- Niedersachsen International

PHOTOSTORIES
There is a renaissance of photostories - thanks to digital cameras and image processing software learners can form images an express themselves more richly. Easy-to-use
technology and the immediate availability of the finished story in the classroom leads
to new and motivating opportunities in foreign language learning.
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Staging Foreign Language Learning is a European
cooperation project for the development of concepts
and materials for the in-service training of foreign
language teachers.
The project is being carried out with the assistance of
the Commission of the European Communities within
the framework of the SOCRATES programme.*
This publication is printed on chlorine free paper.
*)
This publication is the responsibility of its editor and does not necessarily
represent the views of the Commission.
Impressum
Published by
Niedersächsisches Landesinstitut
für Schulentwicklung und Bildung (NLI)
Keßlerstraße 52
31134 Hildesheim
© 2003
Internet: www.niedersachsen-international.de
E-Mail: berndt@nli.de
Concept and materials
Anu Kilpinen, Silvia Lehtinen, Kaisu Tapiovaara
University of Helsinki, Continuing Education Centre, Kouvola, Finland
Valter Almeida, Ana Margarida Abrantes, Maria Filomena Capucho, Paula Rebelo
Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Centro Regional das Beiras - Polo de Viseu, Portugal
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THE CAST
Agnieszka Bialek, Berthold Haase, Marita Koplin, Adam Krasicki, Ewa Pomin
Osodek Doskonalenia Nauczycieli Poznan, Poland
Lorna Leahy, Majellia Sheehan-Harris, Izabela Zielonka-Röll
North Monastry Language Institute, Cork, Ireland
Rolf-Peter Berndt, Bodo Facklam, Burkhard Imeyer, Doris Herzog, Reinhard Jonczyk, Detlef Kohnen,
Matthias Krämer, Wolfgang Meyer, Markus Ritter, Albrecht Schultze, Niedersächsisches Landesinstitut
für Schulentwicklung und Bildung (NLI), Hildesheim, Germany
Project coordinator
Rolf-Peter Berndt, NLI
Layout and photos
Thomas Göllner, Gerhard Klähn, Tanja Stolle, Reinhard Jonczyk
Editorial team
Rolf-Peter Berndt, Kirsten Döbler, Bodo Facklam, Doris Herzog, Reinhard Jonczyk, Wolfgang Meyer,
Albrecht Schultze, NLI
Consultants
Robert O'Dowd, Markus Ritter, Bernd Rüschoff, University Gesamthochschule Essen
David Whybra, University Hildesheim
Kazimiera Myczko, Izabela Marciniak, Adama Mickiewicza University Poznan
Leni Dam, Danish Pedagogic University, Copenhagen
Project teachers and project schools
Finland
Leena Säteri, Kouvolan yhteiskoulun lukio
Oili Ketomäki, Valkealan lukio
Ireland
North Monastery Secondary School Cork
Poland
Jerzy Królikowski, V Liceum Ogólnoksztalcace
Danuta Kin, VIII Liceum Ogólnoksztalcace
Krzysztof Bestry, Liceum Ogólnoksztalcace w Swarzedzu
Portugal
Luzia Sampaio, Colégio da Via Sacra, Viseu
Elisa Almeida - Escola Secundária Alves Martins - Viseu
Alexandra , Escola C+S do Mundão - Viseu
Germany
Doris Herzog, KGS Sehnde
Reinhard Jonczyk, Werner-von-Siemens-Realschule Hannover
Albrecht Schultze, Wilhelm-Bracke-Gesamtschule Braunschweig
Karl Starkebaum, Renataschule Hildesheim
3
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Chilled Out
At first sight working with photostories means
combining the essential elements e.g. pictures
and text (speech and thought bubbles;
commenting texts). But there is more in it:
affective and cognitive as well as instrumental
teaching aims put a new dimension into the
language classroom. Learners choose a topic
they find suitable, develop a storyline, reflect
on it and act it out.
The didactical and methodological framework
of authentic activities has a positive effect on
foreign language learning. Students are highly
motivated as they take responsibility in
choosing the topic, the kind of text they
produce is extraordinary and the productive
use of PC technology in the foreign language
classroom involves authentic oral activities. The
presentation of the photostory can be discussed
via internet with peers in other European
countries.
During a photo session students often turn out
to be talented actors or actresses so that the
project could be presented as a play.
If learning at school may include fun Chilled
Out provides it in many ways!
In this volume the reader will find detailed
instructions of how to create a photostory,
practical advice on presenting it and several
workshops on digital imaging and the usage
of electronic dictionaries.
Furthermore the attached worksheets for selfevaluation and assessment might be useful for
the documentation of the learning process and
may be used as elements of a learner portfolio.
4
CHAPTER 1
Examples of photostories
CHAPTER 2
Photostories and foreign language learning
10
2.1
The history of the photo novel
11
2.2
Photos + speech bubbles = photostory?
13
2.3
The creative potential of photostories
14
2.4
Creativity, feedback, evaluation
14
2.5
Ten good reasons for doing photostory in foreign language learning
16
CHAPTER 3
6
Didactic-methododical spectrum
18
3.1
From photographs to stories
18
3.2
Pictures tell stories
19
3.3
Narrating texts in pictures – working with literature
20
3.4
Conveying information with pictures
25
3.5
The interactive photostory with foreign partners
25
3.6
Using photostories from youth magazines
26
3.7
The further development of a photostory
28
CHAPTER 4
Prerequisites: hardware, software, skills
29
CHAPTER 5
A project example: Chilled Out
30
CHAPTER 6
Implementation of in–service training
37
6.1
Didactic–methodological framework
Working out from the idea to the storyboard
37
6.2
Steps to storyboard
40
6.3
Staging a photostory
42
Hands on... Body language and gesture
44
Hands on... Make-up and props
47
Hands on... Picture composition and camera work
51
The photo sessions
55
6.4
6.5
Digital image processing
56
Hands on... Digital image work
57
6.6
Text production
60
6.7
Montage of the photostory
63
Hands on... Soapy Pictures
64
Hands on... Aquasoft DiaShow 3.5
65
6.8
Presentation
66
6.9
Self assessment and achievement measurement
67
CHAPTER 7
Documentation and evaluation
68
CHAPTER 8
A survey of the modules
70
CHAPTER 9
Work schedule
71
CHAPTER 10
Appendix
73
10.1 Glossary
73
10.2 Bibliography
73
10.3 Internet links
74
10.4 Staging Foreign language learning - the concept
75
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INHALT
5
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1
Examples, examples…
WPK ENGLISCH
Scenes from a photostory
Hamiyet Tatoglu Kl. 10b
I still can’t be
lieve it!
