Review of AN INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH USING FEATURE MOVIES IN EFL AT TERTIARY LEVEL by Hidayet TUNCAY, Ph.D.

 This paper presents the results of a case study based on an integrated skills approach using feature movies (DVDs) in EFL syllabi at the tertiary level. 100 students took part in the study and the data was collected through a three - section survey questionnaire: demographic items, 18 likert scale questions and an open-ended question. The data and results of the survey revealed that the integration of feature movies in the syllabus helped students in several ways: (1) improve language competence by watching, listening and speaking, (2) understand authentic language and culture, (3) increase fluency and integrated writing skill, (4) practice English for various functions and purposes, (5) learn vocabulary and authentic expressions, (6) distinguish between artificial and natural use of language, and (7) use the language in social exchanges and different interactional settings. Finally, as for the pedagogical implications and drawbacks in the integration process of feature movies, some relevant suggestions and recommendations are given.

The review of literature on the use of FMs in ELT reveals that varieties of English, slices of culture and historical change can be demonstrated. Furthermore, using audio-visual elements aids learning and movies are great fun to watch (Lynch, 2008). King (ibid) suggested that “it is a refreshing learning experience for students who need to take a break from rote learning of endless English vocabulary and drill practices, and replace it with something realistic, a dimension that is missing in textbook-oriented teaching.”

The data was sorted and the variables were summarized into qualitative data which made them easy to analyze. The collected data was written into excel sheets prior to being subjected to statistical analysis. The data from the first (demographic section) and the last (comment section) parts received through the questionnaire based on the general framework established, and the teachers’ noticing the students’ reactions to using the FMs, were subjected to content analysis which is a useful model to explain the basic process of qualitative data analysis. The model, interlinked and cyclical, consists of three parts: Noticing, Collecting, and Thinking about things. The second section of the questionnaire consisting of students’ responses to 18 items was entered into SPSS 11 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) for computation of descriptive statistics. Before its entry into the statistical package, the data was coded as “strongly agree” 1, “agree” 2, “neutral” 3, “disagree” 4 and “strongly disagree” 5. After the data collection, means, frequencies and percentages were calculated for each item in this section. The data written into charts produced by the SPSS program are given in the results section below.