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

1.2. Rationale for the study

This study seeks to investigate how television materials can effectively be integrated into the teaching and learning of English at tertiary level in Rwanda, and more specifically at the NUR.

The motivation and choice of this topic has been informed by a number of factors. Teaching and learning English through television has not yet been examined at the National University of Rwanda, one of the prominent higher institutions in Rwanda. The role of the visual element in teaching and learning English as a foreign language has received very scant attention. I noticed that audio materials such as tape recordings are the only teaching tools used in the language class. Hence, this study aims to focus on how television can be integrated at the NUR as an instructional tool that offers more opportunity and input than tape recordings, which are only based on sound.

Rwandan students are not exposed to native speakers of English. This study aims to investigate how the use of natural and authentic^2(*) television materials (e.g. native speakers' English) can captivate learners' attention and interest. In addition, it can eventually lead to the improvement of students' oral/aural abilities. Incorporating television materials (e.g. movies, documentaries, news broadcasts, etc) into language classes can also provide some experience to learners of being immersed in a native-like context.

In this study, the target group is second year English students because they are expected to have a sound basis in listening. Hence, it is assumed that their English competence can enable them to afford the English used in television materials.

In this respect, the study enquires among other issues, into the extent to which the students are familiar with this technology-based tool and their perceptions of television as a learning medium. This study has also targeted lecturers in the English Department at the NUR with the aim of evaluating their attitudes, thoughts and feelings on the potential integration of television in English teaching and learning. Finally, in relation to the learning practices, this research analysed the content of academic English programmes in use in the Department of English. The stress was put on evaluating the extent to which the programmes provide ways of enhancing the acquisition of English by means of television.

1.3. Research question

This research evolves around the following research question: How can one integrate television as a teaching and learning resource at the NUR at English Second Year level?

The subsidiary questions are:

1) What is the current approach to English teaching and learning at the NUR?

2) How can television materials be used in the English class?

3) What do students think about this?

4) What are lecturers' views on using television as a teaching aid?

1.4. Chapter Outline

This mini thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One introduces the study, aims and scope of the research, the role of English in Rwanda and the rationale for this research. It ends with an outline of the chapters.

Chapter Two deals with a literature review on television and its role in education. I also examine the development of audiovisuals in EFL/ESL in general, and television in particular. In addition, this chapter briefly highlights approaches to language teaching. Finally, it explores principles of content-based instruction and materials design and how they are associated with the use of television in language education.

Chapter Three describes the research methodology. It offers detailed information and characteristics of the research tools used to collect the data such as the research site, the research participants and data collection procedures. The chapter discusses the benefits of each research method used and how relevant they were to this study.

Chapter Four is divided into two main parts: the first presents the research findings. It foregrounds all the themes and sub-themes that emerged from the interview and questionnaire responses. Different views are summarised and comments are added to help interpret the figures. The second part concerns the analysis and discussion of the data, combined with the theoretical notions developed in the literature review. More specifically, the chapter handles the respondents' perceptions on how television materials can effectively be exploited in English teaching and learning at the NUR for the benefit of second year English students. It also contains an analysis of the content of academic English programmes in use at the NUR.

Chapter Five draws out the conclusions of the study and presents a set of recommendations for the sound integration and use of television in English teaching and learning in tertiary education. The chapter also highlights areas where further research can be undertaken.

* ² The term is used throughout this mini thesis and it refers to something real, genuine. In this context, `authentic English' refers to the English students encounter in the real world or real life situations. According to Jack C. Richards (2001:252), authentic materials refer to the use in teaching of texts, photographs, video selections, and other teaching resources that were not specially prepared for pedagogical purposes.