TEACHING ENGLISH BY TV/BROADCAST MEDIA

TELEVISION AS AN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Anadolu University Open Education Faculty in Turkey was established in 1982-1983 academic year. Since then, the printed materials have been used as the basic educational technology. Printed materials, radio and television technology have been used as the supportive technologies. Computer Technology Aided Learning has also added to the system since 1993.

Why Television at the Open Education Faculty?

Individuals are in need of different education. As the present situation cannot meet this need, it is necessary to provide mass education by individual and free learning by developing new opportunities. - New options must make the insufficiency of traditional educational practices disappear. - New models must give opportunities to outsiders of the present education system. - New opportunities must provide all individuals an equality in education (Alkan, 1999, p.7).

For these various reasons, the use of television has been increasing from day to day by a large audiences. It makes television inevitable in the practice of distance education field in Turkey as a developing country. .

From the point of the faculty, television broadcast can reach a large audience across the country through its national network. The faculty can also make use of newer, synchronous technologies or use interactive technologies such as teleconferencing, internet services, etc.

Why Television?
Television has an important place in mass communication. It has a significant role in distance education. Motivation and encouragement

Using as supplementary for the other materials

Imposing study speed (determining rate of study) Presenting a reference to large masses

Special features:
Supporting teaching and enhancing

Instructing
Explaining , clarifying Summarizing Reinforcement

Changing behavior
Presenting unreachable facts and events

Instructional television (ITV), is an effective distance education delivery system that can be integrated into the curriculum at three basic levels: 1. Single lesson - Programs address one specific topic or concept, providing a lesson introduction, overview, or summary. 2. Selected unit - A series of programs providing the content foundation for a learning unit in the course curriculum. 3. Full course - Programs from one or more ITV series may be integrated into a full semester course typically in conjunction with instructional print materials.

How to Use TV to Improve Instruction

Design Instruction for ITV or Instructional Television the challenge is to think in visual terms. Taking advantage of the visual imagery of ITV can counter an over-reliance on lecturing. Carefully planning ways to show instead of tell may improve the instructional effectiveness of ITV. It may be helpful to visually represent:

- Outlines or lists
- Key points - Complex material in a step-by-step fashion

- Relationships
- Information that needs to be summarized for retention and recall

Make use of: - Pictures -- to show what things look like.

- Diagrams -- to illustrate conceptual relationships, organizations, and structure of content material.

- Maps -- to show spatial relationships.

- Graphs, tables, and charts -- to summarize information.

Take advantage of video's ability to show movement to: - Demonstrate the operation of tools and equipment.

- Demonstrate skills that learners are expected to emulate.

- Conduct experiments in which the processes must be observed.

- Analyze change over time using animation, slow motion, or time lapse photography. - Reveal the spatial, three-dimensional qualities of an object or structure. - Transport learners to places or situations not otherwise in their experience. - Present primary source materials for analysis, such as film of historical events or naturally occurring situations.

Conducting ITV Lessons

Because teachers and students are physically separated by a distance, the teacher's challenge is to psychologically reduce the gap not only through the appropriate use of technology but also through the use of effective teaching practices. Good teaching ensures that a rapport develops between students and a teacher.

1. Set the Stage

- Plan lessons accordingly. - Practice in front of a live camera prior to class. If possible, have a colleague, a few target students, or a media technician view your presentation and on-camera presence, offering suggestions for improvement. - Organize all class materials and visuals before the start of the class. It is best to have a trial run with technical staff so that all participants know the role they are expected to play.

- If using an overhead camera to electronically project visuals, understand its operation and limitations prior to the start of the class. - Prepare viewers for new terminology to be used in the program, and answer any questions regarding the technical equipment being used, such as cameras, television monitors, audio equipment, etc.. - Inform students if there will be camera operators or technicians in the classroom. Although the students may be initially curious, this will fade as the class progresses. In-class technicians are trained to be as unobtrusive as possible.

- Students should have the necessary background materials to make the best use of televised lessons. Consider the use of study questions to assist in focusing discussions.

- Consider team teaching to maintain viewer interest with a change of voice, image, and presentation style. If using guest speakers, give students necessary background information prior to the class.
For the guest speakers, let them know the specific purpose of their session, what is expected of them, and the general background of participating students.

2. During the ITV Session

- Vary facial expressions, tone of voice, body movements, and eye contact with the camera to enhance verbal communication.

- Engage students by using humor, asking questions, involving students, and raising student contributions.
- Maintain energy and dynamism to attract and hold the distant learners' attention. - Alternate between instruction and interaction. - Include different kinds of student involvement-- watching, reading, writing, and talking. - Keep lecture sessions simple and clear. To help focus viewing, indicate key points to look for. Do not read material.

Bringing Films/Cinema in the Classroom

- The use of films in foreign language teaching has been downplayed because teachers felt they were time-consuming and too difficult to tackle. Yet, with the spread of video equipment and audiovisual resources into educational institutions, the use of films is becoming more common. - Good films can serve as a valuable pedagogical aid, both for classroom use and self-study. The ultimate goal is to arouse sensitivity in the learner and to provide a stimulus to stretch his/her imagination and creativity.

Why bring the Cinema into the Classroom?

The power of films as a medium is acknowledged by all. One possible use of film in the language program is to promote new ideas and expand the learner's horizons. In a content-based syllabus, for instance, a particular film can be used to vividly illustrate situations which are unfamiliar or inaccessible and provide the learner with a stimulus which serves as a springboard for further discussion of an issue.

Selection of Films
When choosing a film, decisions on subject matter should be based on well-thought-out criteria since it may go beyond the learner's linguistic and conceptual competence and may not be in keeping with his/her needs and interests. Things to be considered: students' age

psychological maturity so as not to offend the learner's sensitivity.

If these factors are overlooked, we may run the risk of having the learner get only a superficial interpretation, missing the underlying message. Ex. In the films Fatal Attraction, sex is the trigger to unravel deep moral issues and psychological traits. These films seek to depict the deepest vices of human existence, such as unfaithfulness, thirst for power, competitiveness, etc.

So the learner should be led to go beyond the sex sequences themselves and to probe into other dimensions. That is why these films are not recommended for immature learners.
The possibilities for using film in the foreign language class are endless. Films present slices of life, and as such, provide a realistic, authentic and entertaining way of improving the learner's command of the language. They add fun and involvement to the language classroom. Thats why teachers should be careful enough in using films as a springboard in teaching language.

REFERENCES:
Cole, J. (1978). Television, the Book, and the Classroom. Washington, the Library, p.128. http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/becites/cfb/78023543.html Lochte, R.H. (1993). Interactive television and instruction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. Wileman, R. (1993). Visual communicating. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. Oliver, E.L.(1994). Video tools for distance education. In B. Willis (Ed.), Distance education: Strategies and tools (pp. 165-195). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. http://www.uiweb.uidaho.edu/eo/dist5.html

Allan, M. (1985). Teaching English with video. New York: Longman

Corner, J. and J. Hawthorn, 1988. Communication studies: An introductory reader. Arnold. Lonergan, J. (1985). Video in language teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Schrank, J. (1986). Understanding mass media. Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Company.
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