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

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significant difference on the listen<strong>in</strong>g test score between the two groups and po<strong>in</strong>tedto the poor reliability (.45) <strong>of</strong> the test <strong>in</strong>strument as a key factor <strong>in</strong> the results.Baltova (1994) also used a <strong>media</strong> comparison methodology to <strong>in</strong>vestigate the <strong>role</strong> <strong>of</strong>visual <strong>media</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>second</strong> <strong>language</strong> comprehension. Eighth grade learners <strong>of</strong> Frenchwere exposed to variations <strong>in</strong> <strong>media</strong> <strong>in</strong> two experiments. In Experiment 1, a purposebuilt<strong>video</strong> production was presented to the candidates <strong>in</strong> one <strong>of</strong> four conditions:sound-only, visual+sound, visual-only and test items only (no stimulus). Afterdeletion <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ferable items and ‘visually biased’ items (those on which visual-onlycandidates successfully performed), results from the ‘sound-only’ and‘visual+sound’ treatments <strong>in</strong>dicated that candidates <strong>in</strong> the ‘visual+sound’ groupperformed more strongly on the items than the sound-only candidates.In a <strong>second</strong> experiment, Baltova (1994) created both a sound-only and visual+sound<strong>in</strong>strument us<strong>in</strong>g the same <strong>video</strong> production that she used <strong>in</strong> the first experiment. Toimprove item function<strong>in</strong>g, she also revised the assessment <strong>in</strong>struments. Results<strong>in</strong>dicated that there were no significant differences <strong>in</strong> the test scores between the twotreatments. Based on observations and a student survey, however, Baltova suggestedthat students exposed to the ‘visual+sound’ treatment were better motivated <strong>in</strong> theirstudy <strong>of</strong> French because they responded emotionally to <strong>video</strong>text. Further, sheconcluded, these students were more certa<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> their responses.Broaden<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>media</strong> comparison approach, Chung (1994) exam<strong>in</strong>ed the listen<strong>in</strong>gcomprehension pr<strong>of</strong>iciency rates <strong>of</strong> tertiary <strong>in</strong>ter<strong>media</strong>te and advanced learners <strong>of</strong>French when exposed to one <strong>of</strong> four modes <strong>of</strong> presentation: audio track alone,audiotape and a s<strong>in</strong>gle image, audiotape and several images or analogue <strong>video</strong>. Four<strong>in</strong>struments were used by candidates as a way to respond to the <strong>media</strong> formats: 1)self report, utilis<strong>in</strong>g a five po<strong>in</strong>t Likert scale; 2) short summary, <strong>in</strong> whichrespondents wrote a two to three sentence summary <strong>of</strong> the dialogue; 3) resume, or aten-m<strong>in</strong>ute composition dur<strong>in</strong>g which respondents were directed to write as much aspossible about what they could recall from the <strong>in</strong>put and 4) a “recognition test”32

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