Intertwining Lyrics and Images in Task Designs Mr. Marvin Wacnag Lidawan

English Language Lecturer

English Language Program Department

Jubail Training Institute

Royal Commission of Jubail

KSA Abstract

This focuses on the linkages of innovations to Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) where

task design components and rudiments in formulating task- based learning activities are utilized.

Assessment of authentic materials for students’ classroom learning involvement is applied in the

selection of appropriate inputs. The lyrics and video images were preferred as interconnected

springboards for this conceptualized instructional design with the interactive aid of the viewing

skills to interplay with the macro skills. It aspires to generate the immersion of learners’ interests

in the real world environment. The lyrics are blue prints equivalent to the images where learners

can both use to wholly comprehend the given tasks. Communicative tasks, authentic materials,

tasks- based teaching and the salient features of images and lyrics with the integration of a music

video images’ rudiments support the achievement of this paper’s instructional objectives. This also

points out how task components are manipulated out of these interconnected materials to form

a worth- engrossing real –world learning environment. It is perceived that with the use of audio –

visual materials, viewing skills could be activated as the beginning stimulus for communicative

language teaching and learning to achieve desired learning upshots.

Key terms

Communicative language teaching, visual images, lyrics, authentic materials, task designs

Introduction

Almost every learner nowadays is influenced by the growing number of trends that redirect his

interests in classroom learning. Computer games, cyberspace and other forms of social media for

modern entertainment and pastimes are types of euphoria that revert the learner’s attention. The

unique curiosities they experienced from the cyberspace are far from what they expect in the

classroom. This is an alarming phenomenon in the field of the academe that needs immediate

attention and concern. To lessen this dilemma, language educators should redefine what should

take place in the classroom. Language teaching employment should provide linkages between

classroom activities and the real world. Language educators should also define the distinctions

between what is traditional and what is modern. The need to innovate to stimulate a learner is an

application of communicative tasks that doesn’t isolate the learners from the learners ‘real

environment they are right now. I call this technique as intertwining tasks in a single springboard

for tasks designs. Intertwining is operationally used in this paper as a process to elucidate varied

activities and skills that are interrelated with each other in a sequential form. The output in the

first tasks becomes a foundation to accomplish following sequenced tasks.

Modern language teaching methods have evolved from traditional theories. They form the basis of

language proponents to discover what exists today in the world of learners which play significant

parts to what lies ahead in the breakthroughs of language teaching and learning. The methods

shouldn’t be confined as mere issues for academic discussions among language educators’

convergence in the linguistic fields but its principles should be crucially carried-out in the

learning -teaching process considering that our learners’ focus are redirected by other

environmental factors before they are exposed to the classrooms.

To find solutions for this growing observed problem, we bring these theories into reality. It is

interesting to suggest that every teacher should focus his attention to the components of language

task designs that intertwines through the use of a single interesting springboard to yield interactive

classroom activities. Forth a worthy students’ engagement of this strategy, it requires every teacher

to perceive what occurs around the learner’s environment. The innovative teacher should have

the ability to create interesting activities that relates with the enthusiasm of learners. By doing so,

motivation can be realized. To be able to achieve desired learning objectives out of one’s

innovation, it necessitates meticulous choice of appropriate materials that shall play central roles

in the interactive learning process called communicative language teaching.

The Nature of Communicative Tasks in communicative Language teaching

Nunan (1991) declares that communicative tasks have evolved as an important component within

a program preparation, application and assessment. Tasks-based language teaching, syllabus

content and instructional processes employ communicative tasks which are expected to be engaged

by learners when they leave formal instructions illustrating that CLT’s main objective is to attain

communicative competence. The following shows the rudiments of CLT:

1. The main focus of communicative language teaching is using the language interactively

in the classroom through the designed activities,

2. The teachers should use an authentic text as a springboard which is taking place in real

world situations,

3. Focus is not only on the language but also on how these languages are learned which

provides the learners how language are formed,

4. Improves individual experiences of the students as a significant factor in classroom

learning. It further explains that prior knowledge is improved and is used to further learn

as they are being processed formally in the classroom and

5. Pedagogical learning must be situated with what happens in the learners’ real - world

environment.

Task- based language teaching is composed of communicative tasks that are straightly linked to

the goals. Task-based also is an overall approach to language learning that realizes the tasks that

learners perform relevant to the instructional procedure. Nunan (1989) again emphasizes the

elements of tasks crucial to task designs which are goal, input, activities, teacher role, student role

and settings.

To briefly describe these elements, goals stand for the general objectives or purpose in the learning

tasks. The input is the information that produces the point of exit on tasks engagement. Activities

determine what the learners’ will do using the input, the two roles refer to the interactive

relationship between the students and teachers. Settings refer to the classroom organization

demanded by the tasks and how the students are grouped in dealing with the activities. Merging

all these identified necessary components bring out interactive classroom activities where

communicative competency is hoped to be completed with the support of appropriate authentic

materials.

