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Towards integrating television materials into english teaching and learning at the national university of Rwanda: an exploratory case study of the second year english course

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par Pravda Mfurankunda
University of the Western Cape, Cape Town - Masters in Education 2005
  

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4.5.4. Constraints

Constraints that I raise here concern different views my informants provided as to what could prevent sound integration of TV materials into English teaching and learning at the NUR. Focus is directed on lecturers who are primarily responsible for effective implementation of principles governing use of TV in the language class. Two out of three interviewed lecturers agreed on one central problem: recurrent power cuts in the Butare province where NUR is also situated. This is a hindrance for both students and lecturers. On the one hand, lecturers need to preview materials they have to bring to class as their teaching materials and on the students' side, they are required to watch the prescribed TV programmes as take-home assignments. Fortunately, this problem will be dealt with by the government.

The next section deals with an examination of English programmes at the NUR especially in relation with provisions they make in terms of promoting use of audiovisuals or TV materials for the benefit of second year English students. Observations that I make after the analysis, along with findings from questionnaires and interviews will help me in laying out recommendations for further action.

4.5.5. Analysis of the content of academic English programmes at the NUR.

The first aim of this analysis is to locate the first and second year English courses within the content-based model of language teaching. The second aim is to see to what extent the current programme provides for the use of TV materials in the English class. The third one deals with how TV materials are to be used. These are the primary criteria presented as a checklist in Chapter Three.

To begin with, the first criterion seeks to see the extent to which the contents of some courses are consistent with a content-based model of language teaching. As an illustration, when one looks at the contents of Listening Comprehension I (LENG 0401104/see Appendix E) you notice that students are expected to cover some theories on several points such as listening for gist, listening for specific details to name just a few. In other words, the language learners are expected to acquire English through listening to and watching TV broadcasts (see aims of the course: familiarise students with listening for general information) and at the same time learn necessary skills to enable them to achieve these objectives (i.e. to listen for gist).

Another example that is more appropriate concerns Conversational English I (CENG 041104) where students are required to have a detailed theoretical basis on the sounds of English, on a comparison between British and American varieties of English (see contents) In fact, this course aims, among other things, at phonemic accuracy, that is the correct production of English phonemes (i.e. English sounds like vowels) (see aims of the course). Besides, this course is organised around the correctness of presentation and practice of English features. Generally speaking, this model of language teaching emphasises using language (i.e. English) as a medium for studying subject matter (e.g. English phonemes) and this is done in line with the learners' needs (i.e. CENG I is a prerequisite to other courses such as English phonology the students have to study later in third year).

The second criterion (that mainly concerns this study) leads me to examine if the use of TV in the English class is an integral part of the building of this programme. When I look at the contents of LENG I and II, it is clearly stated that listening comprehension courses of the two years envision the use of audiovisual media. For instance, objectives of LENGI stipulate that the course aims at familiarising students with listening for specific and general information and in the last place it also aims at listening and watching English programmes on TV and recorded documentaries.

The third criterion, that is directly connected to the second one, tests the content of the English course in terms of promoting language tasks and/or activities that support language acquisition by means of TV. In this respect, one can notice that objectives of some courses match or correlate with the practical part of it. This is why in LENG I, practice serves as an opportunity for the learners to do listening exercises that include various language teaching materials, radio and TV broadcasts, various recorded speeches, etc. Similarly, practical activities in LENG II are designed around different authentic materials such as documentaries on TV, video-films etc. Another remark worth making relates to the significant portion of hours devoted to practical works in the programme. LENG I & II are given substantial time for practice of the different points handled in theory (i.e. LENG I has 45 h and LENG II, 30 h) which is an encouraging input. As Skehan cited by Richards (2001: 161) argues, success in tasks is evaluated in terms of achievement of an outcome, and tasks generally bear some resemblance to real-life language use. Actually, one cannot pretend to learn a language without enough exposure to authentic materials that provide learners with a major source of contact with the language.

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