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VIDEO FILMS IN LANGUAGE TEACHING: KRASHEN'S THEORIES IN THE CONTEXT OF FUTURE EFL TEACHERS IN KAZAKHSTAN
0ТЕМБЕТ МЕРУЕРТ ЦАЙРАТЦЫЗЫ
Магистрант Евразийского Национального Университета им. Л.Н.Гумилева
Научный руководитель - ЖУСУПОВА РОЗА ФЛЮРОВНА
Астана, Казахстан
Abstract: In the multilingual education system of Kazakhstan, English language teaching faces unique challenges, especially in the development of oral communication skills of prospective teachers. This article examines the use of video materials, such as films and TV series, as an innovative tool for improving language proficiency. Drawing on Stephen Krashen's hypotheses about the affectfilter and comprehensible input, the study demonstrates how video materials reduce anxiety, provide rich language context, and promote the development of practical communication skills. Particular attention is paid to the adaptation of these theories to the Kazakh language environment, where students balance between Kazakh, Russian, and English. The results highlight the importance of multimedia tools in teacher training, which allows for the creation of effective, motivating, and culturally relevant learning environments. Such an approach not only improves language skills, but also builds pedagogical competencies necessary for working in a multilingual classroom.
Keywords: Multilingual Education, Video Materials, Affective Filter Hypothesis, Teacher Training, Oral Communication Skills, English Language Acquisition
Kazakhstan is a unique country in terms of linguistic diversity. Since the post-Soviet period, it has maintained a bilingual character through the active use of Kazakh and Russian, with an increasing number of students becoming multilingual, including English in their language repertoire. This unique dynamic poses a number of cognitive and pedagogical challenges for EFL teachers and students. One of the key challenges is maintaining the active use of Kazakh and Russian alongside English acquisition, which requires specific teaching strategies to prevent language mixing and increase students' cognitive load [1].
One of the main challenges in teaching English in Kazakhstan is the development of oral communication. This is especially important for future English teachers, as oral communication is the basis for successful communication and professional confidence. However, traditional teaching methods, such as rote memorization of grammar rules or mechanical repetition, are often insufficient to create the conditions necessary for fluent use of the language. In the multilingual context of Kazakhstan, where students already balance between several languages, these methods often lead to a lack of motivation and increased anxiety. This indicates the need to reconsider approaches to teaching oral speech [2].
To address this gap in teaching practice, the article proposes an innovative approach based on the use of video materials, such as films, TV series and short videos. These materials provide students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in a natural language context, helping them to adapt to a new language environment. Videos not only reduce anxiety, but also allow for the simulation of realistic communication scenarios, which is especially important for future teachers who will teach students in multilingual classrooms. This video-based approach aligns with Stephen Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis [3], which emphasizes the importance of reducing learners' emotional barriers—such as anxiety and lack of confidence—for successful language acquisition. This makes it particularly relevant to the educational system of Kazakhstan[4].
The contribution of this article is to adapt Krashen's theory to the unique multilingual context of Kazakhstan and to explore the benefits of video materials for developing oral language skills in student teachers. We consider how the use of films and TV series can help students overcome
language barriers, develop confidence in communication, and prepare future teachers to work effectively in multilingual classrooms.
In addition, the article highlights that video materials contribute to the development of intuitive understanding of language, helping students perceive English not only as an academic subject but also as a means of everyday communication. In a context where traditional teaching methods often ignore the social and cognitive characteristics of multilingual students, the presented approach offers a solution aimed at creating an effective and supportive learning environment.
Thus, this study not only strengthens existing theories, but also offers new perspectives for English language teaching in Kazakhstan, where multilingualism is becoming the norm and teacher training requires innovative approaches.
Theoretical Framework: Krashen's Hypotheses
Modern approaches to language learning emphasize the importance of learners' emotional states and the quality of the language material provided. These aspects are elaborated in the affective filter and input hypotheses proposed by Stephen Krashen. His work remains an important foundation in the field of language learning, especially in unique contexts such as the multilingual education system of Kazakhstan, where teaching English faces additional cognitive and methodological challenges.
Affective Filter Hypothesis
The affective filter hypothesis states that emotional factors such as anxiety, motivation, and confidence can either facilitate or hinder language learning. High anxiety acts as a barrier, reducing a learner's ability to perceive and process new language input. In contrast, creating a low-anxiety environment allows learners to focus on learning, develop confidence, and experiment freely with language.