The aid of authentic materials

Designing language tasks prioritizes authentic materials’ essential principles. Many linguists in

language teaching and learning reveal the power of authentic materials because they serve central

roles in the manipulation of the tasks’ elements. It is then recommended that careful choice of

authentic materials should be performed. To continue elaborating its importance, Morrow (1977)

cited by Gilmore (2007) states that authentic text is an extension of factual language made by

native speaker or writer and are constructed to express meanings. Similarly, Gilmore (2004) tells

that authentic materials specifically audio and visuals materials like movies and televisions have

much produced springboards for students and do contain varied possibilities to be explored to

achieve communicative competence, on the other hand, Breen(1995)also says that we can opt

many activities in the classroom which are parallel to how learners would prefer to learn and at

the same time deal with real life interactions. Other than that, Shrum and Glisan (2000) suggest

that authentic materials can give ways of showing factual language, using cultural concepts to

increase comprehension of the language. Furthermore, Gilmore 2004, asserts that if a teacher’s

aim is to formulate students for free and broader language use, there is a need for the teacher to

use factual patterns of language use which Kelly et al. ( 2002) agree by saying that authentic

materials are employed efficiently, English class becomes animated. He further states that

students should be given the opportunity to be engaged in cultural contents for profound

comprehension of ideas which yields focus among students by starting from lower level to a higher

level. Moreover, Clark and Siberstien (1977) as mentioned by Richards (2006) suggest that the

following advices are to be observed in the selection of authentic materials: The target language

should be connected with cultural ideas as a result of using authentic materials, authentic

materials should yield engagement to factual language, and authentic materials should be

connected in proximity to what the students’ needs and authentic materials should produce

teaching innovations among teachers who use it. At this point, we are made to understand that

authentic materials can be modified to suit learners’ needs.

Additionally, Lee (1995) recommends that the following are essential criteria in choosing authentic

materials to be employed in the classroom: reality of the text to students’ real life events,

appropriateness of details to the students, alignment of the materials to intended outcomes of

the English program and the exploitability of the authentic material as a springboard. The inner

points of these proponents speak of one thing in common- that authentic materials should

have the qualities in promoting the language learned to be applied in real life communicative

settings. To sum up, competence is achieved through the observance of CLT concepts. It is

important to identify CLT concepts through Richards (2006) which this paper attempts to

accomplish in designing the language tasks to intertwine lyrics and images of a music video. To

Richards, communicative includes the following aspects of language knowledge: the skill to

operate the language in varied uses, the skill to create some varied use of the language base from

situations and the levels of learners, the skill to comprehend and make different passages, and

the skill to adjust interaction despite the person’s low ability in manipulating the language .

Also, according to Richards, communicative language teaching has ten core assumptions of current

language teaching. These are : second language learning can be guaranteed when students are

involved in an interface and significant forms of communications, functional classroom activities

and exercises give chances among students to absorb and relay thoughts. Effective classroom

learning tasks and exercises provide opportunities for students to negotiate meaning, expand their

language resources, notice how language is used, and take part in the meaningful interpersonal

exchange; operative classroom activities through varied tasks present students to transfer

messages ,broaden language ways ,identify how language function and interact using the

understood language; expressive communication are yielded out of effective dealings with

language details that are important, stimulating and appealing to the students; language

interaction is a universal method that needs the use of varied language abilities; language

learning is enabled by tasks and that includes finding the fundamental guidelines of language

functions and structural association; language learning is a measured method that needs the

creative functions of the language that undergoes testing for errors. Errors are ways of reflecting

learning results which aims for accuracy and fluency; students develop their personal ways to show

learning development in varied degrees. Learners also have varied needs and ways to be

motivated, effective language learning depends on learning and communication approaches,

teachers’ roles in the formal classroom as a facilitator who is going to make a favorable place to

learn and a provider of ample privileges for the students to practice and utilize language and

finally, a classroom should be a social place where students learn through cooperating and

being involved in an educative processes for no one learns effectively by himself alone.

The Inputs

Language educators’ innovative concepts will never be stationary but shall continue to rise in

fruition if language teachers have the capacity to perceive the reality that unfolds within learners

changing environment with the support of any educational institution that upholds and embraces

creativity or innovations of its language educators in an era of consecutive and non-stop changes

where the academe becomes a powerful catalyst in educational transformation. Nowadays,

motivational learning has to be abreast with the learners’ focus of interests. Since this happens, an

educator doesn’t decide of what he likes to use as tools in elucidating knowledge. It is a

commitment for any educator to be aware of the learners’ evolving world and when he had

monitored his learners’ language levels, interests and hobbies, these will determine the kind of

materials he needs to employ. The likes of films or motion pictures, you- tube clips for moving

images or the products of social media such as blogs, Facebook, Instagram, among other forms are

possible materials as vehicles to teach the language. One possible distinctive choice of a teacher is

the material related with music where most students find time to engross with nowadays. An

example of these materials is the music video that has images and lyrics. This music video

entitled Oklahoma performed by Billy Gilman (2001) shall be the toolkit to be dealt with in this

paper. The video that tells the story is further supported by its lyrics to provide vivid ideas of

what the song is all about.

