most effective

sequences in which to present material. Lastly, presents the nature and pacing of

rewards and punishments. For the purpose of this study at hand, the researcher

anchored in the first three aspects of the constructivism theory which relates the

significance of innovative material to be used so that learners can have

meaningful involvement in the process of language acquisition. Further,

constructivism also points out that good methods for structuring knowledge

should result in simplifying, generating, and increasing the manipulation of

information.

Another author supports the idea of constructivism in language learning.

Ismaili (2013), in his study on the Effectiveness of using Movies in the EFL

Classroom highlighted that the use of movie-based instruction augments listening

and speaking abilities. She also added that visual media represents a more

profound language experience which means that learners are not only reading

but also listening and gaining exposure to the language itself. In like manner,
Ismaili (2013) advised that language educators tend to elevate student’s interests

and enhanced reading activities through catalyzing films in skills integration.

Using movie as instructional material, students were more motivated to see and

hear real-life situations than to follow activities in the textbook. Movies can also

provide a relaxed and conducive atmosphere and having chosen the right movie

material, it can also positively affect student’s motivation to learn.

The Advantages of Media for Students

According to the Journal Pedagogy in Action, SERC Portal for educators, there

are several advantages of media especially the movie for the students. First, movies

helps to gain attention and maintain student interest in the theories and concepts under

discussion. Students can see the theories and concepts in action. In more than a

figurative sense, theories and concepts are concretize from the screen. Next, students

can hone their analytical skills by analyzing media using the theories and concepts they

are studying. The use of media in the classroom enables students to see concepts and

new examples when they are watching television. Lastly, students can experience

worlds beyond their own, especially if the media is sharply different from their local

environment.
Conclusion

In the fast pacing of environmental changes and technological advancements,

language teachers should and must find innovative ways to make learning more

meaningful and purposeful. In facilitating learning, language teachers sought to find

innovative means by the use of movie as instructional material. Movies can help and

facilitate students construct their own meaningful learning. It can present language in a

more natural way by helping students develop their macro skills. With the use of movie

in teaching literature, it enables the learner to visualize the events, narration, story and

words in a more contextualized concept. Film offers both cognitive and affective

experiences in themselves. They can provoke good discussion, assessment of one's

values, and assessment of self if the scenes have strong emotional content (Champoux

2007).

In summary, the use of movie film as instructional media has offered a lot of

advantages particularly in the acquisition and development of the target language.

Given the proper material, teachers can be effective in the language transfer and

students can also positively develop the intended language skill.