| Summary: | 碩士 === 雲林科技大學 === 應用外語系碩士班 === 96 === A Study on the Use of Situation Comedy in a
Spoken English Practice Class: With "Friends" as an Example
Student: Hui-Ying, Bai Advisor: Dr. Ching-Pu Chiao
Co-Advisor: Dr. Chuan-Hsiu Hung
Institute of Applied Foreign Languages
National Yunlin University of Science and Technology
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to describe the implementation of the sitcom-based instruction in a spoken English practice class and explore how this instruction enhanced learner motivation, English listening and speaking proficiency, and learner autonomy. One teacher and twenty-four students were selected through purposeful sampling as participants from Spoken English Practice Course in the Applied Foreign Languages Department at a national university of science and technology in southern Taiwan. Multiple qualitative data collections included classroom observation, semi-structured interviews, open-ended questionnaires, and document collection. The qualitative analysis of various sources of data was conducted through content analysis and constant comparative method in order to capture a holistic understanding of the framework of the sitcom-based instruction and its impact on students’ learning. The analysis, based on the four research questions, was focused on (a) the major components that constituted the framework for the sitcom-based instruction; (b) the contextual factors that constituted learner motivation; (c) the contextual factors that improved learners’ English listening and speaking proficiency; and (d) the major stages that described the development of learner autonomy.
The major findings of this study were discussed. First, six major components were identified to describe the framework for the sitcom-based instruction in a spoken English practice class, including analysis of students’ weaknesses, instructional goals, teaching materials, teaching approaches, cyclical learning activities, and evaluations. Second, four contextual factors were identified to increase learner motivation, including dynamic classroom interactions, innovative activity and evaluation, entertaining teaching material, and teacher’s professional traits. Third, three contextual factors were identified to improve students’ English listening and speaking proficiency by enhancing their language comprehension, including recurring viewings and drills, student-centered activities, and teacher’s mediation. Finally, three stages were identified to develop learner autonomy, including changes of learning habits through film viewing, practical language use in daily life, and extended learning outside the classroom.
Furthermore, the cyclical approach to the learning activities was identified as the main feature of the sitcom-based instruction. A theoretical model entitled the “Cyclical Approach to the Sitcom-based Instruction in a Spoken English Practice Class” was constructed on the basis of the main feature and seven contextual factors--Friends as a prompt, recurring viewings, leaner-centered activities, teacher’s mediation, motivation enhancement, language comprehension, and learner autonomy. This theoretical model was developed to describe and explain how these contextual factors in the cyclical approach to the learning activities interacted with one another and in turn enhanced learner motivation, English listening and speaking proficiency, and learner autonomy.
Overall, the findings shed more light on the use of the sitcoms as the primary teaching material for enhancing leaner motivation, English listening and speaking proficiency, and learner autonomy. Recommendations for the adoption of the sitcom-based instruction for oral training courses are provided as follows. The researcher suggests that English teacher (a) recognize multifaceted advantages and challenges provided by the sitcom materials; (b) provide students with orientation for the sitcom-based instruction; (c) adopt the cyclical approach to the sitcom-based instruction with the focus on building and recycling principles; (d) understand three contextual factors that increase language comprehension--recurring viewings, student-centered activities, and teacher’s mediation; (e) integrate English listening into speaking instruction; (f) assume two key roles as a mediator and a motivation booster in the learning process; and (g) employ both performance-oriented and product-oriented evaluations.
Key words: sitcom-based instruction, learner motivation, language comprehension, learner autonomy
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