The music video’s’ Lyrics as an input

Oklahoma Gilman(2001)

Suitcase packed with all his things,

Car pulls up, the doorbell rings.

He don't want to go.

He thought he'd found his home.

But with circumstances he can't change,

Waves goodbye as they pull away,

From the life he's known,

For the last seven months or so.

She said we found the man who looks like you.

Who cried and said he never knew,

About the boy in pictures that we showed him.

A rambler in his younger days,

He knew he made a few mistakes,

But he swore he would have been there,

Had he known it.

Son we think we found your dad in Oklahoma.

A million thoughts raced through his mind.

What's his name, what's he like and will be?

Anything like the man in his dreams.

She could see the questions in his eyes.

Whispered "don't be scared my child,

I'll let you know, what we know.

About the man we found, he looks like you.

And cried and said he never knew.

About the boy in pictures that we showed him.

A rambler in his younger days,

He knew he'd made a few mistakes.

But he swore he would've been there had he known it.

You always said that this was something that you wanted.

Son it's time to meet your Dad in Oklahoma.

One last turn he held his breath,

'Til they reached the fifth house on the left,

And all at once the tears came rolling in.

And as they pulled into the drive,

A man was waiting there outside,

Who wiped the worry from his eyes Smiled and took his hand.

And he said I'm the man who looks like you.

Who cried because I never knew.

About that boy in pictures that they showed me,

A rambler in my younger days I knew I made a few mistakes,

But I swear I would have been there had I known it.

Never again will you ever be alone,

Son welcome to your home in Oklahoma.

Choosing the Folk and Country Music Lyrics

Country music lyrics areperceived as rewarding material for language teaching. To be able to

evaluate it appropriately for teaching used, the following questions where utilized as my

conceptualized guidelines relating to the principles suggested by language proponents about

authentic materials: Does the text contain elements for the constructions of varied language tasks?

Are there language focuses perceived for the utilization of language functions? Are there

pedagogical tasks to be developed out of the material? Are the languages decent enough for the

students to manipulate in the learning process? Does the theme cater to general listeners or

audience? Are there situations in the piece that occur in real-life? Are the vocabularies easy to

understand? Does the tone and rhythm guide the students to understand the theme of the piece?

Are the syntactic structures simple for the students’ level to understand? Is the piece appropriate

for the integration of macro skills in the language tasks? Can these materials intertwine or relate

with the activities in each macro skills? Does it have the capability to encourage visualization to

aid comprehension? Can it play as a springboard to apply the levels of thinking? Does it violate

cultural practices? Is it aligned with the learning institutions’ ELP curricular program?

The Folk and Country Music Lyrics

A folk and country music lyric entitled, Oklahoma (2001) was utilized in the language task designs

due to its easily comprehended nature of language used. It also eventually has been made into a

music video which forms parallelism to the images. Review of the folk and country music as a

song possesses features that allow its employment as a kind of a narrative where a story can be

woven out of it. As an input, basic comprehension skills could be applied from its elements. It is

also a piece that develops values through the expressions used and with its simplified language

structures, it yields language focuses appropriate for the learners. From phonological,

morphological and syntactical structural contents, this genre of music is an ideal catalyst for

language learning designs.

Definition and Nature of Country Music

Country music, according to Merriam Webster (2014) explains that it is a melodic style came

among whites in countryside areas of the southern and western United States.. The term country

and western music was adopted by the music industry in 1949. Global Britannica (2014) reveals

that country music’s roots lie in the music of the European settlers of the Appalachians and other

areas. The first singer to have its first song recorded is Fiddlin’ John Carson. Some of the

pioneering musicians were the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, who performed on radio and

in recording studios during the early 20s when this type of music started to be commercially and

electronically produced.

Nature of Country Music (n.d.) further exposes that it was in the 1930s and '40s that country music

was opened to influences, such as blues and gospel music. Its themes were scarcity, despair, and

reminiscence. In the 1930s, country music lyrics were replaced into western music. Some

alternatives include western swing and honky-tonk .In the 1940s, some people in the industry tried

to return the music’s original root but due to commerce it continued to retain its 1930s themes. In

the 1950s and 1960s, country music became a big business. Songs were recorded in Nashville

styles while others use orchestra to musically score their lyrics. New performers came into fruition

and singers such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, Garth Brooks,

Emmylou Harris, and Lyle Lovett.

It is observed that many contemporary country music’s contents today has evolved into varied

themes which could be easily woven to tell stories specially with the advent of images contained

in the making of its videos.

The Role of images in comprehensions

With the presence of music video, it would be easier to form parallelism of ideas which guides the

students to express different levels of comprehension. The combinations of images with lyrics

form the hub in search of meanings. Since this paper utilizes the visual element of video together

with the lyrics, images and visualization play important role in dealing with the springboards. The

following proponents have discovered the wonders of visual literacy and imagery in teaching

which supports my idea of effective learning through visual images and lyrics of a video. To

them, visualization is a powerful tool in the process of learning.

