Second Language Acquisition

A number of limitations must be kept in mind in interpreting the results reported here. First, due to the small sample size (N=10), a formal statistical analysis is not appropriate. Secondly, the control group watched the entire film and the experimental group only worked on eleven sections of the movie. Thirdly, a later post-test was not given to the experimental group to assess whether language acquisition had gone beyond short-term memory.

Since the primary aim of this study is to evaluate language proficiency, the vocabulary and grammar test results are of major interest. The data showed no significant differences between the control group's scores on the vocabulary pre-test and the vocabulary post-test (see Table 1). The grammar pre-test scores and post-test scores were almost identical as well (see Table 2).

Table 1
Comparison of Grammar Pre and Post-tests: Control Group

Table 2
Comparison of Grammar Pre and Post-tests: Control Group

On the other hand, the scores for the experimental group improved from the grammar pre-test to the post-test (see Table 3). The increase in the scores on the vocabulary tests was even greater than on the grammar tests (see Table 4).

Table 3
Comparison of Grammar Pre and Post-tests: Experimental Group

Table 4
Comparison of Grammar Pre and Post-tests: Experimental Group

Tables 5 and 6 present a comparison of the performance of the control and experimental groups on the vocabulary and grammar pre and post-tests. The comparison shows that the experimental group demonstrated more improvement relative to the pre-tests than the control group. The experimental group on average scored 47 percentage points higher on the vocabulary post-test and 22 percentage points higher on the grammar post-test compared to their pre-test scores while the control group scored 5 and 1 percentage points higher, respectively. These results suggest that the multimedia program contributed significantly to the second language learning of the subjects in the experimental group. The increase was greater with regard to vocabulary acquisition, but as Table 6 shows, they also started with lower scores on the vocabulary pre-test.

Student Reactions

All of the students in the control group responded on the post-session questionnaire that they enjoyed watching the movie. They admitted that they read the English sub-titles more than they listened to the target language. Most of the students did not pause or rewind the video to learn the vocabulary words. They said that they understood the dialog in the movie but not specific words, and that the sub-titles did not match up with the words. When asked what would be more helpful while viewing the video, several answered:

"to see the words in French."
"(English) sub-titles that were easier to read."
"a teacher to stop it and point out vocabulary words that were used."

All of the students indicated that watching a video is most helpful in improving listening skills.

The responses on the experimental group's post-session questionnaire were also overwhelmingly favorable. They all agreed that they liked working with a French film on the computer. They felt that the ECOUTER ET LIRE option was the most helpful because they could connect the written with the aural. They chose the JEU DE PHRASE activity the most often because it was fun. All of the students said that they replayed the audio many times and accessed the dictionary frequently to learn the new vocabulary words. These students indicated that this program would be helpful in improving listening, reading and writing skills.

The students who both watched the video and used the multimedia program all preferred the multimedia program. They found the program more enjoyable and more helpful in improving listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. They also thought that it was more helpful in learning new vocabulary and reviewing important grammar concepts. Comments on the questionnaires included:

"You can't learn reading skills from (English) sub-titles."
"Putting the already heard sentences in order helps to learn various grammar concepts."
"You know what the words mean."
" It helps build vocab. and sentence structure."
"We can go as slow as we would like. We can repeat things and it helped me to be able to understand what the people were saying."
"Games make it easier to learn."
"The activities cover everything."
"I remembered all the vocabulary later that night."
"If I miss something, it's easier to go back."
"It goes slower."
"It was fun yet challenging."

The comments of this group help clarify why a multimedia program can serve as a viable vehicle for second language learning. The students praised its contribution to their increased feelings of control and success.