By Muhammad Farkhan Fauzi
1507042030
Multimedia
is related to technology. It has significant role in teaching English. When we
talk about multimedia, a term CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) should
be used. Since the media can be integrated by using computer, the multimedia
has close relation with CALL. Sometimes people even use CALL to stand for
multimedia. Although the definition of multimedia is very simple, making it
work is very complicated.
A study
conducted by Kasper (1997) illustrate that teaching English using multimedia
such as print, film, video, Internet to students encourage them to write a critical
analysis on assignments. Overall, the students’ achievement increased
significantly 92 % of the students passed on departmental reading and writing
examinations. In addition, their feedback on discussions is very positive. They
express confidence in their ability to use English. They attribute this
improvement to the multimedia model that the texts teach them English and
provide helpful information in other courses and the film and Internet help
them make material easier to understand because they see, hear, and read about
the topic.
Components of Multimedia.
Multimedia is composed of
various components: text, graphics, animation, sound, and video. These
components can contribute differentially to the learning of material
a.
Text.
It is fundamental element in all
multimedia applications. It conveys most information (Vanghan, 2004). We can
use ordinary text or various typographic effects for emphasis or clarification
in English teaching. In order to catch the reader’s attention, teachers can use
different font size, color, and style to present information; emphasize a certain word or phrase.
b.
Graphics.
It refers to images and
pictures, such as chart, diagram, and photograph, which contain no movement.
According to Andrew Wright’s Book Picture for Language Learning, graphics can
stimulate interesting and motivation, improve understanding ability of
language, and offer especial reference object and topic (Wright, 2003).
Graphics plays a very important role in language teaching process.
c.
Animation.
Animation is the rapid display
of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to
create an illusion of movement. Simply speaking, it ranges scope from the basic
graph with a simple motion to a detailed image with complex movements. Assisted
by the use of animation, teachers can
highlight key knowledge points and heighten students’ motivation
(Vanghan, 2004).
d.
Sound.
It is speech, music, or any
other sound that is stored and produced by computers. It has more advantages
than tape recorder. In multimedia, teacher can use more vivid and fruitful
sound to help students’ English learning.
e.
Video.
It is the visible part of a
television transmission and broadcasts visual images of stationary or moving
objects. Compared with animation, video can offer more vivid information. But
it will consume more storage space than animation (Vanghan, 2004).
The Setting of Multimedia Classroom
In
traditional classroom, most English teachers are used to using some
conventional equipment, such as blackboard, chalk, tape recorders, and so on.
However, we can find more modern equipment in a multimedia classroom. To ensure
that readers can obtain a better understanding of multimedia English teaching,
an illustration of a typical one-multimedia-PC classroom setting is vital and
necessary.
1)
MPC—multimedia personal computer;
2)
VCD/DVD player—video compound disk/digital video
disk;
3)
Amplifier and Hi-Fi acoustic system;
4)
Overhead/slide projector;
5)
Screen/curtain;
6)
Projecting apparatus;
7)
The Internet access;
8)
Cassette tape recorder;
Many
studies have shown that many students are tired of traditional English classes,
and are interested in new style learning. They have positive attitude towards
computer technology used in the classroom, and such technology does have a
positive impact, because multimedia teaching have many advantages over other
media in English teaching.
Advantages
a.
Arousing the students’ interest.
Famous
scientist Albert Einstein had a famous saying: “Interest is the best teacher”.
So the interest has always been seen as the best helper to learn the knowledge.
The traditional teaching method is that teachers talk from the beginning to the
end with a chalk and a mouth. Such teaching is very single, which makes students
lose interest, until weariness. Leo Tolstoy said: “The successful teaching is
not to force, but rather to stimulate student’s desire” (Tolstoy, 2008, p.
212). In other words, if student have no interest or desire on teaching
subject, then, even if the teacher talk how carefully, the results are fruitlessly.
Therefore, teachers should try their best to get students to become interest in
one topic of knowledge point, and make the students with a strong passion and
enthusiasm to participate in teaching. Multimedia is this kind of media which
can show a variety of sounds, images, animation, and other effects, firmly
grasping the studen’s interest. It also can stimulate the students’ strong
desire to study English actively. Multi-media teaching can not only greatly stimulate
students’ interest in learning, but also make teaching becomes vivid and
lively.
b. Improving students’ self-learning ability.
The
purpose of teaching in the classroom is not only to impart knowledge to
students. The most important thing is teaching students how to learn and making
students change from “want me to study” to “I want to learn” in thinking, from
passive learning to active learning. Therefore, students are free from the
passive learning environment, take initiative at learning, and develop their
own self-learning good habits gradually. It also can enable students to tap
into a good way of learning English independently, keep the cultivation of
motivation and interest in learning English so as to make students really love
the English, really free from the passive learning environment in English
learning .The use of multimedia will be conducive to transition for students
from the traditional passive learning to active state for independent study.
For example, teachers can select the appropriate E-work arrangements to the
students from the multimedia courseware after class, so that they can complete
the relevant extra-curricular work, and send message to the teacher through
their own e-mails, the teacher via electronic E-mail marking responses to
student. In this way,
students can not only see their
learning outcomes in the shortest period of time, but also continue stimulating
interest in their own learning through the multimedia network.
c.
Improving
students’ innovative ability.
Meanwhile,
multi-media teaching can also develop student’s ability to innovate. Things
need to innovate, Einstein said: “Imagination is more important than knowledge,
and is a source of knowledge”. In teaching, the teachers should pay attention
to tap the imagination of students. To use multimedia can achieve the desired
results and find unlimited resources in textbooks.
d. Cultivating students’ communication skills.
Chinese
students learning English often lack a certain language environment and
opportunities for practicing language, but the actual language teaching is
often to focus only on words and sentence structures of learning, ignoring its
specific application. Thus, many students get a fixed, isolated knowledge points
from textbooks, but the ability of using these knowledge points to the real life
of the capacity is relatively poor. When encountering with the reality of different
occasions, they will be helpless. Through multi-media teaching, we can create
real-life scenes in the classroom. It is not only to shorten the distance
between teaching and practice and give students the opportunity to use English
to communicate, but also to satisfy their curiosity in psychology and stimulate
the expression of desire.
e. Increasing classroom capacity.
With
only a tiny mouse, teachers can avoid using of multiple exchange of tape
recorders, video recorders, overhead projectors, etc., greatly increase the
output of information, speed up the pace of the classroom, increase the density
of the classroom, and save a lot of time which teachers spend on writing on the
blackboard. Multi-media teaching rhythm is adapted to the needs of
modernization to meet thestudent’s desire for knowledge. It can expand
text-related materials. The use of multimedia technologies can make students
notice a clear knowledge and a new expansion by huge information capacity which
shows by all kinds of media.
Mind Mapping
References :
Kasper, Loretta F. (1997), “The Impact of Content-Based Instructional
Programs on the Academic Progress of ESL Students”, English for Specific Purposes, vol.16. Pp. 309-20.
Kasper, Strategies”, PostScript, vol. 16. No. 2, pp. 5-17.
Tolstoy, L., & CAO, Y. (2008). Childhood, boyhood, and youth.
Shanghai: Shanghai literature and Art Publishing House.
Vanghan, T. (2004). Multimrdia: Making it work (8th ed.). Beijing:
QingHua University Publishing House.
Wright, A. (2003). Picture for
language learning. Tianjin: Nan Kai University Publishing House.