According to Ausburn (1978) visual literacy is when the mind interprets what the eyes sees. To

him a person who is well verse in visual images is expected to read and write languages

represented by visuals which includes the skill to translate and provide meanings to visual

images, to write messages and orally construct significant interactive meanings from visual

images This study is supported by Colbert et.al (1999) when they declare that visual literacy is the

skill to create details from moving images. Moreover, Lapp et. al (1999) mention that for one to

create sensible perceptions out of moving images, he becomes a reader using his critical abilities

to examine, judge and perceive significance. To them, visual knowledge refers to one’s

understanding the images at the moment and recalling what has been seen formerly to be able

to express ideas .To them, there are lots of visual communication forms that include gestures,

objects, signs and symbols which show meanings. Visual literacy for them is to be able to

comprehend what the images are all about and to understand the components of the images to

arrive at a whole idea. Oring (2000) agrees that visual symbols are employed instead of using

words to relay ideas to arouse an emotion. It is important that the audience should be able to

recognize the ideas presented. Fitzgerald (1995) further states that the production of images

signifies that visual capacity is important to use in obtaining ideas, formulating awareness

and creating effective instructional results. To continue, Kazmierezak (2001) tells that grammar,

composition and semantics of visual skills wholly expresses that images and styles of

demonstrations and denotation enable learners to interact with reality. Visual knowledge consists

of symbols where meanings are the consequences of real presence in a specific condition.

Meanings are formed by seeing and critical thinking. To them, an individual who uses

visualization is gifted with a superior degree of intelligence. Furthermore, Messaris (1995) argues

that visual learning gives a basis of comprehension and judging artistic purposes. It sharpens oral

and written abilities and further increases students’ language terminologies to be able to speak

and write regarding images. Finally, the studies of Khafai & Resnick (1996) manifest general

assumptions on picturing and imagery. Their findings disclose that the use of visualization and

imagery in formal classroom programs starts through giving few questions to stimulate leaners.

When the questions have been embedded to the minds of the students, they are ready to

identify and decipher the messages in forms of images.

The nature of Audio-Visual materials

According to Project Pros (2012), employment of audio visual materials as teaching tools has

escalated in the current times. Because of the varied breakthroughs of technology today, the use

of audio –visual materials as teaching materials has gone popular in recent years. The

breakthroughs of technology have produced many authentic materials for educators to cater to the

needs of modern-day learners. Studies and researches found out that the learning aids educators

offer nowadays stimulate learners’ attention which generates better participation in class. Below

are some importance of audio visual materials in teaching and learning according to Project Pros

(2012):

1. Students become more engaged and motivated for they develop a learning habit with the use

of audio-visual materials,

2. The audio-visual materials are relevant because students have the vivid idea of what is presented

by teachers in the classrooms,

3. Audio visual materials are strong tools that decrease the tensions of preparing classroom

lessons on the part of the teachers. It also directs learners into desirable outputs,

4. Audio visual aids teaching method’s application is realized while they improve students’

understanding of the target language being taught,

5. Teaching materials assist in making class interactions more realistic and

6. Provide teaching proficiency to educators while students obtain a real picture of what they are

going to learn.

Visual literacy’s acquisition through the viewing skills

Cruickshank (2014) reveals his interview with Martin Scorsese on the important relationship

between film and visual literacy by citing the interviewee’s personal views on how the moving

images became a significant influence. Scorsese narrates:

“So I was taken to the movie theater and the church. Along with the films, I saw a lot

of television shows. I was acquiring visual literacy at that time, though I did not

understand that it was happening.- in other words, how to live with the book, how to

read a few pages, savor it, go back to it. I was much more open to whatever visual

codes were hidden in films, P1.”

“What I mean by that is the storytelling of cinema through the use of the camera and

the use of light, actors, and dialogue -- all the literature of the screenplay translated

through the images. The stories were wonderful in the films, but it was also the way

of telling the story. As a young person, I started to wonder, why is the way of telling

the story so interesting? So what I began to do -- particularly because the films were

on television and sometimes shown in repertory theaters around the city -- was, I would

go and see my favorite parts again and again, and slowly but surely I began to

memorize these visually, and sometimes I would make up my own visual

interpretations P1.”

He further expresses during the interview that the global community has been filled with films as

visual motivations and that moving pictures aid individual learners to think critically through the

power of visual images if viewing skills are administered appropriately.

The viewing skill among the skills to be developed has been integrated in the designs of language

tasks. According to Television Literacy: Critical Television (1982), viewing skill is a part of the

macro skills that is an important factor in language teaching for students are guided on what they

see or watch. It becomes a tool for learners to obtain prior understanding on what they are going

to be involved in. Through the visual elements presented in films, the learners begin to use their

thinking ability based on the images that they see onscreen.

Also, visual literacy plays crucial role in language learning when images of moving or static

pictures are used as a tool in language tasks designs. To Goldstein (2008), images have long served

as an essential factor in language instructions but these aren’t seriously by learners or even

teachers. Goldstein articulates further that as a form of visual literacy, there is an interconnection

of the images and its content that needs to be explored in an environment where visual and

auditory media forms abound. These stuffs must then be used creatively in language instructions.

