USING HYPERTEXT, HYPERMEDIA, AND

MULTIMEDIA TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE

SKILLS
HEATHER LYNN WILLIAMS

HYPERTEXT
Hypertext, also called hotlinks or hyperlinks, are underlined text (usually in blue)
that allow the reader to click on the text and go to another text, a footnote, a webpage, or
source (Beatty, 2010, p. 42). For example, many PDF files have active links, or hypertext,
that allow you to go directly to a webpage, article, or footnote. This allows the reader to
move more freely through a text, to diverge from it, and to find supplementary information
that constructs his/her understanding. Hypertext supports a constructive view of learning
by providing opportunities for negotiation of meaning and decision-making (Beatty, 2010,
p. 43).
HYPERMEDIA
Hypermedia differs from hyperlinks in that it allows the user to click on a link and
access sound files, images, animation, and video (Beatty, 2010, p. 43). One of the first
examples of hypermedia was Microsofts Encarta Encyclopedia which gave you a more
interactive view of the topics (Beatty, 2010, p. 45). An online dictionary or application
makes use of hypermedia, usually with sound icons that give the pronunciation as well as
pictures.
MULTIMEDIA
The term multimedia has become increasingly used over the years and now
encompasses hyperlinks and hypermedia (Beatty, 2010, p. 45). It includes text, sound,
videos, images, and animations. We use multimedia programs everyday like Facebook
and YouTube that have interactive elements like hyperlinks, videos, animations, photos,
comment sections, and like/dont like/love click icons. There are many multimedia
educational pages like BBC Bitesize that have text, videos, and other activities that enrich
learning.
THE BENEFITS OF MULTIMEDIA IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING
Multimedia allows the language learner to experience information by engaging
the senses (Beatty, 2010, p. 55). Hoogeveen (1995) brings out that multimedia improves
learning, is user-friendly, entertaining, and creates a stronger impact in learners (as cited
in Baker, 2010, pp. 55, 56). Such an attractive presentation of material increases student
interest, attention, and concentration, especially with young learners (Jonassen, 2000, p.
208, as cited in Kim & Gilman, 2008). Various studies have shown that multimedia can

help create more engaging, authentic, and multi-sensory learning environments (Sun &
Dong, 2004, as cited in Kim & Gilman, 2008).
Multimedia in foreign language learning provides more opportunities for
autonomous learning and individual learning preferences. Plass et al. (1998) distinguishes
between verbalizers and visualizers, affirming that both benefit from multimedia
instruction which allows them to make decisions about what to focus on (p. 27). Students
in general benefit from multimedia learning since they are able to look for more
information and find answers to their own queries. Teachers can make good use of
databases and websites that provide needy students with additional academic support
(Beatty, 2010, p. 55).
Multimedia instruction is mainly constructivist in that meaningful learning occurs
when learners actively select relevant information, organize it into coherent
representations, and integrate it with other knowledge (Mayer & Moreno, 2002, p. 111, as
cited in Kim & Gilman, 2008). One way in which multimedia instruction helps students
construct knowledge is with reading, making it more motivating through the use of visuals,
sounds, and videos that help clarify meaning that is not always evident through written
text. Montali and Lewandowskis study (1996) showed that average and less-skilled
readers were able to grasp the content of reading better when using a multimedia format
(Beatty, 2010, p. 55).
Vocabulary acquisition is also facilitated by multimedia, proving a more effective
resource than the traditional methods of rote memorization through word lists. In a study
by Plass et al. (1998), students learned vocabulary best when they selected both visual
and verbal annotations, and they recalled propositions best when they had the option of
selecting both visual and verbal annotations and when the propositions were illustrated in
a preview video (p. 34). In another study that used a web based self-instruction program,
researchers found that the groups that had visual text with graphics performed better than
groups that did not have them (Kim & Gilman, 2008, pp. 123, 124). The results of these
and other studies show that pedagogically-sound multimedia instruction can lead to more
effective vocabulary acquisition than learning by traditional methods.

REFERENCE LIST
Beatty, K. (2010). Teaching and researching computer-assisted language learning. Second
Edition. London and New York: Pearson Education.
Kim, D., & Gilman, D. A. (2008). Effects of Text, Audio, and Graphic Aids in Multimedia
Instruction for Vocabulary Learning. Educational Technology & Society, 11(3), 114126.
Plass, J. L., Chun, D. M., Mayer, R. E., & Leutner, D. (1998). Supporting visual and verbal
learning preferences in a second-language multimedia learning environment.
Journal of educational psychology, 90(1), 25.

FURTHER READING
Chun, D. M., & Plass, J. L. (1996). Facilitating reading comprehension with multimedia.
System, 24(4), 503-519.
Mayer, Richard E., and Roxana Moreno. "Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia
learning." Educational psychologist 38.1 (2003): 43-52.
Tsou, W., Wang, W., & Tzeng, Y. (2006). Applying a multimedia storytelling website in
foreign language learning. Computers & Education, 47(1), 17-28.