5.1.1 Students’ Positive Perceptions of Culture-related Films

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

This thesis investigated the EFL college students’ perceptions of viewing culture-related films to improve language skills, develop cross-cultural awareness and enhance motivation. Following the analysis of on-line questionnaire survey and interviews, some major findings in answering the two research questions in Chapter 1 are summarized in this chapter. In addition, pedagogical implications for language teachers are suggested. Limitations of this study and suggestions for future studies are also included in this chapter.

5.1 Findings

5.1.1 Students’ Positive Perceptions of Culture-related Films

Findings from the on-line questionnaire and interviews show that most of the participants felt satisfied with the designated films.

Among the 151 students’ resposes to Questions 1 and 7, it was shown that 78.83% and 77.58% of them agreed that in general, they like the learning programs and they will use them again. Among the 151 students’ 803 responses to Question 8, there are 305 responses related to the “Opinion” category. In addition, 267 responses among the 305 responses are positive (87.54%). They thought viewing films was a relaxing way and the expressions in the films could help them access to literature works easily. As for the six interviewees’ feedback, they think that making the use of 10% of requirement to view films and learn English simultaneously is worthy and convenient.

In terms of the approach of encouraging learners to go to the Center, most of

them said the 10% of requirement is necessary to motivate more students to make

better use of the Center. They hope that the Center can collect more quizzes for the self learners because they will be more aware of their own learning when viewing films. In addition, most of them also think that it was indeed a good idea for the Center to give self-learners the prize when they meet the criterion of visiting the Center more than 40 times. The students suggest that the Center can list the top ten films most frequently viewed each year for the newcomer to refer to. They also recommend the Center to collect the students’ cultural feedback to the designated film and publish them into a booklet. In terms of the role of the instructors, most of the interviewees suggest that teachers should first familiarize themselves with the functions of the learning programs and try to integrate them into class lessons.

As for the differences among the three proficiency levels, the responses to questions 1 (In general, I like this learning program), 2 (I think this learning program is well designed), 5 (The operation of this learning program is complicated to me) and 7 (I will use this learning program again) reach a significant level. The difference mainly occurs between the high-level students and mid-level students. In addition, from the results of the interviews, it shows that high-level students account for 50% of the candidates who meet the criterion. That means, film-viewing learning approach appeals to more high-level students than mid-level and low-level students.

5.1.2 Students’ Reactions to Culture Learning and Language Skills

The second research question is aimed at investigating what the students’

reactions are to culture-related films in terms of language skills and culture learning.

The findings from the on-line survey questionnaire and the interviews show that

viewing culture-related films is effective in participants’ English learning in terms of

broadening cultural knowledge, increasing cultural understanding, deepening cultural

awareness and improving linguistic skills. Also, it is found that choosing films from

familiar literature works such as Roman Holiday, Little Women, Hamlet and Romeo &

Juliet can trigger more cultural and linguistic responses among the students.

In terms of the development of cross-cultural awareness, generally, the students can achieve at least culture learning at levels 1 and 2. That is, most of them acquire cultural knowledge and superficial understanding from viewing the films. They can look at cultural facts and behaviors from an etic point of view. They can use their own words to summarize the plots and can describe or explain the phenomenons and positive or unhappy experiences. However, the advanced students can express more of their thoughts on culture learning at level 3, compared to the other two proficiency levels. That is, they appreciate the value and spirits which are conveyed through the films and show emphathy to the target culture. That means, they look at the world from an emic point of view.

Among the responses to the open-ended question 8 in the on-line survey questionnaire, there are only level 1 (cultural facts) and level 2 (cultural understanding/comparison and contrast) that low-level students touched upon. By contrast, mid-level and high-level students could touch deeper upon level 3 (cultural identity). Comparatively speaking, low-level students’ responses are more related to the “Opinion” category compared with the other two categories, “Language Skill” and

“Culture Learning.” This might be because these participants with a lower English proficiency level are not good at expressing their opinions about culture in English.

What needs to be noted is that one of the low-level students (S131) has reached culture learning at level 3, and thus as long as with enough time and guidance, there is space for them to develop their cross-cultural awarness at level 3.

As for the improvement of listening, communicative competence (i.e., expression

ability) as well as reading skills, the results are also positive. The results of the

open-ended item, Question 8, on the survey questionnaire reveal that most of the

participants believed that viewing culture-related films would improve their listening ability, and films provide them with authentic contexts in which native pronunciation and accent can be heard. The results of the interviews show the same positive results.

Findings also show that viewing films helps enhance College students’ English communicative competence such as broadening their repertoire of written expressions and vocabulary. To sum up, the most obvious areas of improvement in participants’

English learning are, first, listening, and then, written expression and vocabulary.

Though some of the students think their reading and speaking abilities are also improved, the percentage is lower compared to other skills.

5.2 Pedagogical Implications

The findings from this study show that viewing culture-relate film is effective in motivating college students and improving their linguistic skills and cross-cultural awareness. Therefore, we first suggest that before learners can secure independent skills, teachers need to provide opportunities for them to explore and discover things through experiences. As previously discussed, one learns self-management in learning through experiences in which one is given the opportunity to be self-directed and responsible for one’s actions and life-long learning. As Rod Ellis said, “language is a science, which transfers implicit knowledge to explicit knowledge”, teachers’

obligation is to cultivate the students’ potential to achieve their own goals. Second, conducting analyses of the students’ feedback of the Center will make the teachers, the students and the Center aware of and monitor the progress of the self-learning.

Third, guiding sheets, full of cultural notes and linguistic messages, are very helpful

in encouraging College students to learn the target language and culture

simultaneously. Finally, discussions of the cultural notes based on the designated films

in class will make the film viewing more profitable.

