Digital Video Production and Foreign Language Classroom

New forms of literacies have emerged through the impact of new technology, and as I’ve already mentioned in my previous posts, one of the main challenges for schoolwork today is to offer students new learning opportunities to help them to develop twenty-first-century skills.

I’ve already discussed the use of digital storytelling, podcasting, blogging and other computer-based assignments in language learning. The purpose of this post is to discuss how new digital video technology can be integrated in foreign language learning. A very important aspect in language teaching is to make students to have their own productions in target language. Today, video technology makes it easier to let student work with their own video productions and in this case language knowledge becomes more meaningful. For example, with the help of video cameras learners may create their own movies speaking about their rooms, families, houses or everyday life using their own voice. The main focus of this assignment is not only on student's speaking and nut also on communicative skill. In this case the lack of video cameras may be easily solved as almost all the cell phones that our students use have cameras with relatively high quality. The integration of video production in language teaching may also involve different interesting and engaging group-work activities, like the whole class may work to create a movie on a particular topic. 

One of the most beneficial things concerning the usage of technology in the classroom is that teaching becomes learner-centered encouraging collaborative learning. So, bringing new technology into foreign language classes is a good way to activate students and get them to work collaboratively.