The pros and cons of multimedia-using English classes

Suh, Sung Sik

Article

Journal of English Teaching through Movies and Media 2007;8(2):1-11.
Published online December 30, 2007.

The pros and cons of multimedia-using English classes

Sung Sik Suh

영상 매체를 이용한 수업의 장점과 한계

서성식

Abstract

We are living in the Age of Information. In the wake of such trend, many multimedia such as CD rom titles, movie clips and internet are now being used in English classes in Korea. There are many pros and cons when those multimedia are introduced in English classes. One of the most important merits of multimedia-using English classes is the extended exposure to English Language itself. Another merit is that this method is cost-effective compared with the "English Village" method. Considering that in Korea we cannot find enough well-qualified English native speakers, we can gain huge benefits by using multimedia. Another merit is that movies make possible the deeper understanding of target culture. But there are negative sides, too. Introducing multimedia cannot enhance the understanding of language for sure. Some research result shows that it can even ruin the learning process. My conclusion is this: making effective learning model is no less important than introducing multimedia.

Key Words: multimedia;target culture;evaluation;language testing