A Longitudinal Study on the Use of Films with Medical Themes in the Classroom　－Do students in medical-related disciplines prefer medically themed films?－

Abstract

This longitudinal study aims to examine learners’ evaluation and preferences regarding films used in English classes, obtaining feedback from students who studied with both film-based EGP and ESP materials in two consecutive semesters. With the ever increasing need for ESP in recent years, language teachers are often compelled to take an ESP approach, prioritizing their ESP needs over learners’ preferences in the selection of films for their classes. The use of a medically themed film has the potential to motivate students in medical-related disciplines further in their studies of both language and their chosen fields. Few medically themed films, however, are familiar to those students, and to date, few ESP studies have examined learners’ evaluation of those films. A one-year experiment was conducted on 89 students of medical-related disciplines, and the results revealed that more than 70% of the participants preferred learning with medically themed films to learning with generally themed ones. This suggested that an ESP approach with the use of a medically themed film adequately addresses the needs and preferences of students, as well as those of teachers. It was also found that the film-based ESP material is effective in improving learners’ listening abilities. The implications of the findings are also discussed.