| If you own a school or language institute, you've | | | | many high school students have exposure to |
| probably noted that using relevant, contemporary | | | | South American movie directors, for example, but |
| media to instruct students makes a big difference | | | | giving them a little bit of a nudge might expose |
| in their progress. Learning not just how to | | | | them to the world of modern cinema overseas. |
| structure a language, but really use it, comes | | | | Self-directed learning is important for many |
| from finding real world application. If yours is like | | | | students, but schools rarely provide this |
| many language institutes or especially high schools, | | | | opportunity. Give your students or clients the |
| the materials you use are likely outdated and dry. | | | | opportunity to really take off with their language |
| Kids and/or students get bored, stop paying | | | | learning, and practice on their own time. |
| attention, and drift off, essentially learning nothing | | | | Instead of assigning students current events, |
| about the content. What people in general want | | | | have them follow the current events of another |
| today is the opportunity to see aspects of others | | | | country. Instead of asking them to do a research |
| cultures that they would actually enjoy like music, | | | | project, ask them to navigate a web page in |
| popular television programming, movies, and even | | | | another language. It's surprising how much a |
| news. Knowing another culture intimately is | | | | student will understand when in a context they |
| exciting. For that very reason, more and more | | | | understand like modern television or internet |
| schools and institutes are adding a very special | | | | media. Not to mention, with DVR recording |
| service to their offerings, satellite TV. | | | | available on satellite TV, teachers can record and |
| Many business, not just schools or language | | | | save any program to show when they want it. |
| institutions, find that their business is greatly | | | | Just because a program won't fit into your |
| increased by offering satellite television. With the | | | | syllabus for a few more weeks is no reason to |
| highly professional, excellent quality of HD TV | | | | miss it. With this kind of technology a world of |
| service, clients and students alike are left with the | | | | learning potential is opened. |
| feeling they are being well take care of. Whether | | | | Another easy way to engage students is by |
| merely offering the service in certain special audio | | | | showing clips from sports matches. With |
| visual classrooms, or placing a television in every | | | | commentators talking a mile a minute, students |
| classroom, students are bound to notice the | | | | will be able to practice their listening and |
| effort you have gone to, thereby providing them | | | | comprehensions skills. All this can happen while the |
| with exciting, relevant material. | | | | student finds an appreciation for a new game, and |
| When a student likes a movie that is shown in | | | | a new culture he or she never knew existed. It's |
| class, for example, he or she is far more likely to | | | | a big world with lots to learn. Instead of treating |
| continue following the actors or director in his or | | | | television as education's enemy, why not embrace |
| her free time. The problem can be exposure. Not | | | | its universality? |