Morozova M.A.
Master-holder in pedagogy, university teacher
Kazakh Ablai khan University of International Relations and World Languages Almaty, Kazakhstan
THE USAGE OF VISUALIZATION FOR STIMULATING THINKING AND COMMUNICATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Abstract
This article depicts importance of visual aids of different types for organizing effective foreign language class focused on thinking and communication stimulation; offers practical learner-friendly tasks based on certain types of visualization as well as regards a list of criteria necessary to select a quality
thinking provoking pictorial material.
Keywords: visualization, visual aids, images and pictures, thinking stimulation, foreign language communication, interpretation
When foreign language teacher outlines his or her next class, it is always crucial to think about the feasibility of creating authentic-like affable atmosphere with its amenities of natural talks and unintentional interactivity. This article depicts some ideas on the essence of visual aids that may appear helpful to organize thinking-and-communication foreign language class.
First, it is offered to scrutinize the role of visual aids for thinking stimulation as sufficient communication can hardly happen if learners have a little to think about. However, the list of types of class- applicable visual aids is vast enough; and a certain type may serve a certain function. The list of most interest-awakening visual aids which are likely to stimulate thinking of learners is presented below:
1. Action scenes;
2. Screenshots of films, videos and video games;
3. Reproductions of painting (with implicit meaning);
4. Comics;
5. Mind maps and infographics;
6. Symbol- and sign-containing fragments;
7. Graphs, schemes and diagrams;
8. Rebuses;
9. Maps, routes and itineraries.
Each of above mentioned types of visual aids may function differently depending on the structure and content of the lesson, age, level, abilities and interests of the learners. Below we are offered to observe examples of modeling thinking and communication provoking tasks that are based upon some of the above stated types of visual aids.
Symbol- and sign-containing fragments
them.
1. What were these two images originally created for?
2. How do elements relate to each other in each picture? Try to find connection between (some of)
3. Are these two images somehow interrelated?
4. What story or event can be represented by such an image? How can you interpret things to have a coherent plot? How will it be featured (a documentary / fiction / biography, etc.)?
5. Do these pictures (or some of their elements) appeal to your personality? Which ones and why?
6. May the first picture (or some of its elements) turn into an emblem of a company / organization / brand as well?
7. Look for the elements in each picture that have more than one interpretation. What are the reasons of people interpreting them differently? Provide examples.
Reproductions of painting (with implicit meaning)
1. What message have artists conveyed by these images?
2. Do these images belong to the same artist? Why?
3. Can we infer some ideas about artist’s personality from these images?
4. What elements in the pictures seem focal (meaning-defining) to you?
5. Are there elements that you have interpreted differently from your partner? Why do you think it happened?
6. How does one’s thinking impact the way person interprets things? What does our thinking and perception depend on? Come up with a list of factors that may unconsciously influence the way person thinks and perceives things around.
The advantage of using above mentioned image-based tasks during foreign language class is obvious: learners get used to expressing their personal opinion in a learner-friendly atmosphere since there is no single meaning interpretation which is believed to be correct; thus, learners feel relaxed about their ideas and fancies even if some of them appear weird. If reader pays attention to the question offered to learners in task 5 (“Are there elements that you have interpreted differently from your partner?”), one may notice that this question is intentionally offered for learners to let them self-reflect on their personal development as well as communicate in foreign language since different learners always have different inclinations to decode visual patterns depending on their level of cognitive, aesthetical and emotional development.
Comics and mind maps may also appear a thinking-stimulating and, therefore, a communication- provoking tool as it is presented below.
Look at two cartoons presented (pic.5-6) and analyze these humoristic situations using the following questions:
1. What are people’s nationalities?
2. Do you think that these situations provoke serious conflict? Why or why not?
3. Referring to dialogues, can you guess about the background of these families life? What problems might they have coped with?
4. Imagine that you and your partner are the heroes of these scenes. How would you continue these dialogues 1) in a humoristic manner? 2) in a manipulative way?
5. Imagine that these dialogues end up with the heroes coming to the following solutions: 1) changing their manners/behavior; 2) getting new things; 3) adopting a child; 4) setting up business; 5) giving up bad habits. In pair, discuss different versions about how to come to solutions mentioned. How would you control the dialogues in order to get to one of these outcomes above? In pair, choose and act out the most successful version that you developed together.
