EFS 693B - STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Listening and Communication
EFS 693B - STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Listening and Communication
EFS 693B
Week 7b Notes
CLASS OBJECTIVES
Watching movies for language learning
Introduction to FlashACE for processing practice
Research trends and advice on using captions
More Groundhog Day
Notes on independent study
I. Opening: http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=265106&title=ability-giving-birth-in-the-sky
II. Watching movies for language learning: discuss
1) What are the best types of movies to watch for language learning? Why?
2) What are the worst types? Why?
3) Think about a movie you watched recently--how could you use it to improve your listening skills
4) See handout: Listening-to-Movies.doc
III. Focus on language processing: dictations and other intensive listening to build speed, accuracy, and capacity
A. Dictation
B. FlashACE: www.stanford.edu/dept/lc/efs/FlashACE/: provides processing practice through rapid, intensive comprehension and optional dictation.
IV. Research and practice trends on captioning/subtitling for language learning
Typically show either positive effect or no significant difference for comprehension
May improve rapid reading
May interfere with picking up visual information
More positive results when students can control the subtitling
Some evidence that viewing native language subtitles first for difficult
material may be helpful (e.g., movies)
Possible procedure: native language subtitles first pass; English subtitles
second pass; no subtitles third pass
Are better than transcripts for simultaneous listening because they are superimposed on the video
V. Recommendations for using captions
Don't avoid subtitles, but
Don't overuse them
Remember that they are not always exactly what is said--their purpose is to help with meaning
Toggle them on and off (when possible) to maintain listening focus (best sites are those that allow toggling or hiding)
To hide a caption
a) slide the window down until the caption disappears--unfortunately this also hides the pause, rewind, playbar, etc.
b) A better way is to use Windows Media Player to block the caption
1) Minimize the player
2) Right-click on the bar at the top and go to Tools and then Options
3) Under options, click the box "Keep the Player on top of other windows"
You can now use the Player window as a screen to block the captions, but the player controls will still work
VI. Groundhog Day continued: suggestions for how to interact with a movie.
VII. Closing words
A. Independent study and motivation:
- set a schedule and try to keep to it
- be sure you understand the different objectives of different activities
B. Reviewing previous work. You can go back and listen to material you have previously listened to if you want for deeper comprehension.
C. Analysis of understood material. Once you've comprehended a piece, your job isn't necessarily done: you can listen to it closely to notice things like grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, reduced forms, linking, rhythm, intonation, tone of voice, connection of language to gesture, and so on. It's difficult to learn what you don't notice. Don't be satisfied just with basic understanding. However, don't do this for all material--vary your listening tasks along the extensive-->semi-intensive-->intensive continuum.
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Homework (same as (7a) but with the addition of Groundhog Day):
1) This week the assignment is to work on your project every day for at least 20-30 minutes, for a minimum of 3 hours total. Email your report (available here) to efs@stanford.edu by Monday May 17 at 8:00 PM (Tuesday class) or Tuesday May 18 at 8:00 PM (Wednesday class). Please do not mail it before the due date so that you can complete an entire 7-day week: be sure to start it the day of your class. Set a schedule in advance so that you don't miss a day.
2) Explore www.flashcarddb.com. Put in at least 20 words from your independent project work and/or from our class lists, divided into two, 10-word lessons. Practice these on at least two different days. Come prepared to discuss your experience. Spend a few minutes exploring the other two sites and see if either of them seems better for your purposes: www.ichi2.net/anki; www.wordchamp.com
3) Go to www.stanford.edu/dept/lc/efs/FlashACE/. Go through FlashACE Intermediate Lessons 1, 3, 4, and 5 (skip Lesson 2 for now--it has several errors). Do them on four different days. Listen first for comprehension. Then, for each lesson, try to do dictation on at least three items. Notice what you have to listen to most closely and any mistakes you make--come prepared to discuss your experience. Do not continue to FlashACE Advanced--we'll do it in later weeks. (Note: If you already did this for 693A, you've probably forgotten most of the individual items, so try it again, or concentrate on the dictations).
4) Groundhog Day. Review the following clips on your own before class (about 50
minutes total). (Note that some of this may overlap with what we covered in
class; also note that these may load slowly, so have something else to do while
you're waiting). Try to understand what's happening--we'll continue with the
movie in class, so don't watch the rest of it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_5GpBgsang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8qPMNcuClU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0SGB-V-SDo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15FDUDdM6Ek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6u6ehfsy7s
To assist you, you can find vocabulary support at
http://www.eslnotes.com/movies/html/groundhog-day.html (or
http://www.eslnotes.com/movies/word/groundhog-day.doc for the Word version)
and a transcript at
http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/g/groundhog-day-script-transcript.html.
