Effects of Narrative Script Advance Organizer Strategies Used to Introduce Video in the Foreign Language Classroom

Abstract

The study compared participant comprehension of foreign language video content using two advance organizer (AO) strategies while exploring the benefits of AOs as proficiency increases. Participants were 50 advanced‐beginner Spanish college students in three sections. Collaborative reading condition participants read a target language narrative video script aloud in groups, watched the video of the script, and took a test. Individual reading condition participants read the same script quietly before watching the video and taking the test. Control group participants did not read the script before watching the video and taking the test. The study was conducted at the start and end of the semester. Results indicate that AOs increased video comprehension. Researchers concluded that learners benefit to similar degrees from access to AOs as proficiency increases.

The Effects of Advance Organizers and Subtitles on EFL Learners' Listening Comprehension Skills

“…Presenting advance organizers prior to video viewing is widely seen as an effective way to help foreign language learners understand the content in videos (Ambard & Ambard, 2012;Elkhafaifi, 2005;Herron, 1994;Herron et al, 1998;Teichert, 1996;Wilberschied & Berman, 2004) or animation (Lin & Chen, 2006, 2007. Herron (1994) investigated the effects of advance organizers on beginning French as a foreign language learners' listening comprehension ability.…”

“…These results imply that visual-verbal redundant information is beneficial for children's comprehension and recall ability. Ambard and Ambard (2012) found that the effects of advance organizers on advanced-beginner Spanish college students divided into three conditions: (a) AO group reading, (b) AO quiet reading, and (c) a control group given no AOs. The results also showed that the experimental groups that were given advance organizers outperformed the control group on the comprehension tests.…”

“…However, the students were allowed to check a dictionary while reading the advance organizers. The experimental group read advance organizers silently (Ambard & Ambard, 2012) without their peers' assistance or the teacher's explanation. The control group read nothing before watching the broadcast.…”

“…However, only the students in the experimental group were required to answer the attitude questionnaire which included questions relating to the experimental conditions. The questionnaire modeled similar ones used in previous studies (Ambard & Ambard, 2012;Chung, 2002). It was expected that the students would have generally positive attitudes toward subtitled videos (Winke et al, 2010) and advance organizers as introductory materials (Ambard & Ambard, 2012;Chung, 2002).…”

One Stone, Two Birds: Maximizing Service Learning Outcomes through TESOL Practicum

“…After each teaching session, he reflected on the teaching and learning activities in which using pictures and photos facilitated student learning, promoted cultural diversity and helped achieve teaching outcomes. Furthermore, after consulting his teacher mentor, he was thinking of using videos (P. Ambard & L. Ambard, 2012) and Internet resources (Blake, 2009) as supplementary and alternative means to enhancing teaching and learning purposes. Meanwhile they checked all materials to be used and ensured that they were inclusive but not offensive to any culture.…”