Mind map
Look at the mind map presented below (pic.7) and make your guesses about the author of these mind map and his / her personality. What was it created for? Can you characterize a person by his / her mind map? Studying the map, make a list of factors (4-5 ones) that help you to learn about the author more using his / her mind map (how he/she arranges things, etc.). After you have studied the map, follow the tasks below.
Individual Work: Look at the map chosen and define logical line of the author’s thoughts (did he / she organize it clockwise or anticlockwise?). Pay attention to all elements of the map (design, images, lines, etc.). Make a plan for your speech referring to the map and speak out.
Pair Work: Discuss the ideas of the author referring to the map. Did you and your partner interpret ideas similarly? If not, try to explain each other why you interpreted details differently. Work out the most rational interpretation together and present your results to the group.
This above presented example of mind map is a combination of key words and pertaining symbolic images that help to grasp the meaning of each branch. Here, learner communication inevitably takes place because some ideas are coded with one word only or with some seemingly irrelevant images; thus, the meaning needs to be unpacked in discussion.
So, what are the criteria of choosing quality thinking-stimulating visual aids? For each of above presented types, criteria differ. The following examples of action scenes (pic.8-9) will help us identify some key features, important for effective thinking and communication stimulation. This may appear useful for teachers who frequently use visualization in foreign language class and need to rely on certain selection criteria. These fantasy scenes presented below (pic.8-9) were selected referring to a set of criteria presented as follows.
1. Diversity/heterogeneity of elements in the picture and/or their non-standard unordinary combination and/or coloring;
2. Illustration of a scene (movie screenshot, story, event, etc.);
3. Explicit or implicit problem (counteraction);
4. Many participants (more than 2);
5. Presence of symbols/signs/textual codes;
6. Action-packed foreground and background;
7. Unfamiliarity to a learner.
The images above do not correspond to every criterion; in some cases, if an image selected regards at least two or three of them, it is already possible to handle effective brainstorming. Primarily, if to generalize the theme in above mentioned pictures, we could infer from them that fantasy, fairy tales, science fiction, futuristic and imaginary travelling are more likely to correspond to first criterion since they frequently contain a number of elements that could rarely be seen together (grass-covered animal giant in pic.8, space travelers and dinosaurs in pic.9). As you can see, all of them display us a scene of a hero on his or her way, in the process of solving a problem or pursuing a goal. This gives teacher an opportunity to ask questions concerning hero’s previous and upcoming actions and events. These images possess past as well as future which may be inferred as follows:
1. What may the aims of these trips be?
2. What do you think happened with the hero (heroes) before? Are there any evidences in the picture helping to infer anything about past events?
3. What do you think will happen next? Are there any possible perils and risks expected on hero’s (heroes’) further way?
These questions help teacher implicitly accentuate on details and interpret their meaning under a certain angle (focusing on the past or future of a hero). For instance, if we pay attention to parrots flying around the traveler, we might deduce some conclusions about hero’s past as well as future (pic.8). With regard to the past, one may conclude that birds may behave as guides warning the hero about hazards during the journey. Meanwhile, with an opposite regard to the future, one may suppose that birds come from the palace in background to spot unwanted visitors. Concerning pic.9, the focal question may be “How did it happen that space travelers and dinosaurs met together?”
As we may see, these images correspond to the second criterion as well, displaying frozen scenes. These images also illustrate implicit problems (third criterion) that can be expressed through the following questions: “What goals do these heroes pursue?” Concerning criterion 5 “Presence of symbols / signs / textual codes”, it may be stated that some key objects in the pictures, such as background palace (pic.8) or telescope, indicator, cage and box (pic.9) can serve as symbols and signs as they substantially contribute to the way we interpret these images. So, teacher may help learners pay special attention to this or that details by the following question: “Why do you think telescope (indicator, cage or box) is necessary here?” For instance, dinosaurs are unlikely to open the box themselves; it could help us suppose that either they are thinking creatures or the box contains some mechanism that doesn’t need to be unpacked. The last criterion is very important while selecting an image; if some certain scene corresponds to all criteria except the last one, it usually makes learners recall what they have seen or read rather than thinking over details and trying to work out the meaning.
While working with visual aids, learners will gradually get used to thinking over and interpreting elements and details; they learn to deduce meaning regarding things under particular setting and judging from a certain angle, both unbiased and personalized. Moreover, it inevitably happens that learners start generating critical thinking questions themselves while observing a certain visual aid, which promotes more communicative interaction between them and makes a foreign language class even more dynamic.