Using music video as a material shapes a strong concept of language education in substitute of

other films. It also elucidates the relationship of understanding reading text and the images of

motion pictures. Berk (2009) says expected learning outcomes with the use of videos could be

summarized into varied potential outcomes which are: gets students’ responses to the medium,

concentration is directed to the material, yields class’ interests, produce the idea of eagerness in

lessons, invigorates learners, creates productive imagination, develops the habit of students to be

engrossed with the content and learning, relate with students and instructors, escalate recall of

details, strengthen comprehension, yields innovation, encourage the flow of thoughts, produce

deeper absorption of knowledge, gives a chance of expressing ideas independently, presents

vehicle for teamwork, arouse students’ enthusiasm, provides humor, presents significant images,

ensure the absence of worry and create favorable learning atmosphere.

The trend of today commands the innovative concepts of any language educator to devise a

teaching tool out of technological breakthroughs. In the case of the tasks to be designed in this

paper, its springboard utilizes the music video that yielded lyrics as results of technology. Between

lyrics and images, the lyrics interconnect comprehension question activities to reinforce the

understanding of the images. It is then appropriate to design both inputs: lyrics and video images

in sequence where the lyrical text guides every viewer to understand the images.

The task - construction process

These conceptualized task- design technique is a product of a hopeful concept to integrate the

task design components formulated by David Nunan. A music video which was carefully chosen

and is used as a springboard by the manipulation of its images and lyrics intertwined to form

the tasks. It has been perceived that before the language tasks are to be performed, the viewing

skills should be administered first. The viewing skill is divided into two: previewing and the

post-viewing skills with corresponding tasks in each category. These created tasks form the

lessons where relevant elements such as general goal, input, individual task’s specific

objectives, instructions, language focus, language functions, setting, specified macro skills

,interactive activities and expected outputs aid each other to apply the intertwined approach. As

mentioned earlier, these series of designed tasks does not absolutely mean to replace every

language educator’s innovative capabilities but serves as a jumpstart or as basis to create

worthy lessons capable to stir easy learning process among modern students.

The sample task designs

The exemplified activities in this paper doesn’t serve to control or replace the innovative capacity

of teachers over tasks designs but it attempts to encourage more creative activities from teachers’

innovative concepts catering to the learners’ needs in English as a second language’s classroom

instructions. I believe that from these introduced tasks, enhanced ideas can be constructed in

appropriately providing the needs of learners at any level in a setting where the teacher is watchful

enough in defining the aptitudes of his audience. The completion of these tasks may not be

necessarily in series but can be altered in a way that the learning objectives of the English programs

of a learning institution being served are satisfied.

I also agree that the principles of tasks designs do not only happen with the inputs utilized in this

paper because out of innovative tendencies, teachers have the creative and strategic discretions

to modify or replace the specific materials employed only to cater the levels of learners. In

formulating the possible tasks based from the two intertwined inputs, the general goal has been

provided for competencies to be achieved in each activity. The two interconnected inputs- music

video and music lyrics to be dealt with have specific objectives in every activity which are aligned

to the general goals. The tasks too, comprise language functions and language focus. The teacher

role is to give instructions and arranged the students by different groups. And upon completion of

each activity, the students are given time to interact based from the outputs they have constructed

earlier to reinforce the learning process.

General Goal:

Comprehend the messages of moving images and the text by the manipulations of

language focuses which are useful to learners ‘daily interactions outside and inside the

classrooms.

Input: Music Video and Music lyrics

A. Pre viewing Tasks

Tasks 1: The genre of movies and expressing feelings

Specific objectives:the students are expected to:

Use the expressions of acceptance and rejection base from experiences

Classify movies according to genre

Instructions: The teacher brings out a topic regarding films. The teacher discusses the genre of

movies.

Language Focus:

I Like / I love and I dislikes/ I hate

Genre of videos/films- Drama, action, horror, suspense, science

fiction, etc.

Language functions:

Classifying videos or films

Expressing acceptance and rejection

Setting: Group the students by pairs

Skill: Speaking

Interactive activity: Students engage in question and answer activities, alternately with partners

after an activity similar to this has been done between the teacher and the students.

Expected outputs

Student A. What kind of movie do you watch?

Student B. I watch action movies.

Student A. What kind of movie do you like to watch?

Student B. I like /love action movies.

Student A. What kind of movie don’t you like to watch?

Student B. I dislike/I hate horror movies.

Tasks 2 Expressing regularity/incidence

Specific Objective: the students are expected to:

Use expressions of regularity, frequency or incidence in a natural conversation linking

previously learned expressions.

Instructions: The teacher yields a question that will trigger possible responses related with

the language focus. Discuss frequency of actions

Language focus:

Frequency of adverbs: always, constantly, usually, regularly, often, sometimes,

occasionally, rarely, seldom, never, etc.

Language Functions:

Expressing regularity/incidence of actions made.

Integrating the kinds of movies and feelings of acceptance.

Skill/s: Speaking

Setting: regrouped students with different partners

Interactive activity: Students engage in a conversation with different classmates after an activity

similar to this. Students take turns in doing the conversation.

Expected outputs:

Student A. How often do you watch movies?

