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

AbstractThe aim of this investigation was to examine the role of visual elements in secondlanguage listening comprehension when digital video was used as a mode ofpresentation. Despite the widespread use of video in listening instruction, little isknown at present about how learners attend to dual-coded media and, in particular,how visual elements may influence comprehension processes.The study was conducted at the Japanese department of a large Australian researchuniversity. In conjunction with Japanese language instructors, the researcher firstselected three authentic Japanese news broadcasts. After digitisation, the videotextswere utilised in a pilot study that was designed to explore issues not resolved in areview of current theory. Four participants, representing a range of proficienciesfrom beginning to advanced, were directed to provide immediately retrospectiveverbal reports in the pilot study. The central outcome of the pilot study was to setout a preliminary seven-category framework of listener interactions with the digitalvideotexts. These categories, for example, included text type identification,macrostructure generation, confirmation and hindrance ofmacrostructuredevelopment.In the main study, twelve upper intermediate non-native tertiary students of Japaneseattended to the videotexts. With some modification of the data collection procedures,the participants provided immediately retrospective verbal reports while they 1)interacted with the videotext initially and 2) engaged with videotext during selfdirectedresponses to open-ended task demands. Based on the first section of theverbal reports, the pilot study framework was refined to focus on initial front-tobackcomprehension of the videotexts. The seven-part categorisation was expandedto include greater detail of behavioursIn a second stage of analysis, a three-category framework was proposed to focus oni