Mark one in
the
last maths te
st!
Lucky you!
Well, I’m no
expert
in maths.
Frontpage of a pupil’s
portfolio
(Class 10, Werner-von-SiemensRealschule, Hanover)
Task:
Create a frontpage for your
portfolio.
Think of a situation you can
pose in a group. Take photos
and layout them photostorywise
with a PC.
you
Why are g?
laughin ’t
You don e!
believe m
orr y.
Don’t w we’ll
e
Next tim er.
t
t
e
b
do
e
Of cours
I’m
I do. But s.
math
a nut in
6
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SUGAR, 04/2001
7
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BRAVO, German issue 12/2000
8
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BRAVO, Portuguese issue 70/2001
9
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2
Photostories and
foreign language learning
Considering the sheer extent of the proliferation of
photostories in youth magazines, (whereby the expression "photostory" serves as a synonym for all kinds
of photo-novels, soaps, stories, picture stories etc.),
pedagogical justification of their use in teaching is hardly
necessary. The German "Bravo" with its weekly
photostory alone reaches a readership of almost four
million young readers and similar magazines can be
found in all the partner countries of this project. The
varied linguistic peculiarities of this "text type", for
example its Anglo-American colloquialisms and the
specific characteristics of the language of young people,
may also speak for its use in foreign language teaching.
Its popularity alone is, of course, not a sufficient reason
for its didactic justification.
Why, then, is the time ripe for a renaissance of
the photostory in teaching?
There is little fundamental material on the use of photostories in teaching, leave alone in language teaching,
probably because, as distinct from comics, it counts as
a sub-literary genre bordering on the trivial. As a rule,
photo novels or stories have hitherto only been treated
with a culturally critical approach in literature, art and
social studies, and still many a teacher in Europe will
rather look down his nose at the concept of the
educational relevance of photostories (and the
stereotyped patterns of identification connected with
them). In the meantime, however, it can be clearly
observed how photostories are increasingly gaining
access to serious print and electronic media - e.g. in
advertising campaigns, in handbooks, instruction
manuals or as a specific form of political satire.
The second reason is of a far more technical and
economic (timesaving) nature: firstly, with the wide
availability of digital possibilities of design and layout,
connected with the possibility of the practically
simultaneous transfer of word and picture, new didactic
areas are being opened up for everyday use in schools.
Until the middle of the 80s the development process
of photostories was analogue, meaning that pictures
were taken with a camera, developed, reproduced
and laid out, ready for the subsequent application of
narrative. The necessary work of assembling and
editing took an extraordinary toll in time and money a direct form of didactic evaluation, for instance in the
same lesson, was simply impossible.
Today the basic digital equipment in the form of highperformance computers including Internet access is
available in most schools and institutes of education.
Additional necessary peripheral apparatus (printer,
scanner, digital camera) as well as the corresponding
software are also available as a rule.
10
The fact that the photostory is alive and kicking is shown by
the following Yahoo! headline
Monday 14, August 14th, 2000, 11:23
Starting on Wednesday exclusively in Bravo:
Photo novel with the Big Brother heroes
Zlatko & Co.
Jürgen: "The most exciting project since the
Big Brother House"
Munich (ots) –
Bravo offers its readers another highlight: on
the following Wednesday, (August 16th, No. 34/
2000), exclusively in Europe's biggest youth
magazine, the photo novel begins: "A crazy
week-end". The main parts are played by the
media stars of this summer: Zlatko, Alex,
Jürgen, John, Verena, Manu and Jona - the
heroes of the first Big Brother series.
The scene of the crime in the five parts of this
BRAVO photo novel is a castle hotel. The seven
Big Brother stars receive anonymous invitations
for a weekend. Some of them think it could
have something to do with a new sponsor, while
others expect TV fun along the lines of “Candid
Camera”. But the story is much more gripping.
Zlatko and his ex-Big Brother House companions
are confronted with mysterious events and finally
slip into the roles of detectives...
Peter Raschner, the author of the new Bravo
photo novel, who also supervised the four-day
shooting at the castle hotel Landsberg in
Meiningen, Thüringen, is full of praise for the
prominent leading players: “The Big Brother
people have more talent than a lot of actors that
you see day by day on television.” The Big Brother
stars also had a lot of fun during the takes. For
Jürgen it was “the most exciting project after
the House”.
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This equipment makes it possible for the first time
to work with photostories in the teaching situation.
The technical hurdles in the production of a first
story draft are comparatively low. Dealing with the
hard- and software causes little in the way of
problems for teachers and pupils, even for those
who possess scant expertise in the information
sciences. Therefore the first outcomes can be
achieved in one lesson and can be the basis for a
first assessment or discussion. It is also in no way a
trivial factor that the costs of the materials used
are well within a normal school budget.
These technical and economic parameters create
the necessary freedom for the real creativity of
photostories in foreign language teaching.
2.1 The history of the photo novel
The plot structure of the photo novel and photostory
is derived from the trivial novel or the trivial story.
Its individual picture sequences are - analogous to
the comic - only comprehensible in the mutual
relation of picture and text.
In the middle of the 70s Heinrich Stiehler in the art
magazine "Akzente" published his account of the
origin of the photo novel, which is freely quoted
from in the following.1
Like no other sub-literary genre the photo novel had
conquered the beaches of the Italian and French
coast just as it had the remotest villages of Calabria
or Savoy. It was read in the crowded Paris metro
and in the barracks for foreign workers in industrial
towns in northern Italy and in the Federal Republic
of Germany. In the 70s one could speak of a gigantic
empire stretching no longer only across the Romance
language area. There were photo novels in Italy
and Spain, in France and Canada, in the Benelux
countries, in North Africa and South America; even
in Turkey there was already an established market.