The multilingual educational environment of Kazakhstan is a unique case, where students balance between Kazakh, Russian and English. This situation increases cognitive load and often increases the fear of making mistakes or failing. For teachers, this means the need not only to teach the language, but also to actively reduce anxiety in their students.
The use of video materials plays a key role in creating low-anxiety settings. Watching films and TV series helps students immerse themselves in a natural language environment, where they can observe real communication situations. Such materials are not only engaging, but also create an atmosphere where mistakes are perceived as part of learning, and not as failure. This is especially important for future EFL teachers, who must not only master the language, but also learn to model confidence for their students.
Input Hypothesis
According to the input hypothesis, successful language acquisition requires receiving clear but challenging language materials that stimulate skill development. Films and videos perfectly meet this requirement, providing rich and authentic contexts. Unlike texts in textbooks, videos offer learners the opportunity to see and hear language in action, including gestures, intonation, cultural aspects, and background sounds.
Videos not only make it easier to understand complex concepts, but also facilitate the integration of different language skills. For example, watching short films or TV series can provide the basis for discussions, modeling speaking, and even role-playing. Such approaches are particularly effective in the multilingual context of Kazakhstan, where learners often feel inhibited when trying to speak a foreign language. Videos provide meaningful input that encourages them to speak, supporting Krashen's hypothesis that language practice should be intuitive and natural.
The benefits of videos lie not only in their ability to reduce anxiety, but also in their potential to develop critical thinking, cultural awareness, and intercultural communication skills. For example, by analyzing the plots of films, students can learn about nonverbal communication, regional accents, and even the historical or cultural context presented in the videos. This is especially useful for future teachers who will be working in multilingual and multicultural classrooms.
Videos also help to individualize learning. Teachers can select videos that match students' interests, language levels, and specific learning goals. This makes the learning process more personalized and effective.
The Affective Filter Hypothesis and Videos
Research confirms that using multimedia tools such as films and TV series can help reduce anxiety and increase student engagement. For example, one study in multilingual classrooms found that watching videos significantly increased students' confidence in oral tasks because they could observe and imitate speech patterns in a safe environment [5].
In addition, recent research shows that videos can enhance language comprehension due to their authenticity. They create meaningful contexts that are easier for students to understand and retain than the artificial scenarios often used in textbooks [6].
Videos also fit the Input Hypothesis perfectly because they offer comprehensible input in a realistic context. Sample dialogues from films give learners the opportunity to intuitively absorb grammatical structures, vocabulary, and idioms that they can then use in their own utterances.
Particular attention should be paid to how videos help students in Kazakhstan connect English with their existing knowledge of Kazakh and Russian. This cognitive connection allows them to integrate new language skills into their speech more quickly.
In the multilingual environment of Kazakhstan, students often use translation as a strategy for understanding new language elements. Videos facilitate this process by providing visual cues and context that facilitate comprehension. For example, a scene from a film where a character says hello or goodbye can instantly evoke associations with the equivalents in Kazakh and Russian [7]. This connection not only speeds up comprehension, but also allows students to compare cultural aspects of communication, such as the formality of greetings or the use of non-verbal communication.
In addition, videos allow students to notice similar grammatical structures or lexical overlaps between languages. For example, the Russian word "информация" and the English "information" have obvious similarities, and the occurrence of these words in the film's dialogue helps the student memorize new terms more easily [8]. Likewise, many Kazakh proverbs or idioms can be presented through the context of the video, allowing students to draw parallels and interpret the meaning.
An additional benefit is the development of cross-linguistic flexibility. For example, if a student notices how certain words are used in English with a broader or narrower meaning than in Kazakh or Russian, this will enhance their understanding of linguistic nuance. Videos such as animated films often contain simple vocabulary and intuitive visual cues, making them ideal for teaching younger students, while dramas or documentaries can be useful for higher-level students who want to deepen their understanding of cultural and linguistic differences.
On the other hand, videos also help students in Kazakhstan develop their language switching skills. In scenes where characters discuss topics that are similar to the everyday realities of Kazakh students, students can mentally translate into their native languages and then practice expressing their thoughts in English. This activates the cognitive processes associated with multilingualism and increases language confidence.
Using video in this context not only makes language learning fun, but also turns the learning process into a personalized and culturally relevant experience where the student sees how English integrates naturally into their existing language ecosystem.
Krashen's affective filter and input hypotheses remain relevant and universal across different educational contexts. In the multilingual educational system of Kazakhstan, the use of videos represents not only a practical but also a theoretically sound solution to reduce anxiety, create meaningful input, and prepare future EFL teachers for professional work.
