Pedagogical uses of authentic video in ESP classrooms for developing language skills and enriching vocabulary

Abstract

Authentic video has an established role in the teaching of General English (GE) in conventional language classrooms. What has been under-researched, however, is the role of authentic video in the Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) setting, where despite being common, video is still considered a peripheral product. In the teaching of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), which also draws onto findings made in the field of GE, little research has been made into the use of authentic video in both conventional and virtual language environments (VLEs). In order to better understand the role of video in ESP teaching in general and to identify potential areas that call for further research, this paper will explore how authentic video is used to develop the four language skills, audiovisual reception, and vocabulary, in the Slovene higher education area. The research is based on qualitative research methodology, more specifically on semi-structured interviews with ESP teachers and textbook authors, and a textual analysis of ESP textbooks published in Slovenia. The results indicate that most ESP teachers are aware of the benefits of using video materials for the development of the four skills, in particular the productive skills of writing and speaking, and vocabulary. However, teachers are reluctant to include video-related tasks into printed textbooks. Instead, these tasks are migrating to VLEs, which highlights the need to further explore the relationship between traditional textbooks and VLE instructional materials used in conventional language teaching.