5.3 Limitation of the Thesis

There are two limitations of the present study even though the quantitative and qualitative results of the students’ responses to the culture-related films seem positive and fruitful: first, the nature of the study is self-reported; and second, there is lack of integration of self-learning at the Center into class instruction.

5.3.1 Self-reported nature

The information is self-reported; therefore, the positive results seem subject when there are no other achievement tests to assess what the students think they have learned. More empirical studies should be conducted concerning the effect of multimedia instruction on students’ perceptions and the relationship between such perceptions and the actual achievement of specific skills, such as listening in this study. This descriptive study has illustrated the perceptions of one group of university students about language learning in a technology-enhanced environment. These are beginning language learners who perhaps have limited motivation and proficiency.

Therefore, the generalization of the result needs to be more cautious.

5.3.2 Lack of integration of self-learning at the Center into class instruction The ideal self-learning situation is that English instructors can familiarize themselves with the learning programs offered at the Center, and then introduce what they have learned to class students, which in turn will more likely direct students’

self-learning. Yet, the link between film viewing and class instruction is weak in the

present study. Therefore, the link needs to be tightened between film viewing and

class instruction such as using learning sheets when teaching texts which are in

accordance with certain films.

5.4 Suggestions for Future Research

The issue of the students’ perceptions of culture learning at a CALL center still needs further exploration. Even though all the efforts in the present study such as investigating the students’ perceptions of and rections to the culture-related films through both a quantitative and a qualitative approach proved worthwhile and the results were fruitful, we still need more research to investigate the interaction between film-viewing and class instruction. As such, we can gain more insight of College students’ perceptions of effects of using films in terms of development of linguistic skill and cross-cultural awareness. For those who are also interested in adopting the framework of investigating learners’ language and culture learning, the following suggestions can serve as a kind of reference for exploring a large quantity of students’

learning records in the future.

5.4.1 Deciding on Films

The planning of the learning programs needs to be consequential in terms of

shaping not only what students ultimately learn in the present, but also in their future

learning activities. Films need to be selected and evaluated not only by instructors but

also by learners before their values can be fully appreciated. Based on the model of

this present study, the teachers can collect the students’ learning data of viewing films

to be analyzed. For deciding on films, the Center can refer back to previous data of

the top ten films viewed (see Appendix L), have some students find the synopsis, and

then file them for freshmen to refer to at the beginning of each academic year. For

example, it can be shown that in addition to those designated films, i.e. Roman

Holiday, Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, and Little Women, the other films most frequently

viewed by the students in 2004 academic year are Gone with the Wind, The Sound of

Music, Pride and Prejudice, My Fair Lady (see gray areas of Appendix L). This

finding is also in accordance with the feedback made by the six interviewees when being asked of which film most impresses them. Therefore, the Center can make the list known both to the instructors and to the students for reference.

5.4.2 Keeping Learning Log

The results of the present study encourage use of a pedagogically driven package of learning activity assisted by well-selected and integrated films together with well-designed guiding questions and edited booklets which are a comprehensive expression of language and culture learning. Most students in Taiwan are often not ready for autonomous learning. After viewing a film, students need to be requested to write down their reflection, and file them into their learning profile. By doing so, instructors can refer to it to see their language learning and culture learning. Ideally, students can encourage themselves to write feedback in English. Furthermore, students should be reminded of not leaving the open-ended question item blank.

5.4.3 Adapting Survey Questionnaire

To develop learners’ receptiveness to independent learning is required. This is the

reason why this thesis is undertaken in an attempt to gather more information from the

students. It is important for teachers to be aware of learners’ perceptions to help them

make appropriate choices and to design environments that are appropriate for their

learners. Therefore, being aware of learners’ characteristics and adapting the survey

questionnaire to fit different groups of students are necessary. The previous on-line

survey questionnaire included two reversely-coded questions, and some of the

responses to which did not yield ideal results as expected. Therefore, Table 5.1 is the

revised version of the on-line survey questionnaire in hope of getting more insight of

students’ self-learning situation, and in order to help them undergo a process of

monitoring their own learning.

Table 5.1

Revised Version of On-line Questionnaire Survey

1. I like using this learning program to learn English.

2. I think this learning program is well designed.

3. I think the content of this learning program is easy to comprehend.

4. This learning program improves my listening comprehension.

5. This learning program improves my speaking skills.

6. This learning program improves my reading comprehension.

7. This learning program improves my writing skills.

8. I think the operation of this learning program is simple.

9. I will use this learning program again.

10. What have I learned in this learning program, for example, vocabulary, expressions, or culture?

First, Question 3 (I think the content of this learning program is easy to

comprehen) and Question 8 (I think the operation of this learning program is simple)

in this version is adapted from the original Question 3 (The content of this learning

program is difficult for me) and Question 5 (The operation of this learning program is

complicated to me). It is because the original two reversely coded questions cannot

elicit the responses as expected. Therefore, in the new version, the questions are asked

in a positive way. Second, questions 4 to 7 are adapted from the original Question 6

which asks the students in general whether they think this learning program can

improve English very much. This general question item is divided into four specific

areas, that is, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, speaking skills, and

writing skills. Lastly, Question 10, the only open-ended question, is adapted from the

original Question 8 which generally asks the students what they have learned. Since

the students are not provided enough guidance to write down what they have learned

from the program, Question 10 in the new version provides more concrete examples or directions for the students to write down thoughts in terms of language skills or cultural gains.

In the present the study, it is concluded that some of the college students are aware of the need to take responsibility for their own learning. They see the benefits of being more active throughout the learning process. It is hoped that with instructors’

insightful guidance given to them, future participants in similar studies can become

more aware of their own strengths and weaknesses in terms of language and culture

learning.