Media literacy is defined as the ability to encode and decode the symbols transmitted via media and to synthesize, analyze and produce mediated messages. Media literacy raises questions about the impact of media and technology, which has the potential to increase individuals' awareness about the effects of media on daily life. The aim of media…

Bilingualism is a multi-faceted experience and bilinguals differ in how they use their languages in daily life. Therefore, assessments of bilingualism that consider the role of (social) context are needed when describing bilinguals. In this study, we evaluated how (reliably) the Language and Social Background Questionnaire (LSBQ; Anderson et al.…

This study investigated interrogative structures most frequently used by native speakers of French, in an attempt to reconcile differences between language forms taught in the French as a foreign language classroom and those that are encountered in authentic input. Radio, television, and magazine interviews provided multiple examples of…

Background: There has been a lack of research on exploring how beliefs about language learning (BALLs) and out-of-class language-learning activities are related. BALLs and out-of-class language-learning activities play an important role in influencing the learning behaviours of learners and learning outcomes. Findings of this study provide useful…

Despite its clear advantages, international broadcasting is a neglected technology in the promotion and learning of foreign languages. With good electronic reception and, thus, effective listening, the potential usefulness is great in the areas of oral receptive language skills, language acquisition, and cross-cultural understanding. (SL)

Subtitling or captioning the dialogues of English movies can be very helpful to EFL learners in the Arab world. The present study reviews the importance of subtitling for language learning in general and listening comprehension in particular. A comparison is made between different levels of listening comprehension and different genres of English…

Discusses the use of the communication media (radio, television, films) in assisting second-language students of Spanish in developing their listening comprehension. (nine references) (GLR)

Lobbyists should be paid to stimulate greater government and business interest in foreign language enrollment trends. A nationwide radio and television campaign should be launched to inform the American public of the value of learning a foreign language. (SW)

Three exercises in the use of newspapers in the French classroom encourage attention to such things as page layout and composition as well as content. There are suggestions for using French radio news magazine shows and television news to develop a sense of the larger organization of language and information by the media. (CNP)

This article discusses the use of authentic oral documents such as radio or television programs as instructional materials for teaching English to native French speakers. Sample transcriptions are included, and teaching methods are discussed. (Text is in French.) (CLK)

The origin, development, and implementation of a university summer session program in Spain concentrating on mass communication is described. The preparation in the American university included travel arrangements, insuring the communication hardware, packing appropriate textbooks, and orientation of faculty and students who were drawn from…

Clarifies the nature of second-language (L2) self-instruction involving the use of self-instructional broadcast materials, with particular reference to Japan, where such materials are widely used. Analysis of responses to an open-ended questionnaire administered to 138 university students reveals benefits and problems associated with this mode of…

Four annotated bibliographies on authentic listening in English-as-a-Second-Language instruction are presented.The bibliographies were compiled by graduate students taking the a course called ESL Media and Materials. The students' purpose was to research a topic in order to develop an original project to display at an ESL Media and Materials Fair…

The attention brought by Marshall McLuhan to our environment is perhaps his most general contribution to the language teacher. McLuhan often supports specific innovations in language instruction, including: (1) the emphasis on the spoken and heard aspects of a language; (2) the need for active student participation in learning; and (3) electronic…