Language instructions require receptive skills for the emergence of productive skills where the former comprise listening and reading and the latter consist speaking and writing not to mention the relevant presence of viewing skills depending on how instructions are processed in classrooms. Among these four abilities exists the core of learning which is grammar. In a curriculum where grammar is integrated among the four skills, teachers should apply their initiatives based from what abounds in learners’ real world environment.
Every teacher has to be aware or even engage to what learners are interested with taking into consideration the advent of varied forms of social media in creating worthwhile instructional materials out of them without ignoring the principles of what makes a good instructional tool in language learning as well as the standards of utilizing authentic materials.
One of these that the writer was able to conceptualize as possible materials is poetry presented in forms of celluloid. It is called poetry in celluloid because poems are presented through film or video. Poems’ themes that are featured are interpreted in forms of sounds and images such as photos or clips and are emphasized by the passages written in every portion of the video. We can say, it is a movie poetry different from poems that were written traditionally.This video poetry can possibly bring out the principles behind authentic materials in the classrooms.
Poems in celluloid are perceived as possible instructional materials for language skills integration among 21st century learners for they embed criteria stated by Richards (2001) who claimed that authentic materials provide favorable results on learners’ motivation, offer authentic cultural information, expose learners to the language. At these contexts, we can say that contemporary materials and creative styles of instructions suit learners’ timely interests.
To establish proximity with this instructive concept to poetry in celluloid’s entirety, some digital, linguistic and literary features have been observed. The most important features of celluloid poetry in skills integration while learning grammar could be its digital and linguistic aspects.
Poetry in celluloid’s digital aspects allow the use of reading (subtitles/ poetry passages) and even listening (narrations/ dialogues or even the sound related to the poems’ themes) not to mention the advantageous brevity of length when they are viewed or employed in the classroom. When it comes to its linguistic aspects, grammar contents aid in the poems relay of thoughts or meanings. Out of the two receptive skills, productive skills:speaking and writing will be introduced. However, when we speak of skills integration in language learning, it is not necessary that all the four skills are present in the learning process. It may depend on the instructional materials as wells as learning objectives.
Teachers should also bear in mind the relevant existence of an additional skill which is viewing skill.Using poetry in celluloid as an instructional tool requires viewing skills to be able to manipulate receptive skills for productive skills’ stimulation and enhancement.
How does skills Integration work in Poetry in celluloid? Here is an example of an activity to illustrate.
Language foci: word modifiers (adjectives /adverbs)
Material: Poetry in celluloid:
Reference: YouTube Video: Episode 28- A Singer’s Crossover
Instruction: Watch the poetry movie (viewing). Recognize the words used in expressing the poem’s idea (reading).
Objectives:
At the end of this session, students are able to:
1.Cite (15) places where the character has crossed over and tell descriptions used in these places (speaking).
2.Identify the modifiers and the words being modified by completing the given table (reading & writing).
3.Write a caption that relates to the theme of the poetry using a phrase that contains a modifier (writing)
To be specific, poetry in celluloid as authentic instructional material can practically offer observable benefits for students’ engagement to language skills’ integration.
1.It can incorporate varied language skills as viewing skills sustain the
process.
2.It uses viewing skills as main support while enhancing language learning.
3.Language foci that were integrated in grammar lessons may be placed into practice through skills integration.
4.It may situate learners in a real-world material while they manipulate the language through their receptive and productive skills.
5.It could produce desirable language learning outcomes through purposeful activities or exercises conceptualized by teachers’ creativity.
6.It obviously contains numerous language foci where skills integration can be manipulated through Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) or even through Content-based Language Instructions (CBLI) depending on the material’s nature and nature.
7.Speed reading can also be enhanced due to the passages’ appearance onscreen alongside images in which teachers additionally apply varied dimensions of questions such as literal, inferential and critical.
8.While it is intended for entertainment, the language forms and structure that are embedded could be springboards to explore skills integration not to mention the presence of images and sounds that may stimulate language teachers’ innovation to create more stimulating and effective materials.
Aside from celluloid poetry benefits in skills’ Integration, there are general advantages that it practically proffers to teachers and students’ engagement to language instructions.
Poetry in celluloid’s general benefits to students’ language learning process
1.It entertains while enhancing their order thinking skills out of contents and structures.
2. It caters to varied learning styles or situate them to manipulate multiple intelligence.
3.It brings them into 21st century language learning where digital knowledge is a form of entertainment and at the same time galvanize cognitive learning. This concept links and supports digital taxonomy of objectives’ principles.
4.It can also serve learners’ vocabulary development where brainstorming, affixes, word- structures, relationships and meanings are highlighted.
5.The sounds and images provide further clues to thoughts’ understanding for instance, vocabulary studies and thematic analyses.
Poetry in celluloid’s general benefits to teachers’ language instructions
1.To an innovative teachers’ perceptions, it is an instructional material disguised as vlog or form of entertainment.
2.It could allow language educators in curriculum planning and designing.
3.Teachers can find means to cater to varied learning styles or multiple intelligence of students.
4.They present conformity to teachers’ 21st century language teaching by the enhancement of digital awareness in strengthening learners’ socio-cognition and at the same time increases their learners’ order thinking skills.
5.Teachers have the opportunity to introduce Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) or even through Content-based Language Instructions (CBLI).
6.It can give Independent learning approaches.
7.It can aid teachers in providing interactive teaching environment.
8.Teachers apply theories/techniques in real- life materials.
9.It could motivate students’ awareness through visual and sound representations.
10.It may enable teachers to introduce organizing ideas such as sequencing.
11.Teachers can choose variety of materials suitable to learners.
12.Teachers can apply guided language learning technique by using questions and other possible creative techniques.
13.Teachers are immersed as digital natives where technology becomes a part of pedagogy.
