APPLIED LINGUISTICS for BA Students in English
VISUAL, AUDIO, AUDIO-VISUAL AND DIGITAL AIDS
Visuals and techniques of visualisation
One can identify techniques based on using visuals and aiming at student-initiated visualization where the stimulus for utterances and the main source for (language) learning is provided by a visual impact.
It can originate from the most natural source, i.e. the non-verbal aspect of human interaction. Thus the prime source of learning is the non-verbal behavior of teachers, people native to the target language culture and fellow-students.
Further means of education of visual characteristics can be the various sorts of boards (blackboard, white board, flannel board, flip chart) that can be used in a static and an interactive way at the same time. One can place various forms of texts, tables and images on them in advance and/or use it the way so that the final amount of information intended to share is the result of the co-operation of learners and the teacher at the same time. Large pieces of paper (posters) or any even and smooth surface placed even on the floor in the middle of the classroom can be used the same way.
Another traditional means of visual presentation are the print resources including course-books, activity or workbooks, dictionaries published for language educational purposes. This category can be complemented by books, magazines, newspapers, brochures and other print materials published for members of the particular target language communities or selected extracts from them.
Flashcards with words, phrases, sentences and particular target language culture specific data (like dates, names of important people, places, events, etc.) charts, tables of grammatical rules, posters with various pictures and maps can provide a visual impact for language learning and linguistic performance at the same time.
The projection of PowerPoint images – texts and pictures - (i.e. slides) is taking over the role of projected images that used to be provided by outdating technologies of the 1950s, 60s and 70s like slide-projectors.
The reason why the role and function of the OHPs have not been taken over by digital technologies is that OHP offers a more flexible opportunity for involving students in placing traces of their linguistic performance on the projecting surface spontaneously and you do not need extremely expensive and sophisticated equipment. A further advantage of the good old OHP is that there is no other technology that would let you exploit the educational potential of the so-called shading technique when the silhouettes of various objects placed on the projecting surface can encourage students guess, predict, describe the vision, i.e. verbalize their thoughts.
Diorama with models of places (like habitats of animals), events (like a famous historic event) and various situations (like traffic accidents) can provide a resourceful stimulus for students - especially in the primary and vocationally oriented language teaching context – to investigate details, use the information gained and share their findings in a meaningful context when it is worth communicating.
The real pedagogical value of diorama is that they offer a visual stimulus in 3 dimensions and learners can be involved in producing them. The language teaching procedure itself can incorporate the production stage as well as the stage of exploitation of the complex impression and input they offer.
The same implies to displays set up in and outside language classrooms focusing on any language learning related topic or event.
Suspended mobiles are the type of visuals that may carry the same educational function as grammatical tables or charts transmitting selected information or data (like names, thematic collections of vocabulary items, etc.), but as they can be hung from the ceiling or any object high up in the classroom (like lamps) they offer a visual impact in 3 dimensions. Students can be involved in producing them.
Realia can be classified in further categories. One can distinguish objects that are typical for the target language culture like an English policeman’s helmet or packages, boxes, containers of goods; and objects of universal use, like shopping baskets, toy-telephones, etc.
Some of the realia may belong to both categories like puppets, card-games or board-games. The reason why they are special is that some of these can be (re)produced by the students themselves. A very popular with young teenagers’ activity, is the development of board-games that can be the end-product of a learning procedure for some students and the source of learning for others.
Thus, one has already reached the stage when visualization is not only a technique to enhance visual reception but it can be an approach to encourage students to visualize the concept they get by having an input transmitted to them either via the target language or related to the target language culture. Thus, activities when students have to mime stories or react to an input in anon-verbal way, or when a story is illustrated by them in drawings are the productive aspects of visualization. Thus, visualization is a kind of test of students’ achievement and it can provide a further input for others.
Activities to use visuals in a ‘receptive’ way
A. Pre-medium stage: Exercises before looking at the visuals
➣ Guessing the topic of the picture based on
o some key words or expressions
o some text related to the picture
o some noises or music
o a limited visual impression
▪ through a key-hole
▪ due to shading
▪ due to masking
➣ Prediction of the rest of the visual based on
o some key words or expressions
o some text related to the picture
o some noises or music
o a limited visual impression
▪ through a key-hole
▪ due to shading
▪ due to masking
➣ Collecting words and expressions related to the topic the visual illustrates
B. Active stage: Exercises to be used while students can see the visuals
➣ Collecting words and expressions related to the picture
➣ Elaborating on the (new) vocabulary with the help of a mono- and/or bilingual dictionary
➣ Paraphrasing (new) words and expressions in individual student work and/or in pair-work
with peer(s)
➣ Collecting pieces of information related to particular criteria
➣ Matching
o pictures with words
o pictures with data and/or names of people /places/ events
o pictures with parts of text
o … etc.
➣ Labelling the picture with
o words and/or expressions
o pieces of information / data / names
o parts of text
o … etc.
➣ Multiple choice (test-like) exercises
➣ Gap-filling
➣ Completion of text
➣ Sequencing
o (key)words and expressions
o data
o names of people / places / events
o parts of text
o … etc.
➣ Correcting information
➣ Responding to yes-or-no questions
➣ True-or-false / Wrong-or-right / Double choice (test-like) exercises
➣ Responding to Wh-questions
➣ Filling in charts or tables
➣ Putting parts of text together (puzzles)
C. Follow-up stage: Exercises to be used when students do not necessarily see the visuals any
more
➣ Discussing issues raised by the picture
➣ Creating and acting out a story
➣ Role-plays, simulations, drama
➣ Project-activities
o Writing a diary
o Writing a letter and/or a post-card
o Writing an article / report for a newspaper / magazine / webpage
o Writing a script for a drama or film
o Creating comics
o Producing a film
o Writing advertisements
o Creating a board-game
o Creating a riddle / cross-word puzzle
o … etc.
