The role of digital video media in second language listening ...

concerns, a second aim of the pilot study is to determine if the selected videotexts areappropriate for the upper intermediate learners of Japanese who are targeted forparticipation in the main study.Basis for segmentation3) Is there a principled basis on which the videotexts can be segmented?A third reason to conduct the pilot study is the need to investigate the possibility thatauthentic videotexts can be segmented according to a set of principles. The possiblecreation of segmented videotexts would help, as in previous studies of audiotapebasedlistening comprehension (Brindley, 1997; Buck, 1990), to structuresubsequent data analysis and facilitate task development. At present, however, thereappears to be no published criteria in the literature that sets out principles forsegmentation. When considering the segmentation of videotexts, principles may beparticularly difficult to develop. If videotexts are segmented in accordance with auralelements, the presentation of the visual narrative structure may be grossly distorted;conversely, if segmented on the basis of scenes in the visual narrative, thecomprehension of spoken elements may be hindered. With these concerns in mind,the attractive possibility that listeners may ‘naturally’ segment a videotext, forexample, by pausing at points which correspond to an unconscious attention to auralelements requires investigation.Conceptual framework4) In which ways can Pressley and Afflerbach’s (1995) framework provide aconceptual basis for analysing listening comprehension behaviour?To facilitate qualitative data analysis, research specialists (Miles & Huberman, 1994)suggest that investigators depart from an existing conceptual framework. Althoughthe framework may need to be modified according to the data and context at hand,100