Student B. I watched movies always.

Student A. What kinds of movies do you always watch?

Student B. I always watch action, horror and drama.

I like /love these movies so much.

Student A .Where do you always watch these kinds of movies?

Student B. I always watch these movies in the cinema or at home.

Task 3

Specific Objective: the students are expected to:

Express opinions by predicting what the video’s story is all about & point out themes the

story can provide.

Instructions: The teacher asks the students to predict what the story is all about by asking the

question,” What is the story all about?” Before the students will response, the teacher has to

elucidate how to answer the questions through the introduction of the expressions to be used. Also,

the teacher explains themes and forms of themes for the students to tell.

Language focus:

Expressions of predictions such as: I guess, maybe, perhaps, I think, in my opinion,

probably, etc.

Noun forms of themes like: revenge, love, sadness, frustrations, and sorrow, among others.

Language Functions:

Theme constructions, predicting/guessing ideas.

Skill/s: Speaking

Setting: Regrouped students to have different partners

Interactive activity: Students engage in a conversation after an activity similar to this.

Expected outputs:

Student A. Hello Khalid, What do you think the movie is all about?

Student B. I think the movie is all about war.

B. Post-viewing tasks

Task 1

Specific Objectives:the students are expected to :

Use the video and lyrics of the song to understand the message through the use of wh-

questions. Infer what the movie is all about by using previous expressions learned.

Instructions:

These tasks will be divided into two activities. First, the teacher allows the students to

watch the video as a whole group before giving copies of the lyrics. The students are given

enough time to read the text before they will provide written answers of the comprehension

questions. The teacher discusses the use of the Wh-questions and expressions for

reasoning. The teacher asks the students words that they don’t understand to be explained

further for easy comprehensions. When the group has answered, each group deliberates by

defending their answers within the context of what they have read and viewed. The teacher

establishes agreement on answers for common basis.

Language focus:

Wh-questions- where, when, what, who, whose, which comprehension questions.

Constructions of complete sentences.

Conjunctions for reasoning-since, due to, because, so, etc.

Language Functions:

Inquisition or questioning and reasoning, expressing ideas in sentences.

Skill/s: Writing and speaking

Setting: Group with varied pairs

Interactive activity 1:

The students meet their group mates to write and discuss their answers to the questions

and get ready to deliberate and defend all answers by the use of reasoning expressions.

The students are expected to answer the questions completely in written and then oral

form.

Interactive activity 2:

The groups give reasons or defend their answers within the contexts of the lyrics as well

as the image contents of what they have viewed. Every group will be assigned per stanza

from the lyrics.

Expected outputs for activity 1

Stanza one group 1

1. Who has stayed in a shelter home?

A young boy stayed in a shelter home.

2. What was packed?

Inside the house was a packed suitcase

3. How many months has the boy stayed in the shelter home?

The boy has stayed for several months.

4. What did the boy feel when they left the shelter home?

The boy felt sad when he left they left the shelter home.

5. Who accompanied him to another place?

A social worker accompanied him to another place.

Stanza two Group 2

1. What did the social worker say to the boy? “

The social worker said to the boy that,” We found the man who looks like you “

2. What did the woman show the man to identify the boy?

The woman showed the man a picture.

3. Whose picture was shown to the man?

A picture of a young boy was shown to the man.

4. How did the man feel about the boy’s situation?

The man feels regretful about the boy’s situation.

5. How did the man call himself in the past?

The man called himself a rambler.

6. What is the relationship of the man to the boy?

The relationship of the man to the boy is father.

7. What is the relationship of the boy to the man?

The relationship of the boy to the man is son.

8. Where did they find the boy’s father?

The boy’s father was found in Oklahoma

Stanza 3 group 3

9. What are the three questions the boy asked himself about his father?

The three questions which the boy asked himself about his father were: What’s the name

of the man? How does the man look like?

Is he the man in my dream?

15. Who noticed the boy deeply thinking?

A Social worker noticed the boy.

16. What did she do when she saw the boy sadly wondering?

She comforted the boy when he was sadly wondering?

17. What did she say to comfort him?

She said, “Don’t be scared my child, I will let you know what we know”

Stanza 4-Group 4

18. How does the boy look like?

The boy looks like his father.

19. What did he feel about the boy?

He felt sorry/regretful about the boy.

20. What did they show to the man?

A picture was shown to the man.

21. Whose picture was shown to the man?

A boy’s picture was shown to the man.

22. What did the father say when he was informed about the boy?

When the father was informed about the boy, “He should have been there had he known

it earlier.”

23. What did the woman say to the boy?

The woman said, “This is something that you longed wanted.”

24. Where are they meeting his father?

They are meeting his father in Oklahoma.

Stanza five-group 5

25. When they were in Oklahoma, what did the boy feel?

The boy felt nervous when they were in Oklahoma.

26. When they reached the house of his father, what did the boy do?

The boy Cried when they reached the house of his father?

27. Who was waiting for the boy?

A man was waiting for the boy.

28. Who was the man waiting outside the house?

The man waiting outside the house is his father.