In any case the country of origin is Italy, where in
the year 1947 the Roman journalist Stefano Reda
and the Milan director Damiano Damiani had the
inventive idea for the magazine GRAND HOTEL, one
of the first post war productions of the Italian
rainbow press; in 1949 the French magazine FESTIVAL
followed that example.
After that the triumphal procession especially of
Italian and French photo novels could be held up no
more. Their circulation reached a weekly total of 8
to 10 million in the 70s - irrespective of the shadow
circulation as every copy went through the hands of
three or four readers. Preconditions of this
proliferation were specific to the medium and were
helped by economic factors. It was evident that the
products were made quickly and cheaply, following
a set pattern.
1
LA STRADA, The song of the street
The virile and violent fair artist Zampano buys the simple village
girl Gelsomina, in order to train her to be his assistant and
slave. She submits to his surly orders, but she adores the foolish
tightrope-walker Matto, who treats her humanely. Zampano
kills Matto in a quarrel and leaves Gelsomina, because any
kind of human relationship has become a burden to him. It is
not until he hears of her death that a fulminant outburst of
emotion betrays what he has felt for her. With this poetically
bizarre tragedy Fellini distanced himself from Neo-realism for
the first time. The film has a social, a humane and a Christian
plane. Whether the viewer regards it as a simple story about
human relationships or as an allegory, he can hardly escape
from the intensity achieved by the combination of artistic
effects.
Italy, 1954, black and white, 102 minutes, drama.
cf. Stiehler, H. (1975), Versuch über den Fotoroman,
Akzente, Jg. 22.
11
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12
There was hardly any variety of perspective, picture
size or speech bubbles and the expenditure on actors
and scenes was limited. The simple pattern of gags,
action and plot was adjusted to the image of the
magazine, photo pamphlet or cinema programme and
the corresponding necessity to keep costs to a
minimum.
"In both countries the photo novel can claim a certain
tradition: before the Second World War, in the 30s,
the commercial idols of the screen forced their way in
the form of cine-novels or cine-romances even as far
as the inhabitants of those lost communities who had
no cinemas of their own.
The weekly press at that
time often published
photos from well-known
films accompanied by a
summary aimed at
creating suspense. It was
not until after the war
that the photo novel
developed
as
an
independent genre by
combining the plot typology of the dime novels
and feature novels with
the linguistic techniques
of American comic strips:
"fumetti”,
speech
bubbles is the Italian term
not only for comics but
also for photo novels. In
the 50s this new market
even reached the poorest layers of society in the Italian
Mezzogiorno, which had hitherto not been reached by
mass media owing to depressed economic conditions,
to a degree of literacy of just 27% and the very limited
accessibility of book, film and TV. Significantly the
growth of sales of photo novels in this area was
comparable to the rapid increase in the spread of other
means of visual communication: by 1956 the number
of cinemas jumped by over 100% over the figures for
pre-war Italy. The focal points of this development were
the small towns and villages of the South and the
Italian islands. Although on Italian TV, which was just
two years old, could already be received in 85% of
the country in 1956, over 90% of the population still
had no TV set of their own in 1960. In time this
changed; and also, although the number of cinema
guests diminished noticeably, the circulation of photo
novels stayed comparatively constant. Those who could
not afford to sacrifice time and money for cinema and
TV screen were the grateful readers; they were
dependent on readily, always accessible reading matter
which could be put down and picked up when needed."
For historical purposes it should be mentioned that
“LA STRADA, The song of the street”
mainly women from disadvantaged layers of society
(with elementary education) constituted the majority
of consumers. It is interesting that in the heyday of
the photo novel the teenage press was not in the
forefront, but the readership ranged from the 14 to
70 year-olds. Today on the other hand the photo novels
and stories as parts of magazines, but also in serious
publications, are preferred by young consumers and
by those up to the age of 40. Retrospectively the
wide- spread popularity of this kind of reading-matter
Leaving that aside it is clear that elements of the
photostory have survived and evolved in magazines
and in youth and music publications, and have become
a widely accepted stylistic form in our mediadominated daily life.
2.2 Photos + speech bubbles = photostory?
From the terminology to a didactic approach
The photostory has close affinity to the comic strip
as a drawn picture story and to the cartoon as a
witty or satirical drawing. Both genres are constant
components of foreign language teaching. Cartoons,
especially, are often taken from the international press
as authentic material about present topics and offered
to the pupils as a stimulus, for example with regard
to current affairs. Picture sequences like the "Peanuts"
or "Mr Bunion" have already been didactically
reviewed in the 70s and open up illusory, imaginative
or bizarre worlds as comics. The essence of the photo
novel or photostory can be sketched as follows:
Bearing in mind the "cinematic" history or origin of
the photo novel the similarity to film is especially
striking, because, as in film, the picture in the photo
novel or photostory carries the action in a narrative
context. The coherent sense of the pictures is created
by the story in both media. Words and sentences
are confined to concise dialogue. The picture is not
autonomous, but lives from being in context with other
pictures. It requires no interpretation from the reader
as an individual picture. This facilitates the quick
readability of the picture story. The gesticular
performance of the actors is of prime importance.
Despite the speech bubbles the mouths often remain
closed. The expression of the faces however aims at
underpinning the content of the scene. This reminds
one of the silent film, in which the "silence" is
outweighed by gesticular exaggeration. Here the
actors perform in pictures, which as pictures alone
would be unavoidably ambivalent, but whose sense
is pinpointed by the addition of narrative.
The relationship between picture and text in the
photostory becomes clear when one tries to read a
complete photostory in a language that one does not
understand. As a rule the pure language of pictures
will not be understood and one quickly loses the thread,
partly through the cuts in the line of sequences.