Benefits for Future Language Teachers
Using videos in EFL classrooms has significant benefits, especially for future language teachers who must develop their language and teaching skills simultaneously. Introduction to videos helps EFL students not only improve their own oral skills, but also prepare them to use these resources effectively in their future teaching practice.
One of the main aspects that makes videos especially useful for students studying for a teacher training program is their ability to convey a real language context. This allows future teachers to learn how to introduce authentic materials that are interesting and culturally diverse, making the learning process lively and relevant for students. When students are taught not only grammar or vocabulary, but also real speech as it is used in everyday life, they begin to perceive English not as a simple set of rules, but as a full-fledged communication tool. Films often present a variety of dialogues, situations, expressions, slang, and even non-verbal communication that make up a real language experience [9]. This gives future teachers the opportunity to learn how to show how language functions in different cultural and social contexts, which is especially important for EFL students who aspire to become competent and versatile teachers.
Additionally, working with videos helps EFL students develop analytical and critical thinking skills, which is an important part of teacher training. While analyzing video content, future teachers teach students to find key points in dialogues, understand subtext, analyze cultural differences, and master differences in intonation, accent, and gesture [10]. Not only does this improve language comprehension, but it also helps future teachers better understand how these elements can be used in their own classrooms to teach more effectively.
Stephen Krashen's theories, particularly the affective filter hypothesis and the input hypothesis, emphasize the importance of creating comprehensible input and minimizing anxiety in the classroom, which the use of videos certainly helps achieve. As mentioned earlier, learning a new language is often associated with high levels of anxiety, especially for students who have to learn the language in a multilingual environment. Using films and other visual materials, future teachers can model how to create a comfortable environment for students, where they can freely communicate and experiment with the language without the fear of making mistakes. Teachers, by demonstrating dialogues in films and communicating with students based on these materials, can also teach students how to cope with their own anxiety. An example would be a situation where a teacher shows a scene from a film in which the characters communicate in a relaxed atmosphere. In this context, students can see how native speakers use expressions in real situations, which in turn reduces students' anxiety and helps to create a "low anxiety setting" in the classroom, as Krashen recommends.
Using video materials, future teachers can also develop the ability to model effective communication. This is especially important for students studying for a teacher training program, since they must learn not only how to master the language, but also how to transmit these skills to others. Video materials can serve as a model for students, showing how to formulate sentences, maintain a dialogue, use grammatical structures, make speech more natural and expressive [11]. Students can observe a variety of accents and speech patterns, which allows future teachers to better prepare their students for different communicative situations.
Equally important, videos allow future teachers to develop their teaching methods and approaches. For example, they can analyze how different directors, scriptwriters, and actors use language to convey specific emotions and images, and then use these techniques in their teaching practice. Understanding how the creation of context in videos contributes to better language acquisition helps future teachers integrate innovative approaches and be more flexible in their approach to teaching students.
The use of films also contributes to a deeper involvement of students in the learning process, as it allows them to see real language situations, rather than just abstract examples from textbooks. This forms a more conscious approach to language learning and helps students understand how to use language in real life. For future teachers, this represents a unique opportunity to learn how to convey their knowledge more effectively and help students master English through real and practical examples.
Video materials provide greater flexibility in teaching, allowing future teachers to vary their teaching methods depending on the level and needs of their students. For example, for beginners, short videos with simple phrases and vivid visual cues can be used, while for more advanced students,
more complex films with complex dialogues can be chosen. This allows teachers to create a personalized and adaptive approach that meets the needs of each student.
Thus, video materials in English language teaching play an important role in the preparation of future teachers. They not only improve personal language skills, but also help students master teaching methods that can be applied in their future practice, especially in a multilingual and culturally diverse educational environment like Kazakhstan.
Conclusion
In the multilingual context of Kazakhstan, effective English language teaching requires innovative methods such as the use of video materials. Films and TV series help to create a low-anxiety environment, which is important for students, especially in a multilingual learning environment. Videos provide authentic and meaningful input, which contributes to better language acquisition and the integration of English with existing knowledge of Kazakh and Russian.
For future teachers, such materials help not only to improve their own language skills, but also to develop pedagogical skills. Using films, they teach students effective communication and simulate real language situations. Thus, video materials become an important tool in teacher training, improving both language and pedagogical skills and creating a comfortable learning environment.
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