Learning English with an Invisible Teacher: An Experimental Video Approach.

Abstract We are currently experiencing a period of experimentation and exploration in the field of second language education. In the attempt to find new approaches for enhancing second language acquisition in the classroom, some educators have focused on emerging technologies, in particular on the exploitation of the video medium. Even though television has been with us for 40 years, we have only recently begun to seriously explore its use in second language learning. The widespread availability of video tape has had the effect of a catalyst in making video more available to materials designers and teachers. This paper reports on an experimental class in English as a second language for beginning learners. The teaching approach used in the class was based on an innovative video series developed by Caleb Gattegno (1977). The tapes in this series are particularly unusual in that no teacher appears on the screen. Instead, the focus is on students as they learn, and the viewer learns along with them. We will evaluate the learners' progress in the class in the light of standard proficiency tests and will report our own observations and the views expressed by the learners themselves.