It is clear that language has an independent function;
like the photo it carries the action. To go from one
picture to two pictures means to go from picture to
language. The narrative takes over part of the task
to produce the course of the action in continuous
form.. The language fills visual representations with
meaning, it comments and interprets. Here we make
a formal distinction between auditive and narrative
elements. The auditive elements are the speech
bubbles of the dialogue or the inner monologue
(thoughts). The narrative element of speech takes
over the function of the commentary in the photo
novel, the voice from the ‘off’. In this way periods of
time are bridged, logical connections established, but
also emotional conditions described.
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leads one to suppose that large segments of the
population find more satisfaction here than in
literature commonly conceived of as high art.
It is typical of the photo novel that one reads
between the speech bubbles and that onomatopoeic
devices are used - there is hardly a limit to the
possibilities of arrangement and variation. However,
the foreign language teacher will ensure that the
speech bubbles do not only consist of "GGRRRRR"
or "AAAAAHH" or even of punctuation marks "???"
or "!!!" in different sizes.
The objection is frequently raised that the level of
the foreign language is "impoverished" through the
reduction of language to speech and thought bubbles,
together with a short connecting narrative. This can
be countered, quite in accordance with the definition
of "staging", that the fundamental concept of a
photostory is that it is a story to be staged. This process
is developed and concluded in written form in the
foreign language. The communicative functions are
adjusted to a target group which requires the use of
a special language level; this means that the language
must be carefully reflected and selected, both from
the point of view of form and content.
13
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A sequel novel usually has 20 pictures on a double
page, whereas a full photo novel consists of almost
400 pictures. A 90 minute film has about 130.000
pictures.
Like the comic the photo novel is a medium connecting word and picture, which is used to tell
stories. Analagous to the novel the story carries
the action. It maintains the continuity of sense
for the stringing together of individual photographic pictures. Photography as a realistic medium of illustration lends the story the desired
degree of authenticity and enables the reader
to enter the world of illusion, to see and
experience the media realm as reality.
(Sichelschmidt 1979)
foreign language teaching, the same thing is valid
for teachers and pupils: that critical reflection exists
side by side with the enjoyment of learning with
photostories.
2.4 Creativity, feedback, evaluation
Seeing learning and teaching as a process and as
product oriented promotes the development, resp.
the further development, of creativity in pupils and
teachers. Language work involving the active use of
electronic media offers numerous opportunities to
express oneself creatively, for example
- recounting the storyline
- writing the script
- composing the storyboard
- transferring items from the storyboard into spoken
language during the shootings
2.3 The creative potential of stories
- commenting on the photos taken
- presenting the results
During the course of foreign language work with
photostories the focus is on action-oriented production
processes. As distinct from comics and cartoons,
whereby the principle of "do it yourself" only applies
in exceptional cases, the production of a photostory
does not assume the possession and use of special
skills in art and design.
The latter opportunities include practical and artistic work
- staging the photographs
- processing the digital images
- putting the finished product together
Before the "staging", i.e. before the presentation,
creative, project-oriented work is necessary, which
takes place in a stimulating, partially technologyenhanced learning environment. The pupils create
pictures and put their own language to them; they
use forms of creative writing; the group organises
the process independently and leave the classroom;
computer programmes are used with clear objectives
during picture processing. The "stage work" is used
not only for the presentation of outcomes, but during
the teaching process itself: the pupils enact their
pictures for the action of the story. And at the end of
the unit ways are sought to present the product in
front of an audience. The development of a
photostory is not conceivable without these creative
scene-setting stages.
Apart from this the PC and the necessary peripheral
apparatus are used in a practically ideal educational
context with regard to information sciences - as a
universal data-processing machine in an exclusively
creative and purpose-oriented context.
In the photostory practically all the elements of
"staging" become tangible, not least when one
considers the target group of young learners
(popularity). Even if the plots of the stories in youth
magazines usually follow stereotyped patterns, it must
be said that they appeal to the interests of teenagers
(e.g. first love, friendship and intrigue). In addition
there are the various linguistic peculiarities of this
text type, for example its Anglo-American
colloquialisms and specific characteristics of the
language of juveniles. When this genre is included in
14
from episode 5 The funeral
The building-up or strengthening of self-confidence
is not only documented by pride in or satisfaction
with a successful product, but the acting in front of
the camera is done in the knowledge that the result
is going to be shown to a (critical) audience.
Critical appraisal and problem-solving can be exercised
when the pupils are thinking out the story and, above
all, reducing it to its basic elements. The discussion in
the group should lead to a consensus, which will, of
course, involve some compromises.
The learners will have enough activities to increase
their language competence orally and in written work,
for instance in these phases:
- reading a given text (novel, short story, poem)
- creative writing/retelling their own stories
- making decisions on important text passages/
events
- coming to an agreement in the group on the points
in the text where the photos will fit
- condensing utterances in writing (speech and
thought bubbles; in-between texts)
- practical and product-oriented work with the given
text or with their own text
or when the class is discussing their work in plenary
session:
- after thinking out the storyline the class will have
to agree on the story and set quality standards
- a similar discussion is needed to compose the
storyboard and condense the text, and the pupils
will need to practise structural and linguistic
compactness
- when the photo sessions are over, the photos have
to be evaluated and commented on in the foreign
language.
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With the assistance of costume and make-up, the
pupils can experiment with their powers of body
language expression as photo models in front of the
camera. This furthers their aesthetic perception,
especially when the final presentation takes place in
a more formal setting.
Giving marks is also an essential activity in the case
of project work with foreign language interaction.
Apart from judging 'work in class', the numerous
foreign language learning phases permit the teacher
to judge oral participation quantitatively and
qualitatively. In addition, working on a photostory
offers many possibilities of giving written work and
setting tests on language accuracy and expressive
power. While working on the photostory, the
evaluation checklist on language learning activities,
which encourages self-assessment by the individual,
can be distributed and explained.
While developing a photostory, numerous decisions
have to be taken which lead into feedback sessions.
Regular feedback in the learning process is certainly
very important, maybe more so than going through
institutional evaluation procedures.
from episode 9 Tyra gets into difficulties
15
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2.5 Ten good reasons for doing the photostory in foreign language learning
KEY WORDS
IN REALITY
Plurality of methods and motivation
Var iation between individual, group and plenary "The lesson is different every time, even if we work
sessions, amateur dramatics and educational theatre together as a group. That makes the whole thing
approaches, environment of the pupils
somehow exciting."
