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

general mistrust of images, a difficulty in utilising images to further developmacrostructure and competition for cognitive resources.Unlike listeners who used images largely to guide their understanding, Brenda didnot trust the visual narrative to serve her as a foundation for macrostructuredevelopment. She often dismissed images, or was otherwise hesitant to give themimportance, as she went about constructing an interpretation. During initialinteractions with Videotext Two, for example, Brenda stated that the story was aboutan “elderly person who was hit in the head by a ball of some sort and died rathersuddenly” (text unit 180). Images, at this point, appear to have helped her toreinforce an understanding of the reporter. When she advances the clip, however, shehears that there were three people with broken bones involved. Brenda pauses on theimage of a wrecked automobile. Suddenly faced with an unexpected sight, hercomments in Table 4-26 show that she revises her earlier version of the story.Table 4-26Unexpected image confusesRepresentative imageCorresponding commentsSo it’s three women broke their bonessomehow—that was found. I don’t knowwhat connection it has with this. I don’tknow whether ... it was in a car or what?Maybe it was. Must have been in a car.(laughs) And maybe I’m just saying thatbecause I can see it. (laughs) (Brenda,text unit 192)Frame G38, Videotext 2Clearly, Brenda understands that the image of the wrecked automobile is central tothe story. In an awkward moment of reflection, however, she is hesitant toacknowledge its influence on her understanding. As she explains, she is wary about143