INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this research paper is to determine how

students at the university level are getting benefit from
watching English movies in order to support their learning
process. This paper provides a general framework about
educational impacts of English movies as a pedagogical tool to
learn English Language .A survey is conducted in order to
explore opinions and expectations of 50 students as a sample
from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages in the department of English
language at the Dumangas NHS. The results display the
educational impacts o fwatching English movies to improve
their language learning.

The purpose of the research is to investigate the impact of

watching movies as a pedagogical tool on learning English
Language by the students of English department and its academic
achievements on ESL students. This paper will attempt to
highlight findings that address the following questions:
1. To what extent watching movies beneficial for students to
learn English language at the university?
2. To what extent do students prefer movies as a pedagogical
tool for learning English Language in the department of
English language?

This research paper includes three chapters. Chapter one has two
sections: section one is given to the historical background of
using Technology in ESL class, section two is given to discuss
the importance of using Movies to learn English language.

Chapter two has two sections: section one is given to discuss

the impact of using Movies on the four language skills, and

section two is given to discuss the impact of using Movies
on the four language components. Chapter three includes a
conducted study in which all the results are shown and
descriptively analyzed. The research ends up with the conclusion
which summarizes the most dominant findings of the study, and
this is followed by the references.
 CHAPTER ONE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Historical Background of Using Technology in

ESL classroom

Technology has always been at the first place. From the days
humans carved figures on the walls of caves, until now, when
students are given technological devices, technology pushed
educational abilities to new levels(“The Evolution of Technology
in the Classroom”, 2015).
Technology can have a complementary relationship with teaching.
The invention of new technologies makes learners understand the
course content and achieve a good result in the classroom. So long as
many new technologies have been invented in history, they had
a message for learners to discover appropriate methods to
incorporate these new technologies into the class (Groff, Haas,
Klopfer & Osterweil, 2009).

During the Colonial years till 1900, several educational tools

were invented including: wooden paddles, which helped students
learn verses, Magic Lantern, an old basic type of projector
that causes images to appear on glass plates, the Chalk board
and pencil, and students were expecting for more advanced
educational tools. After that, several advanced technologies
invented till videotapes arrived in 1951, which developed the
process of education and made a new exciting method of teaching
(“The History of Classroom Technology”, 2015).

10Technology has an effective relation with English language

education (Singhal, 1997). Throughout the last century,
English language laboratories were being used in various
institutions, and they were consisted of several small cabinets;
each cabinet had a cassette deck, a microphone and a headphone. Teachers
use a dominant control panel to observe their students'
interactions. The foremost advantage of that type of technology
was that spoken function of students would help them to learn
the second language faster. Through exercising more practical
drill problems the language skills of the learners can
be enhanced (Nomass, 2013). Also these laboratories were a good
step in creating a connection between technology and language
education (Singhal, 1997).While new technologies came in the
1980s, incorporation of visual materials in language classrooms
has become common (Vanderplank, 2010). Language teaching is an
area in which the utilization in technology has been motivated.
So far, technological devices are being used in language classes
(Traore & Kyei-Blankson,2011).Using technology, especially
movies, as a teaching strategy for learning a second language in
ESL classrooms has become popular today. It supports learning
process among ESL learners and can be utilized in various forms
to improve comprehension skill in their course contents (Hicks,
Reid, & George, 2001) and ESL learners themselves see it as
pivotal source for advancing their second language proficiency
as well (Neuman & Koskinen, 1992).
At the present time, technology surrounds humanity. Especially
the new generation is growing up with technology and live with
it. Computer technologies have extremely changed the way people
get information, and communicate with 11 people around the
world. For this reason, schools and educational institutions
obliged to be aware of technological equipments, and instructors
at the schools and institutions are necessary to improve their
technological skills to be able to catch the students` attention
and interests (Akyol, 2010). Now teachers are utilizing
technology to help improve and enhance comprehending of their
course content (Hicks, Reid, &George, 2001).Utilizing various
kinds of technological equipments gives ESL learners the sense
of freedom, motivation, and encouragement they need for learning
process(Genc- Ilter, 2009), also makes the lesson more efficient
(Akyol, 2010).According to Lee Wang, incorporating technology in
ESL classrooms has many advantages; it improves the learners’
language skills like: reading, listening,speaking and writing
skills. English-language learners use computers, software
programs to enhance their fluency, and improve their language
skills. They use the Internet to search for information and read
technology texts (Wang, 2005).

