Function of Videos in Listening Comprehension

YouTube, ted.com. English language teachers throughout the world incorporate movies, soap operas, and television programs in their classroom because videos include both aural and visual information Canning-Wilson Wallace, 2000, pp. 31 –36. Such videos stimulate learners and facilitate the process of language learning Cakir, 2006, p. 70; Wagner, 2010, pp. 493 –510;. moreover, “video offers foreign and second language learners a chance to improve their ability to understand comprehensible input” Canning-Wilson, 2000, Conclusion section, para.1. In parallel with developments in technology, video use in language teaching environments for improving listening comprehension has been on the rise O’Brien Hegelheimer, 2007, pp. 162–180. This is fairly understandable approach, since videos have distinct advantages for improving listening abilities. Video has the power to make listening more authentic by presenting context, discourse, paralinguistic features, and culture Coniam, 2001, pp. 1 – 14. These non-verbal clues, complementary to aural input, may help listeners understand better. Videos may be used in an English language teaching context for a range functions Suvorov, 2009, pp. 53 –68:  Seeing situation and its participants while listening enhances situational and interactional authenticity, which may aid comprehension Buck, 2001, p. 172; Wagner, 2010, pp. 493 –510.  Body language, facial expressions, and gestures of a speaker provide additional information to the listener Buck, 2001, p. 173; Coniam, 2001, pp. 1 –14; Ockey, 2007, pp.517–537.  With visual input, a listener can more easily identify the role of a speaker and the context of a conversation Gruba, 2001, pp. 203 –219.  Visual elements can activate a listeners’ background knowledge Ockey, 2007, pp. 517 –537.

D. Picture

Some listening book texts have included some pictures in, in order to give the students some clues on what they will listen. They even include colorful picture to provide clues on color or just to attract the students’ intention. In this way picture also motivate the students to learn. Picture also use in testing the students, e.g. TOEIC test has included pictures in some test items. But how these pictures influence students’ listening proficiencies, a further research need to be conducted. Picture can be used as an aid to give the students illustration on the natural situation where the language is used. Picture provides the information for the students on what they will listen. Moreover, because it gives illustration on the real context, it is expected to be able to increase the studen ts’ interest in the subject. Some teachers are successfully bringing the most reticent students to the lesson by using pictures. This shows how pictures can be used as an effective media in teaching listening to ESL and EFL Van der Werff, 2003, p. 1. There are several steps that we need to consider when choosing pictures. First in choosing the pictures we need to determine the theme to the class, the picture should be suitable with the chosen theme, and the last, the pictures quality should be good clear and large enough for the students and if it is possible we can provide them colorful pictures Van der Werff, 2003, p. 2. 1. The Role of Picture in Listening Comprehension