Enhancing English Academic Writing: The Effects of Movie Trailers on Structure Comprehension, Motivation, and Critical Thinking

Abstract

This study explores the use of audiovisual media, specifically movie trailers, in English language teaching and their potential benefits in improving structure comprehension, critical thinking and learner motivation. This research focuses on Japanese English education students. It presents a case study using movie trailers and videos of fairy tales to help students understand the structure and usefulness of academic writing, develop critical thinking attitudes, and increase their motivation toward learning English. The study involved 105 Japanese-speaking university students, who worked on assignments using six movie trailers and two fairy tales as teaching materials. The experimental procedures included ten sessions on reading and listening assignments, and five on integrating movie trailers, where students learned the relevance of movie trailers to academic writing and created original trailers for assigned short stories. Data were collected through questionnaires and completed assignments. The results show that integrating movie trailers into English language teaching significantly enhances students’ comprehension of academic writing structures, increases their motivation to learn English, and develops their critical thinking skills. The use of familiar audiovisual materials, like movie trailers, proved effective in making the learning process more engaging and practical, ultimately contributing to better academic performance in English language writing and presentation skills.