This is a technology that is often underutilized in the foreign
language classroom. Using the satellite provides students with
current and authentic models of the language under study. At the
same time it helps teachers to keep up with current events and
contemporary issues.
Assuming that the teacher has access to satellite, the major concern
at this point is to find out what programs are available. French,
German, and Spanish language programs are already available (especially
on C-band satellites). Programs in Arabic, Italian, and Portuguese
are also available, but it takes planning to receive them due
to the difference in time between those countries and ours. Teachers
must periodically check the program schedule so they can aim the
dish to the proper satellite.
It is necessary to have a VCR, since there will be many programs
at various times that teachers will want to record. The first
problem is that teachers do not have enough time to plan an extensive
instructional plan. Still it is essential to review the material
and project how it will be included into the learning lesson.
Selecting the most appropriate material according to what the
objectives are, or just as a side-line activity must be done carefully.
Anything that will be presented in the classroom should contain
a pedagogical topic whether it is a language concept or cultural
in nature.
Some programs to be considered are: the news, cartoons, commercials,
and cooking shows. Short news segments will most likely contain
difficult words for students, but like with any other material,
teachers must prepare students for what's to come, and have them
engage in a variety of activities (identify vocabulary and/or
grammar, describe scenes, summarize events, etc.). Finally, teachers
must evaluate what students have learned. It would be beneficial
to have closed-captioning so that difficult words or grammar concepts
could be checked.
Commercials are good because they are short, very animated, and
often they also exist in the English language and students feel
more comfortable and enthusiastic when recognizing them. News
presents authentic language usage in a real life context.
Animated cartoons are a wonderful resource since they are a favorite
of students at all levels of the language. Their visual cues and
context will make fun to learn long lists of new colloquial vocabulary
which in other way would result very difficult to understand and
learn.
Cooking programs can add some "spice" to the classroom.
It is fun to watch how another culture prepares typical foods.
Hearing and reading the ingredients and listening to the cooking
process will give the students an opportunity to learn new vocabulary
and maybe come up with a new dish at home!
It can be concluded that few instructional materials are as dynamic as satellite television, and few are as effective in showing students the reality of the language they are studying. Foreign language teachers need to remember that when using this technology our goal is to provide a mix of programs that will extend and enrich the materials of the curriculum. Learning what to choose and how to present and get the best of that program in an educational setting will be your major objective. There is no doubt that satellite television is likely to become more important in the future since is a technology that contributes to how we teach and learn a foreign language using authentic language and cultural materials.
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