The individuality of learners
The promotion of individual learning attitudes, i.e. "We're all girls in my group - there are always a lot
the compensation of a lack in the ability to perform of problems with the boys. We get on well and at
abstractions or the introduction of more emotional least make progress."
ways of learning, approaches to learning related to
gender
Pupil orientation/learner autonomy/project work
Cooperation regarding content and materials, time "Sometimes, the teacher has to help us to arrive at a
management, dividing up tasks and, in part, eva- decision. Time is short, so we cannot afford to discuss
luation by the pupils
one picture for a long time. Mostly we settle issues
amongst ourselves."
Interactive learning/increase in usefulness
The affective dimension of teaching, working together for a common, final product (publication), different scenarios (discussion, performing, photography, writing, lay-outing, using a PC, presentation)
"The pupils have their working targets and some
suddenly discover that time is not a variable. In the
face of the ever-nearing performance I can sense a
strong feeling of responsibility amongst nearly all the
pupils for the success of the project."
Authenticity
Authentic basic material (pictures and texts), add- "Our story is really classy! You can't tell the difference
ressee-related and text variant-specific writing tasks to the ones in youth magazines. Our Internet freaks
(young people's language)
would even like to put in on the net."
16
IN REALITY
Communication and team work
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KEY WORDS
Organisation of group work (work flow, time, res- "Now and again we quarrel, but everyone does their
ponsibility)
bit. Normally, somebody always tries to get out of the
work. Here it's different."
Intercultural learning
Intercultural scenarios become concrete in the learning group/with the dialogue partner, over-coming
ethno-centric thinking, visualisation and concrete use
of background cultural knowledge (through online
photostories)
"I like the idea that we are working on things which
we think are important. No matter where my friends
in the class come from, they all think the same. If our
opinions differ, we talk about it."
Opening up the classroom
Real and virtual departure from the classroom as a "I think it is great that the lessons aren't always in the
place of learning to carry out staging phases, inter- classroom. I seem to have a lot more ideas and enjoy
disciplinary learning, using extramural experts
doing things, especially photography."
Information technology as a creative tool
Use of different auxiliary and tool functions of the
computer and its periphery (design competence
through experimentation with lay-out and image
processing programmes, authentic communication in
online projects (E-Mail)
"I was always unsure of myself regarding the PC. I get
a lot of fun out of changing the pictures, putting in
speech bubbles and following the print-out. If I don't
know something, I soon get help."
Creative writing
Well thought-out choice of word/keeping in register, "I have a whole lot of ideas for texts for our phototrying out vocabulary, written expression
story. Babylon does the difficult bit for me. That's better than fiddling around with dictionaries."
17
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3
Didactic-methodological
spectrum
Possible uses in teaching
The visual medium picture has special importance in language teaching, as because of its lack of speech
it stimulates speech. Monologue becomes dialogue when the picture is observed by more than one
person, for every kind of perception touches off impulses, which can be linked by individually different
chains of associations that are only understandably communicated and exchanged through conversation.
The combination of picture and sound lends itself to situational, action-oriented teaching aims including
all elements from affective to cognitive, particularly appropriate for its use in modern teaching. In the
process of its development the photostory takes up these elements step by step and leads to higher
levels of motivation through the involvement of new technologies.
There are various approaches to the production of a photostory. The concept of pupil-oriented teaching
is common to all of them. First and foremost the essential elements of the photostory - picture and text
in speech bubbles - are taken up and pupil-active exercises are offered.
Stools for stories...
3.1 From photographs to stories
The pupils take photographs with the digital camera.
In this way they not only practise the techniques, but
also reduce any inhibitions they might have. Through
this playful activity they lose their shyness of acting in
front of the camera. In a preparatory discussion a priority programme is drawn up, which is to be put into
practice in pairs or small groups:
- Nature pictures, of trees for example
- Portraits
- The body in motion
- Feelings and body language (expressing envy,
anger, joyful expectation etc.)
- Living spaces
- Breaking up visual habits: objects (e.g. chairs)
in an unusual context.
One popular photographic activity will be working
with stills, paying special attention to mime and
gesture.
18
The portrait or the picture of a tree will be a form
of monologue, whereas other shots set up a relationship, a dialogue between two or more persons,
or between persons and objects. A possible story
develops.
The pupils record a movement or a sequence of
movements, with the camera they capture various
body positions in relation to a building, a tool etc.,
they gain an insight into the effect of space. For
example they place a group of people in a space
that seems fitting (individual - group, group group, person - object). Or it can happen that
simple objects in the classroom can be used, like
the example with the swivel-stools in the art room.
The various arrangements of the stools led to the
development of a story, in which the objects could
speak (personification through a speech bubble).
The significance of the use of objects to stimulate
action-oriented and therefore language-oriented activities is clear when prepared requisites are used.
A sack or bag of scarves, glasses, hats etc. helps
both the reduction of the pupils' awkwardness and
their spontaneous acting in front of the camera.
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1
2
3
Further side effects are the practising of physical
expression in front of the camera, the discussion
of picture composition and the discovery of
preferences for specific functions such as actor and
photographer.
3.2 Pictures tell stories
Another approach involves the use of photos, pictures, works of art which serve as an incentive for
a story (picture 1-3). It can be a matter of a single
picture or a series of pictures. If such pictures are
placed in a possible sequence or plot, then their
various layers of meaning can be deduced and the
pupils can identify with them. In this way the
learners are given a higher degree of freedom to
make decisions about the story which is to be told.
It is especially important in foreign language teaching to stimulate the enjoyment of story-telling.
What has
happened?
How do the
two persons
relate to
each other?
6
What is
about
to happen?
7
Works of art or press photos present similar opportunities for the development of a story.
4
4
Portraits can be a point of departure, for example:
What are the girl's thoughts and feelings (Picture 4)?
This open question provokes the pupils to complete
the picture by means of a thought or speech bubble
(picture 5).
Several people express a relationship (picture 6).
Mime and gesture offer many possibilities of expression (picture 7).
In the last two pictures a speech bubble can encapsulate the main point of the action.
