ESL and Digital Video Integration: Case Studies

Abstract

It should come as no surprise that digital video technology is of particular interest to English language learners; students are drawn to its visual appeal and vibrant creative potential. The seven original case studies in this book demonstrate how video can be an effective and powerful tool to create fluid, fun, interactive, and collaborative learning environments. The engaging ways that teachers and researchers in several countries have incorporated video to enhance instruction for ESL and EFL learners include motion pictures integrating students' personal experiences with an appreciation of music and the arts; going beyond printed texts to include navigating, designing, linking, programming, and sharing dynamic, multimodal texts; authoring digital poems and stories; filmmaking based on carefully written scripts and creative interpretation of characters from literature; using critical thinking to create digital commercials; and using cell phone video recording to enhance speaking abilities. This book is a useful resource for any ESL/EFL learning environment and for individual teachers looking for creative ways to extend students' attention spans, teach them challenging language skills, elicit creativity, and support learning with social scaffolding.