29. Who welcome the boy in the family?

The boy was welcome by the family.

Stanza 6-group 6

30. What did the man do upon seeing the boy?

The man introduced himself upon seeing the boy.

31. What did he feel when they show the picture to him?

He was regretful when they should the picture to him.

32. What did he admit about himself in the past?

He admitted that he was a rambler in the past.

33. Which line states that he is sorry?

The line that states he is sorry is, “I swear I would have been there had I known it.’

34. What did the family do?

The family welcome him.

35. What is the relationship of the boy singing about the other boy who came from the

orphanage?

The relationship of the boy singing about the boy who came to the orphanage is step

brother.

36. Who is narrating a story in the song?

The boy narrating the story is the younger step brother.

Task 2

Specific Objectives: the students are expected to:

Use the answers of the comprehension questions to create a story.

Use spatial expressions to connect events in the story.

Instructions:

It is expected that the teacher agrees common answers with the students in task 1 to form

basis where the students will construct varied versions of the story unto what happen in

every stanza using the answers of the comprehension questions. This task is a continuation

of task 1. The teacher initially introduces the spatial expressions.

Language focus:

Spatial expressions to be opted begin, continue and end the stories the students create.

Firstly Then Finally

First of all After that In the end

To start off with Next Eventually

Initially As soon as Lastly

Firstly but then Finally

First of all Then In the end

Language Functions:

Sequencing, ordering

Skill/s: Writing, speaking, listening and oral reading.

Setting: Group with varied pairs

Interactive activity:

Students write their versions by groups with different stanza in writing out of the answers

and to deliberate what they have made in front of the whole class. Students are encouraged

to ask questions. The teacher becomes a facilitator in their interactions.

Expected outputs:

Based from stanza number one made by group 1

1. Who has stayed in a shelter home?

A young boy stayed in a shelter home.

2. What was packed inside the house?

Inside the house was a packed suitcase.

3. How many months had the boy stayed in the shelter home?

The boy has stayed for several months.

4. What did the boy feel when they left the shelter home?

The boy felt sad when they left the shelter home.

5. Who accompanied him to Oklahoma?

A social worker accompanied him to Oklahoma.

Firstly, a young boy stayed in a shelter home. Next, inside the house was a packed suitcase. After

that, we have known that he stayed in the shelter home for several months. The boy felt sad when

he left with a social worker who accompanied him to Oklahoma.

Students’ responses are limited in this portion because the main focus is the utilization of spatial

expressions for sequencing. The teacher can soon task the students to individually create a

complete story using all the stanzas for a clearer individual composition.

Task 3

Specific Objective:the students are expected to:

Use suggestion expressions in changing the title of the lyrics and be able to give reasons

for the suggestions.

Instructions:

Let the students think of a possible title that they can give about the video’s story by using

the suggestion expressions. Discussion of the language focus must take place before the

students perform the activity.

Language focus:

Suggestions expressions: why don't we change it to, let’s call it, what you think of, how about

changing to, I would suggest, why not say, etc. Reasoning expressions: because, since, for the

reason that, etc.

Language use:

Suggesting and reasoning

Skill/s: Writing and speaking

Setting: Group with varied pairs

Interactive Activity:

The students brainstorm possible tittles with pairs. Then ask each other a question. When

students give suggestions, each one will be asked to give reasons for the suggested

possible title.

Expected possible outputs

Student A: If you want to change story’s title, what title can you suggest?

Student B’s possible responses:

Why don't we change it to………………….. The Lost Boy

Let's call it ………………………………….. The lost Boy

What do you think of ………………… …… The Lonely boy

How about changing to ………………….... The boy that found his home.

How do you feel about this ………………. The boy in the shelter

Why not say……………………………… The boy is from Oklahoma

It would be nice to say …………….. ……. The sad boy

I suggest …………………………………….The boy’s joy

Student A: Why have you suggested the title as, “The Unseen Son?”

Student B: Because the boy has not been seen by his father for many years.

Task 4

Specific Objective:the students are expected to :

Use expressions of urgency ,purpose and reasons to express ideas about the video’s story

Instructions.

The teacher triggers responses by giving an issue on why a family is important. They write

their answers and report. The teacher discusses expressions of urgency, purpose and reason

before the activity follows.

Language focus:

Urgency expressions: it is important that, it is essential that, there is a need, etc.

Expressions of purposes: for, in order to, so that, to, etc.

Expressions of reasons: since, because, etc.

Language Functions:

Expressing need or urgency

Expressing purpose and reason

Skill/s: Speaking

Setting: Group with varied pairs

Interactive activity:

With two persons involve, alternate questions will take place in expressing importance base

from an issue given. Student A formulates the question. Student B answers and both will

interchange roles.

Expected outputs

Issue: Importance of a family

Student A. Why is family important to you, Khalifa?

Student B. A family is important to enjoy the meaning of life.

Student B: There is a need of a family because it gives me happiness and comfort.

Task 5.

Specific Objective:the students are expected to:

Apply giving advice expressions to write sentences base from the story.

Instructions:

The teacher explains the expressions with an initial activity based from an issue on the

importance of a family to elucidate the expressions.