5
5
19
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What moods are evoked by this picture?
What fabulous beings could you imagine
in these surroundings?
What would they do?
What would they say?
Nature pictures (e.g. trees) or materials (like objects)
stimulate the imagination due to their symbolic content:
With this last question it becomes clear that life
can be set into an environment. The means of
personification brings animals and stones to speak.
Using the computer, many of the ideas suggested
here can be worked on. Moreover the PC opens
up new avenues:
The matchstick men and the many pictures of Clip
Art are popular with young people and can be a further point of departure for a picture story. Software
programmes specially for photostories are already
available, such as the programme Soapy Pictures2.
The CD-ROM contains numerous photos, which represent typical youthful scenarios like First Love,
Friendship and Jealousy and episodes from
relationships with
friends competently
enough. It must be
added in a more critical
vein that current cliches
are picked up in this last
example and that there is simply
an over- abundance of prefabricated material at this juncture. This narrows down the creativity needed for the development of a story.
Pictures tell stories - the observer discerns the various layers of meaning in their statements,
projects himself emotionally into the mood and
characters and converts these into his own language and activity. For the preparation of a photostory the character and his conflicts must be empathized with and physically portrayed.
2
3
20
cf. page 64 Hands on… Soapy Pictures
cf. Cisneros (1991)
3.3 Narrating texts in pictures working with literature
One's creativity is addressed by any kind of reading
activity, and it is stimulated in foreign language teaching when single scenes of a play, a novel or a poem
are visualized. The transfer of text material into pictures goes beyond pure text comprehension and opens
up a more subjective approach. The pupils put their
individual perceptions and fantasies into words and
display them in the "public arena" of the group.
Short stories
The pupils present a short scene, in which this sentence, the crucial statement of the short story No Speak
English by Sandra Cisneros, plays a significant role.3
The medium of the speech bubble marks the beginning of one's
own story and puts a key element
of photostories into practice: picture and language focus on the
main strand of the action.
Finally the group can compare
their products with the original.
Transformation of the short story Water by
Fred Leebron
The plot is divided up to clarify the contrasts between the first person narrator and the romantic
couple. We leave the picture material for a time
(this could be adapted at an additional stage, to
work out the atmosphere for the photos) and the
group concentrate on situations which they can portray. These two threads of the plot serve as the
starting point for the storyboard; they can be produced and portrayed independently of each other,
or the pupils weave them together (see below).
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Reading comprehension is necessary for the adaptation of a complete work, for the group must first
understand a scene very well, in order to discern its
fine nuances and to reduce the story to the messages of a few speech bubbles and the connecting text.
WATER4
1 She touches his hair by the river.
I am in our apartment, working. Her hand moves down his back.
I empty the trash and unclog the kitchen sink. His former girlfriends have turned into lesbians.
I take the key to his apartment, which he gave me so I could water his plants during the summer. He
5 bends his kissing face to hers.
I walk over to his apartment, just two blocks away. Their legs dangle in the river.
I unlock the door and bolt it behind me. The room smells of feet and stale ashtrays. In the kitchen is
a gas stove. I turn it on without lighting it.
Down by the river is a flock of geese, which they admire while holding hands. Soon he
10 will take her back to his apartment. Soon they will lie there, readying cigarettes.
I relock the apartment and slip into the street. The air smells of autumn, burnt. In the sky, birds are
leading each other south.
I know there is nothing left between us, that she looks at me each morning as if I were
interrupting her life.
Fred Leebron
ANNOTATIONS:
3 trash - rubbish; to unclog - to remove what is blocking sth. up; sink - basin in the kitchen to wash the
dishes in; 6 to dangle - to hang loosely; 7 to bolt - Ger: verriegeln; stale - old and no longer fresh;
8 stove - oven, cooker; 9 flock - group; 10 to ready - to prepare to use; 11 to relock - to lock (turn
the key) again; 14 to interrupt - to break in on an activity, e.g. by talking
ACTIONS OF THE PROTAGONISTS
ACTION OF THE COUPLE THROUGH HER EYES
She touches his hair by the river.
I am in our apartment, working.
Her hand moves down his back.
I empty the trash and unclog the kitchen sink.
I take the key to his apartment, (which he gave me so I could
water his plants during the summer)
He bends his kissing face to hers.
Anm.: Der Flashback könnte an dieser Stelle wegfallen und die Handlung später extra
aufgegriffen werden.
I walk over to his apartment, just two blocks away.
Their legs dangle in the river.
I unlock the door and bolt it behind me.
I turn (the gas stove) on without lighting it.
They admire (a flock of geese) while holding hands.
(Soon he will take her back to his apartment. Soon they will lie there, readying cigarettes.)
Note: The Group has to choose between a thought bubble connected to the first-person-narrator or taking up the plot later.
I relock the apartment and slip into the street.
(She looks at me each morning as if I were interrupting her life.)
Note: The Group has to decide if this is to be a thought bubble or a flashback.
4
cf. Tepe (1997)
21
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The supplementary volume to the anthology, "Creative Exercises", gives several good suggestions
how this short story can be creatively analysed
and adapted. In order to transform the narrative
into a photostory one of the exercises is presented:
according to their abilities – either construct themselves or receive as food for thought.
The exercise on a sociogramme makes the pupils
aware of the antagonistic constellation of characters, which is to be recorded in the pictures.
The constellation of characters can be represented by means of a sociogramme, that the pupils –
What are the relationships between the three characters in this story? Give quotations
from the text to support your view.5
she
I
he
relationship
very close
close
friendly
superficial
hostile
The thickness of the connecting lines and the form of the triangle indicate the relationship between the characters. Do you agree with the triangle?5
5
22
c.f. Tepe (1997)
- Fill an information gap in the text with a scene of
their own
- Act out a scene subsequent to the text
A framework of the situation is drawn up and is embellished with suitable details.
Subsequently the feelings in the poem can be explored from various positions. The following questions are of help here:
Who is speaking?
Who is this “I”?
Who is the “you“?
Which is the basic conflict?
Which solutions could be found?