.2 The Importance of Using Movies to Learning English Language

In the world, the cultural heritage of a nation is the language.

During the last decade, learning languages has become more
important. Learning a new language not only develops individual
intelligence, but also it gives learners, permission to enter
and gets learners near to another culture and prepares them with
the essential skills to succeed and change their behavior in a
rapidly changing world (Chan & Herrero,2010). Movies are a part
of visual
literacy and “
movies are an enjoyable source of entertainment and language acquisition
” (Ismaili, 2012, p. 122).

Using movies in the ESL classrooms or as an outside school

activity can support motivation of the learners, because of
their playful component, and they can be used as task activities
to give an ideal environment for learning, as well as
encouraging participation and interaction among students (Chan &
Herrero, 2010).
“
The use of movies in the language classroom can encourage a creative
approach that can have applications across the curriculum
” (Chan & Herrero, 2010, p. 6).
Many scholars have revealed that movies used in ESL classroom
can become an essential part of the courses. This is based on
the fact that movies give exposures to
“real language
,” used in authentic settings and in the cultural context which
the
second language is spoken. They also have recognized that movies
attract the learner, and it can positively affect their
motivation to learn (Xhemaili, 2013). Watching movies serve as a
bridge between learning skills and language objectives (output)
and using them in ESL classroom provide background information
that activates foremost
knowledge, which is important in stimulating the four skills’
activities in the
classroom (Herron & Hanley, 1992).Using subtitled movies in
the language classroom make students interact with the movies.
When ESL learners watching a subtitled movie, except watching
and listening to the audiovisual materials, they are also
understand and interact with the movie, and they make a
translation, between the source language and target language.
This interaction seems to be in its pick in case of watching
movies in reversed subtitled mode. While watching reversed
subtitled movies, learners try less to understand aural input
due to their familiarity with the audio language (Gorjian,2014).

Videos that related to the content of the curriculum can be used

in EFL classrooms, to bring a realistic phase of what is being
taught in the class. This issu ework as a supporter
and motivator to the learners (Furmanovsky, 1997).
“
For this reason, many scholars and EFL practitioners prefer to watch
the movie adaptations of famous and current novels as a supplementary
source for the reading
” (Ismaili,2012, p. 122). Movies pave the way for the EFL
learners and give the opportunities to see the social dynamics
of communication just like native speakers incorporate into real
settings (Ismaili, 2012). In addition, movies provide a great
chance to students to gain background understanding, to combine
with their own understanding of a story or concept. When
students reading a text, movie features can help them connect to
new information they may have not had a background in and change
their new thoughts, images, and feelings to the text at hand
(Gambrell & Jawits, 1993).

The main component of using the movies in the class is actually

enabling the reader to picture or to visualize the events, characters,
narration, story and words in the context
” (Ismaili, 2012, p. 123).
Draper (2012) has described visualization as a foremost
prerequisite for a good reader. Helping students gain
visualization skills I san essential way to advance greater
understanding while reading. It permits students the ability to
become more engaged in their reading and they use their images
to draw 14conclusions, create interpretations of the text, and
recall details and elements from thetext (Keene & Simmerman,
1997).Draper (2012) has researched and recognized that expert
readers impulsively and purposefully create mental images in
their mind at the time, and after they read .The creation of the
images comes from the five senses and emotions, and they are
stored in readers’ encyclopedic knowledge. They use images to
put themselves in detail while they read. The detail provides
depth and dimension to the reading, engaging the reader more
deeply, and making the text more memorable. Expert readers get
the benefit from images to draw conclusions, to create
different and unique interpretations of the text, to remember
the essential elements of the text, and to remember a text after
it has been read. This is a good reason to support English
instructors to be more imaginative and motivated using movies in
EFL classrooms(Ismaili, 2012).

CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW2.1 The Impact of Using Movies on The Four
Language skills
“In terms of instruction, teaching English is supposedly not
confined only to grammar; it should include several aspects of the
language, such as the four skills
”
(Al-Muhtaseb, 2012, p. 4). Language is in terms of the four
basic language skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing.
In the oral mode, listening comprehension is the receptive skill
and speaking is the productive skill, whereas in the written
mode, reading is the receptive skill, and writing is the
productive skill (Four Skills in the English Language, 2013).