Language focus:

Giving advices

You should, Why don't you, How about, If I were you, you’d better stop, It would be better to,

I would strongly advise you to, my advice would be, it might be a good idea to, you might try, etc.

Language Functions:

Advising

Skill/s: Writing and speaking

Setting: Group with varied pairs

Interactive activity:

As a follow- up activity, every group is given a situation to be reacted upon.

Expected output

Situation 1: What should have been your advice to the child if you were the social worker?

1. I reckon you should join your family for a better future.

2. Why don’t we travel to find your father in Oklahoma?

3. How about saying hello to your father?

4. If I were you, I would not stop looking for a better life.

5. You’d better pack your things and we’ll go and find your father.

6. I would strongly advise you to come with me in Oklahoma to meet your father.

7. My advice would be to travel in Oklahoma and find your dad.

8. It might be a good idea to travel and find your dad in Oklahoma.

9. You might try traveling with me in Oklahoma to find your father.

Task 6

Specific Objective: the students are expected to:

Use expressions of regrets to express thoughts based from a given situation

Instruction:

Based from situation presented by the video, students are made to simulate by using regret

expressions.

Language focus:

Regret expressions: I’m sorry, I regret, my apology, I am so / very / extremely / terribly

sorry. I shouldn’t have…,It’s all my fault, please forgive me, I cannot say/express how

sorry I am, I apologize for… / I’d like to apologize for…

Language Functions:

Expressing regrets

Skill/s: Speaking

Setting: Group with varied pairs

Interactive activity:

One student will act as the father and another student, the son to simulate a scene by using

the expression/s of regrets.

Expected outputs

I’m sorry, my son. I didn’t know what really happened.

My apology to you my beloved child, I didn’t mean to do it.

I should have found you earlier but I’m sorry, I really didn’t know where you were my son.

Task 7

Specific Objective:the students are expected to:

Use the expressions of assurance to conclude what the story is all about through the

themes.

Instructions:

Students will recall their sentences when they were predicting what the story is all about.

Now that they know the whole story, they can express certainties about the theme of the

story.

Language focus:

Expressions of assurance/certainty

I am sure that, I can conclude that, I am absolutely sure, I’m quite sure I am certain that …,

definitely, etc.

Language Functions:

Assuring and concluding the real theme of the story

Skill/s: Speaking

Setting: Group with varied pairs/ individual responses

Interactive activity:

Students recall the theme and assure about it.This activity can be further lengthen into

asking why students have arrived into an assured story’s themes because they have been

earlier taught expressions of reasoning.

Expected outputs

Student A: To you, what is really the story all about?

Student B: I can conclude that the story is all about sadness because …

Student B. I am definitely sure that the movie is all about belongingness for the reason that…

Task 10

Specific Objective: the students are expected to:

Agree and disagree to an ongoing situation in the story through the use of present

continuous tense.

Instructions:

The teacher gives an ongoing situation in the story. The teacher discusses the points of

agreeing and disagreeing. The teacher reviews the students on present continuous tense

before the activities follow.

Language focus:

Present continuous tense: What’s happening? What’s taking place? What’s going on?

Agree and disagree expressions

Agreeing expressions:

I agree with you 100 percent, I couldn't agree with you more, That’s so true, that’s for sure,

you're absolutely right, absolutely, that’s exactly how I feel, exactly, no doubt about it, I

was just going to say that,etc.

Disagreeing expressions:

I beg to disagree I don't think so, I’m afraid I disagree, not necessarily, that’s not always

true, that’s not always the case, no, I'm not so sure about that.

Language Functions:

Expressing on going actions / agreeing and disagreeing

Skill/s: Speaking

Setting: Group by three

Interactive activity:

Student A makes the question with a present continuous tense. Student B answers with a

present continuous tense and student C agrees or disagrees.

Expected outputs

Agreeing:

Students A: What’s happening in the story?

Student B: A boy is looking for his father.

Student C: I agree with you 100percent.

Disagreeing:

Student A: What’s taking place in the story?

Student B: A girl is looking for a mother.

Student C: I beg to disagree!

Conclusion:

The dire need to innovate is necessary in English language teaching. To be able to innovate, the

proper choice of authentic materials is expected to follow formulated fundamentals or principles

which are brought about by numerous proponents of English language education. They, who have

provided discoveries through tested theories leading to the emergence of methods applicable for

enriching instructions, should be the main authorities in building language learning instruments.

Among these several methods that surfaced in language teaching is the CLT which points out

that effective teaching is a task- based process to obtain the ultimate teaching goal- communicative

competence. It is a teaching approach which this paper has used in intertwining two lyrics and

images as toolkits for learning through the interventions of the task-design components. With the

kind of learners we have in this era, the necessity to stimulate them in order to catch their attention

is a central objective. And to achieve this objective, it is crucial to involve appropriate authentic

materials capable for the application of task -design’s elements. Through a teacher’s initiative,

students’ attention are riveted to interestingly engaged in introduced activities from an

innovative strategy like intertwining images and lyrics in a springboard where reality exists

among learners’ environment.

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