Teaching film is acknowledged as one of the most affective visual aids that exist. Many teachers understand it perfectly well and are on friendly terms with teaching films

Teaching film is certainly acknowledged as one of the most affective visual aids that exist. I think that’s true. But teacher should have enough methological competence, using this visual aid.

On the one hand it is very interesting, exciting and funny for children. Their visual memory is very strong and helps to assimilate information very quickly and productively. That’s why colourful films, pictures are very important in process of education. Visual aids help quickly to draw pupils attention and hold it. They are not tired and grasp information more attentively.

On the other hand teachers should be very attentively, choosing thematically contain of films, of must correspond to age and intellectual level of pupils. It is also important to know what period of time to devote for preview of films or slides. For example, pupils of 10-11 are allowed to watch films only for 15-20 min. It can be dangerous for their health. The quality of both software and hardware has very important role. Films, slides of bad quality can injure pupils eyesight. Bad sound track may lead to incomprehension, irritation and disillusionment of the pupils.

From good films students learn faster and remember a body of subject matter longer than when the same subject matter is presented only verbally; films have been used successfully to facilitate thinking and problem solving.

But for various reasons many foreign-language teachers are not quite on friendly terms with teaching films. Even the filmstrip and slide that are less difficult to handle in the classroom have met with more acceptance outside language teaching than within it.

Foreign-language film can bring to the students activities that they could not otherwise observe or become involved with. They are indispensable for teaching the “culture element”.

Creative teachers use professional feature and science-popular films at the advanced stage of language learning as subject matter for class discussions and debates, for evaluating their artistic value.

To be honest, the main stumbling block lies in the lack of professional competence of the teacher himself. Contrary to the good old blackboard he cannot handle it on his own which creates embarrassing moments in front of the pupils.

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