Multimedia in Business English
EVALUATION OF MULTIMEDIA CD-ROMs
This is a report by Paul Brett from the University of Wolverhampton on the workshop he ran at the joint BESIG/CALL workshop on multimedia at Wolverhampton University on 29 January 1996.
The aim of this workshop was to allow participants the opportunity to use and to evaluate a variety of the multimedia CD-ROMs currently on the market which are dedicated to the learning of Business English. The CDs were each installed on one of the multimedia PCs prior to the arrival of the participants who were then free during the workshop to move between the MPCs and explore the software as they wanted. This report briefly describes the software on show, puts forward some of the criteria the author sees as important for the evaluation of multimedia CDs and briefly sums up the participants overall reactions to multimedia.
The following titles were on show:
- "Telephone Talk", "Small Talk" and "Business Talk" from Libra which use graphics and dialogues to develop telephone skills and basic conversational gambits.
- "Compact English" a very new program from Boston Spa Training which uses photos and scripted audio dialogues and is aimed at Intermediate learners.
- Demonstration copies of two forthcoming titles were on show "Grammar Rom" from Longman and "Let's do Business" from Abacus Communications in Dublin.
- "Grammar Rom" is not strictly Business English but covers the classic EFL grammar areas e.g. conditionals, modals , linkers etc. with a variety of inventive activities, reference screens and skillfully incorporates clips of some of Longman old favourite EFL videos like "Family Affair".
- "Let's do Business" focuses on Negotiations and uses a thought out pedagogical sequence of pre, while and post negotiation, has a strong emphasis on vocabulary, looks very good and uses interesting video clips to further learning. Both demos went down well with the participants.
- The "Multilevel Business English Programme", a new 2 CD offering at Elementary level from Phoenix ELT which complements the course books of the same name was also on display. This contains a vast amount of interactive practice material - 40 units with between 7 to 10 sections in each and includes video clips (somewhat pasty), a choice between American and British English as target variety, listening tasks and a record yourself option. For a detailed review of this see the current edition of CALL Review.
- The first two CDs in the University of Wolverhampton's "English for Business" series "An introduction to a British Company" and No. 2 "Managing Quality" were also on display. These are designed to develop listening skills and exploit 25 minutes of authentic video with before, while and post listening tasks as well as grammar, vocabulary and functions practice. They also function at three levels of learner ability from Intermediate upwards and provide some 250 + interactive learning screens.
- Norman Harris from Dyned was also on hand to demonstrate "Functioning in English" and "Interactive Business English" plus give a sneak preview of their latest in speech recognition software.
Much of the software on show was kindly lent to the workshop for the day by Wida Software.
The workshop time was spent with delegates using the multimedia software on display. Via a handout I proposed that the following areas were worthy of consideration whilst using the software - with the first three as especially important:
- The view of the nature of the English language - was it seen as a system for exchanging and making meanings?
- a set of functions / phrases?
- a list of grammatical structures arranged in presumed order of difficulty?
- How does it assume learning will occur?
- memorisation?
- through subconscious "intake"?
- by use of cognitive skills?
- or raising awareness of feature of language system?
- through use of language to complete meaningful tasks?
- What activities are learners asked to do?
- listen and repeat
- record themselves
- role plays
- translation
- language awareness tasks?
- Interactivity / engagement,
- Fun / enjoyment / motivation / relevance,
- Cost effectiveness - how many hours learning?
- User friendliness / ease of navigation,
- Relationship to the syllabus / other materials,
- The "look" of the CD - interface - graphics / photos / video quality / design / layout.
- Any built in intelligence- does it adapt to the learners' input- monitoring - feedback?
Participants thoroughly enjoyed exploring the titles although there was a general feeling that some of the titles on show had not been designed around the current ideas of how language learning occurs or as to how language skills can best be developed. The application of multimedia to language learning is in its infancy. It will need many more applications to be produced together with years of use with learners and applied research into the effectiveness of its use before the nature of the medium is fully appreciated.
CONTACT DETAILS
Paul Brett,
Senior Lecturer in English as a Foreign Language,
School of Languages and European Studies,
University of Wolverhampton.
Stafford Street,
Wolverhampton,
WV1 1SB
Tel: +44 (0) 1902 322671 or +44 (O)1902 322484
Fax: +44 (0) 1902 322739
BESIG
The BESIG coordinator
c/o IATEFL
3 Kingsdown Chambers
Kingsdown Park
Whitstable
Kent CT5 2DJ
Tel: +44 (0) 1227 276528
Fax: +44 (0) 1227 274415
e-mail for IATEFL: 100070.1327@compuserve.com
URL: http://www.man.ac.uk/IATEFL/
e-mail for BESIG: besig@lydbury.compulink.co.uk
URL: http://www.lydbury.co.uk/besig/