Using vox-pop interviews to expose language learners to authentic discourse

Abstract

One of the challenges in foreign language pedagogy is providing students with the opportunity to interact in authentic discourse with native speakers of the target language. In the video project described here, adult ESL (English as a Second Language) students converse with native English speakers on a cultural topic of the student's choice in short videotaped interviews. Prior to the interviews the students develop their line of questioning through integrated class discussions of local culture, discourse practices, conversational strategies, grammar and pronunciation. Students execute the entire video production themselves including the video's design and layout, the interviews themselves, camera work and editing decisions. The interviews are conducted outside of the classroom, wherever students can encounter native speakers. After each videotaping session, the entire class review the day's tape and discuss points of grammatical structure, pronunciation and communication strategies which they observe in the interviews. Through this project's stages of preparation, execution, observation and review, the students are engaged in a holistic experience of language learning and practice which includes the linguistic and paralinguistic, but also the cultural aspects of interpersonal communication in the target language. The students' own culture and discourse practices are validated as the basis for comparison with those surrounding the target language.