A Comparison Study of the Effects of a Story-based Video Instructional Package Versus a Text-based Instructional Package in the Intermediate-level Foreign Language Classroom

Authors

  • Carol Herron Emory University
  • Holly York Emory University
  • Cathleen Corrie Baylor University
  • Steven P. Cole Emory University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.v23i2.281-307

Keywords:

Video, Story-based Approach, Research, Intermediate Level

Abstract

This study compared a story-based video instructional package, with a feature-length film as its focus, to a text-based program. It explored the effectiveness of each approach to enhance the listening and grammar performances of intermediate-level college French students. Twenty-seven students at two institutions participated. A pretest-posttest design assessed long-term gains in listening performance and grammar performance. Results indicated that students significantly improved their listening skills and grammar knowledge when exposed to the story-based video package. For the text-based group, students did not significantly improve in listening, but they significantly improved in grammar. For grammar only, the increase in mean scores for the video-based group was significantly higher than the increase in mean scores for the text-based group. The video-based curriculum used a narrative approach to teach grammar and foster listening. Results support using a film with an engaging storyline and with embedded targeted structures as effective input to enhance linguistic performance.

Author Biographies

  • Carol Herron, Emory University

    Carol Herron is a Professor of French at Emory University. She is the DirectorElect of the Emory College Language Center (2004-07). She is the Director of the French Language Program, the joint doctoral program in French/Educational Studies, and the Emory Summer Study Abroad Program in France. She is the recipient of the Arthur M. Blank/National Endowment for the Humanities Distinguished Teaching Chair in French. Her research focuses on foreign language acquisition and more specifically on how technology can facilitate language learning. Her articles appear in such publications as The Modern Language Journal, The French Review, Foreign Language Annals, CALICO Journal, and Studies in Second Language Acquisition.

  • Holly York, Emory University

    Holly York, a full-time Lecturer in French, has taught all levels of French language at Emory University. She is the Course Coordinator for Intermediate French. She is the Director of Emoryʼs annual French and Francophone Film Festival. Her pedagogical interests include content-based language instruction and technology, with an emphasis on film and literature in the language classroom. Her participation in Emoryʼs Languages Across the Curriculum program provided an added focus on language for special purposes, which led to her creation of Emoryʼs French for Business course as a joint venture with Goizueta Business School. She has authored and co-authored articles for The French Review, The Modern Language Journal, and French Forum.

  • Cathleen Corrie, Baylor University

    Cathleen Corrie is an assistant professor of French at Baylor University. Her research interests include the work of Marguerite de Navarre, 16th century French theological writing, and foreign language acquisition, in particular the teaching of culture, reading, and the use of technology in the classroom. Her articles appear in The French Review, The Modern Language Journal, and Christianity and Literature.

  • Steven P. Cole, Emory University

    Steven P. Cole is Director of Research at Research Design Associates, Inc., Yorktown Heights, NY, and he is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at Emory University. He earned a Masters Degree in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Human Experimental Psychology from Emory University. His research interests include perceptual and memory processes, and research design and statistics. His articles appear in such journals as The Modern Language Journal, The French Review, Journal of Social Psychology, and Perceptual and Motor Skills.

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Published

2013-01-14

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 2 (2006)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Herron, C., York, H., Corrie, C., & Cole, S. (2013). A Comparison Study of the Effects of a Story-based Video Instructional Package Versus a Text-based Instructional Package in the Intermediate-level Foreign Language Classroom. CALICO Journal, 23(2), 281-307. https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.v23i2.281-307