The feasibility of using film adaptations of English novels as teaching resource in ELT classroom

Yoon, Jae Woong

Article

Journal of English Teaching through Movies and Media 2009;10(2):101-123.
Published online December 30, 2009.

The feasibility of using film adaptations of English novels as teaching resource in ELT classroom

Jae Woong Yoon

영어 교육 자료로서의 각색 영화의 가능성 고찰

윤재웅

Abstract

This study explores the feasibility of using film adaptations of novels written in English as teaching resource in ELT classroom. One of the aims of reading novels in ELT classroom is to develop students' critical thinking. However, the world-wide trend of students' resistance to reading and their tendency to dismiss works of literature as boring mean that many teachers hesitate to use novels as a teaching resource. The solution to this problem is using movies. Today, students are generally attracted to multi-media. In a film version of a novel, scenes or characters which have to be imagined when reading are clearly depicted on the screen. There could, however, still remain some concerns about using film adaptations of novels. Some movies are very faithful to the original work, but others have many cinematic adaptations. In the latter case teachers may hesitate to use the movie version because of the difference between the original novel and film adaptation. This difference could, however, be used as an opportunity to enhance students' critical and analytical thinking through comparing and contrasting the two versions. A cinematic adaptation of a novel could be regarded as the director's interpretation of the original work. It is possible, therefore, to use the difference as a point of discussion. A model class was organized to assess the validity of this claim. Two standardized tests were given and questionnaires were administered twice. The results show this model class organized according to this claim was very efficient in developing students' critical thinking in English learning.

Key Words: adaptation;critical and logical thinking;English novel