- Carry out a change of perspective (and tell the
story from the point of view of a minor character,
of an animal, of an object)
Narrative Skeletons
A poem as an impulse for a photo story
The plot of a story is being extended and finally compared with the original.
Poems provide numerous impulses for stories, which
can be told in pictures.
In the first stage the characters are placed in pictures.
Such narrative frameworks (skeletons) are offered
by J. Morgan and M. Rinvolucri in their work "Once
Upon a Time" (see below the example fom Taslin).
LET´S TALK ABOUT IT6
THE BEAR THAT WASN‘T7
I know
that you think
you know
what is good for me,
but
I also think
that I know
what is good for me.
Bear saw geese flying South, leaves fluttering down
Said to himself, 'It's time to sleep'
Went to cave, piled up leaves: soon asleep
October
In December men came, built factory over cave
March
Bear woke up, went to cave mouth: no grass, no trees, chimneys
Thought it was a dream, pinched himself, no change
I know
you mean well,
but
I also mean well
for myself,
and in the end
I have to live my life.
Foreman 'Why aren't you working?'
'But I'm a bear'
'No, you're not. You're a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat'
Foreman took bear to General Manager: little man, big desk, bald
Foreman reports; manager to bear, 'You're a silly man who ...'
'I'm going to prove to you that you're not a bear'
All drove to zoo in manager's Cadillac
Little bears in cage - manager asked 'Is he a bear?'
Little bears laughed 'If he was a bear, he'd be inside the cage with us'
Bear depressed
They went to circus: same thing with bears on funny bikes
Bear more depressed
Back to factory, bear worked on machine
October
Oil crisis, factory closed, men back to families
Bear in wood: saw geese, leaves - said to himself:
'It's time to ... no ... I'm a silly who needs a ... '
Colder and colder; white stuff fell, snow
Walked to cave, went in, piled up leaves, went to sleep saying,
'I'm not a man, I'm a bear'
Can we talk about it
and come up with something better
than either your or my opinion?
Ulrich Schaffer
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Instead of a complete work just one aspect of a fictional text is taken as a starting point, from which the
pupils develop possible (new) scenes (creative narration and writing, scenic interpretation), in which they
for example
Tashlin
6
7
cf. Collie, J./ Porter Ladousse, G. (1991)
cf. Morgan & Rinvolucri (1983)
23
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For this activity groups of about eight pupils are
formed, in which the eight roles (zoo bear, cadillac, foreman, cave, wild goose, manager,
Bear, fluttering leaf) are cast; each group is also
responsible for the critical perspective of the director of the photostory.
Picture 2
It must be emphasized with regard to this example that both objects and animals literally
"play a role. This may well be the cause of
some surprise on the part of the pupils, but will
have creative effects in practice.
Working with literary examples
For the didactic introduction of complex scenarios from stage and film photostories can be a
useful tool.
The pupils can continue a given text independently.
Reading the text is interrupted at a particular point
and continued with the help of a photostory (anticipation). Similarly an episode of a previous incident that the group do not know can be shown as
a flashback , or scenes only lightly sketched out
with text material are visualised in the pictures.
This can take place realistically by working close
Romeo und Julia,
Regie: Franco Zeffirelli 1968
Romeo and Juliet,
Regie: Buz Luhrmann 1997
to the submitted text. The addition of a narrator, who
summarizes the plot or comments on it like the conventional narrative of a photostory can easily restore the nearness to the text if required.
On the other hand there are much better chances for the
pupils to identify with the action if stories are transferred
into a context which is close to the pupils' own life
(comp. the proposal to play Maupassant's novella La
Parure in the present, picture 1). In this way the
material is alienated rather like director Baz Luhrmann's
successful new adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo
and Juliet in a very contemporary setting in 1997 (picure
2).
This kind of work depends on the pupils being able to
"read between the lines", to use picture language and
to empathize with the characters. Advanced pupils are
able to give their attention not only to the plot but also
to the significance of colours, seasons and moods. They
can express these things by making them visible.
This form of work can make an important contribution to passing on productive skills in conjunction with
semantics and syntax. During all the preparatory stages of the photostory the reduction of a text to its
essentials is necessary. The pupils produce a summary in pictures with few subdivisions by tying together
the main strands of the plot.
Picture1
c.f. Horn (2000)
However one can go about it the other way round:
the bare outline of a plot is given to the pupils to be
filled out and then compared to the original.
What was presented here for the theatre can be trans-
24
ferred to work with other literary and non-fictional texts.
A team of pupils watch a film, select the scenes
which point the way ahead, and print out still
pictures - something which has been facilitated
nowadays by the use of DVD technology. As an
introduction to the viewing of the entire film the
group show the other pupils the "summary with
pictures". This picture story can, with the help of
auditive and narrative language elements, be
extended into a photostory.
(see pictures from “Romeo and Juliet” on page 24)
Working with films
One particular use of the preparatory introduction and
the creative continuation of a story is offered by activities with the medium film.
Still pictures can be extended with the help of auditive
and narrative language elements into a photostory.
Instead of a summary one single scene can be the
starting point of a (new) scene – here the pupils
work in a similar way to that described in the literary example above.
Further suggestions for the use of films in foreign
language teaching can be found in the appendix
(10.3 Internet links)
The photostory as trailer
Photostories appear as an introduction of complex plots
on stage and in films in programme brochures.
In simple steps (the sequence of pictures, a short text)
complicated information can be conveyed. A reporter gives explanations and commentaries with the help
of a speech bubble. The sequence of pictures becomes a factual text.
It is a matter of the pupils "staging" reports that might
at first sight seem dry. Research that they have carried
out through the Internet or through other channels of
learning are made easier to understand by means of
expressive pictures. The pupils are required to produce
their own commentary on present-day political, regional
or school problems.
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EXAMPLE:
The photostory uses similar methods:
This has the advantage that a class can be split up
into several teams, each with its own theme.
These groups work independently and complement
each other, without having to pay attention to the
linear development of an activity.
Excursions, school events (project weeks, sports
days), teaching projects are not only documented
with pictures, but can be retold with a photo report.