The aim of learning English language is to improve the four

language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing of the
EFL learner, with support of a great number of English
vocabularies and proper grammar, but this is not enough. The
learners should be able to speak in English language.
Furthermore, most of the EFL learners have a good reading and
writing skill compared to listening and speaking skill. They can
easily read and write, but it is difficult for them to speak in
second language and talk about themselves (Chun, 2006), because
always the major focus has been on writing skill. Students do
many writing activities from the first year of their academic
study until they write their research paper in last year and
during time, they will have almost some courses related to
speaking and reading skills (Al-Muhtaseb,2012).

17therefore, it is necessary for the instructors and learners

to estimate the exertions and time given to pronunciation as an
essential part of second language learning, and they have to
decide which level of proficiency is required for effective
communication (Gimson, 1980).

The most dominant advantage of English movies in ESL classroom

is their
authenticity (Varga, 2013). “
Language is presented in everyday conversational
settings, “in real life contexts rather than artificial
situations” (King, 2002:2)
”
(Varga, 2013, p. 344). Furthermore, movies pave they way to get
familiar with the dialects of English language (King, 2002).
Another advantage of English movies is that in spite of
demonstrating real materials related to English language. They
offer learners with paralinguistic characteristics such as;
facial expressions and motion of hands and body to express
thoughts and feelings which they can have beneficial effects in
communicative situations (King, 2002; Kusumarasdyati, 2004;
Rammal,2005).

2.2 The Impact of Using Movies on The Four Language Component

There are a number of components that are universal, but
linguists have identified and focused on four essential
components (phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics) in
languages (Popp, 2004). While students attend the universities,
they will face many problems in their English language,
including: weak comprehension, lack of vocabulary, bad grammar
and having poor language skills. Movies can be helpful to deal
with these factors and improve them (Sabouri, Zohrabi,
Osbouei,2015).The process of learning English through watching
movies is learning by input. At the beginning, many correct
English statements will store in the head of EFLlearners, and
then the learners through the process of drilling can learn the
statement sand make their own sentences. While watching English
movies, the learner can be familiar with informal speeches and
slangs that He/She is unable to find them in English
dictionaries (Szynalski, n.d).Movie production companies
(Paramount, Universal, 20th century fox andetc.) are producing
movies for native speakers, not for EFL learners. Therefore,

19characters in the movie use the accent and the intonation

which native speaker use in real life. So if EFL learners watch
English movies, they will learn their accent, words and
statements they use to communicate. English-language Learners
learn lots of words that they never heard before, because
while movie characters speak, they utter words and phrases that
cannot be found in books (Szynalski, n.d).

Vocabulary, as a pillar of English language, is believed to form

a dominan tpart of the process of learning English language.
Without enough vocabulary knowledge, an EFL learner will
face many problems in using the four language skills(reading,
listening, speaking and writing (Gorjian, 2014). According to a
study which was carried out for EFL learners, students announced
that using movie is a good way to enhance English vocabulary and
provide them more opportunities to use English language. Most of
the students claimed that they would learn new
words(approximately 3-5) while they watch a movie in the class,
because of repetition of those words many times throughout the
movie (Ismaili, 2012).

CHAPTER THREE THE STUDY

This chapter provides some detailed information of the research

subject instruments and data analysis.
3.1 Purpose of the study
This study aims at investigating the importance of the impact of
movies on learning English language in terms of perceptions,
opinions and attitudes of students toward learning English
language. The results obtained may provide the beneficial ideas
and useful information for the departments of English language.
3.2 Sampling
The sample of this study consisted of 50 students from 2nd
, 3rd and 4th stages of English department from the DUMANGAS NHS
namely.
3.3 Methodology

In order to access the opinions and perceptions of the ESL

learners, the questionnaire tool was adopted. 50 copies
distributed among students of 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages from the
department in the DUMANGAS NHS. The questionnaire was composed
of open-ended, closed-ended questions and rating scales.
3.2 Data collection and analysis, findings and interpretations
In order to determine what trends in the data suggested about
the students' attitudes and perceptions toward the impact
of movies on learning English language,

21responses of the participants were analysed descriptively by

calculating percentages and average scores. Below are the findings
obtained from the analysis of the data collected to evaluate the
expectations and perceptions of students of the department of
English language at DUMANGAS NHS about the impact of movies on
learning English language.