3.5 The interactive photostory
with foreign partners
The development of an interactive photostory is
interesting. The story is developed, together with
a partner, at different points in time. There are
various possibilities for the production:
Similar to film sequences used to announce a new film
a photostory has the function of a trailer. The photo
sequences prepare the viewer for a play or a film.
EXAMPLE:
The rehearsals of an English performance of Death
of a Salesman were attended by a talented young
pupil. He transferred what he considered to be key
scenes of the play into cartoons (cf. p. 26) which
were put into the programme brochure.
What is being presented here can also be used in
connection with fictional and non-fictional texts.
3.4 Conveying information with
pictures
The results of research, technical sequences or advertising a product can also be compressed into a
series of pictures.
EXAMPLE:
In the children's show "The Programme with the
Mouse" the viewers take a look behind the scenes of
a production: children learn how goods or technical
complexes are made. The steps of the production are
illustrated as in fast motion.8
8
9
cf. WDR Lachgeschichten
cf. Zimmermann (1978)
Profiles of people9
25
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- The group produce the photostory and ask their
partner for opinions and supplementation.
- The partners both work on a plot or a theme.
Springing from different contexts of life
interculturally comparable products emerge
- They produce a common story in serial form, each
contributing a chapter in turn.
The exchange occurs in digital form via the Internet.
In this intercultural learning process differences, but
also common needs, wishes and fears that transcend
borders become apparent.
3.6 Using photostories from
youth magazines
Pupils of different grades read photo
novels in the various youth magazines:
at a young age for example they read
stories about the horse farm; older ones
occupy themselves with a photo novel
about Big-Brother "heroes". Such a text
can be given to the group – perhaps even
without commentary – as an example
of a photostory.
This authentic material is usually analysed and critically adapted in foreignlanguage teaching as an example of
young people’s literature in the media.
However the danger is that the original
motivation is destroyed: the attractiveness of the story itself is lost through
the analytical and critical discussion.
According to the principle laid out in this
chapter existing material is to be worked
on creatively.
A part of the photostory is left out and
the pupils rediscover it. For example the
pictures from Chilled Out were adapted
in this way.
The creativity is stimulated when pupils
only receive parts of a photostory, which
they then spin out. However they are
guided by the framework that has been
submitted. Their fantasy is given free
rein, when the given material is meagre. Possible variations are:
- Leaving out pictures or a picture sequence
- Only showing the first picture
- Only showing the final picture
- Showing the first and the final pictures.
The procedure of showing the pictures
individually and in random order, so that
the group can concoct possible plots is
a more restrictive work form.
(See page 35 project example Chilled
Out…)
c.f. Docwra (1991)
26
1
CHILLED OUT
1) Phil Collins: Another day in paradise 2) The Doors: Hello , I love you 3) Eminem: The real slim shady 4/5) Dirty Dancing Soundtrack: Be my baby 6) Britney Spears:
Ooops... I did it again 7) Lady Marmelade: Voulez vous coucher avec moi 8/9) My Bonnie is over the ocean 10) Britney Spears: I was born to make you happy 11) ‘N
Sync: Bye Bye Bye 12) Bill Haley: See you later alligator 13) Westlife: Uptown Girl 14) Modern Talking: You're my heart, you're my soul 15) Nena: 99 Red Balloons 16)
Bon Jovi: You were born to be my baby 17) The Cardigans: Lovefool 18) Olsen Brothers: Fly on the wings of love 19/20) Elvis Presley: Love me tender 21) Lenny Kravitz:
Again 22/23) Shakespeare 24) Celine Dion: My heart will go on
27
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3.7 The further development of a
photostory
Creative work will motivate the pupils to go on
developing the product. If there are the time and
resources in the school situation, the following alternatives can be put forward:
One possibility is that the photostory evolves into
a photo soap, to be continued week by week as in
the youth magazines.
In schools which possess a suitable digital equipment, pictures can be scanned and then the story
can also be presented as a slide show. The individual pictures can easily be put together and accompanied by music or commentary over the soundtracks (see “Hands on… Aquasoft Diashow 3.5,
page 65).
At a presentation evening for the photostory roleplaying, sketches and stills from the production can
be put on stage.
The various uses shown here display a broad spectrum for the teacher. These cannot be carried out
at the drop of a hat in the concrete teaching situation. Therefore practical steps will be introduced
in the following chapters, which focus on the linear process of the development of a photostory.
28
for the implementation of the project: hardware, software, skills
4
Most schools are equipped with sufficient information technology to produce photostories. Digital cameras
are in most cases part of the available resourdes. There is no need to buy expen-sive image editing software
because only basic functions are needed for the photostory project and these are all provided by economically priced packages. The internet offers test versions which can be downloaded for short-term projects.
Computer magazines often contain test versions on CD. The same is true of the digital camera: it does not
need to be a top model.
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Prerequisites
Equipment
Hardware
Pentium II computer or better (preferably one computer per working group)
Colour printer suitable for photos
Digital camera
Software
Word processing software
Image editing programme (e.g. Paintshop, MGI Photo Suite, Corel Photo Paint, Adobe Photo
Shop, Ulead Phot Impact, etc.)
Recommended: software to assemble photo stories: (e.g. RTL Soapy Pictures, Aquasoft Diashow)
What teachers and pupils already need to know
Basics in Windows
Drag & drop
file management
Basic word processing
cut, copy and paste of text and graphics
Basic image editing
Import of pictures from digital camera
Cut, copy and paste of graphic elements
Adjustment of brightness, contrast, saturation and colour
Basic functions of digital cameras
Picture frame reworking (zoom, wide-angle and close-up)
Image quality (black & white, colour, resolution)
Flash enhancement
Image transfer to the PC
Power source (power packs)
29
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5
Project example: Chilled Out…
The Making Of… Between scepticism and great expectations
Of course I wanted to collect first
ideas for the photostory right from
the beginning, so that the pupils
could occupy their thoughts with
alternatives before the next meeting. The distribution of tasks also
had to be be determined at an
early stage. For this purpose the
participants completed a questionnaire, in which suggestions for a
photostory could be made.
Boys' fantasies versus girls':
First ideas
The completed forms were laid
out in the middle of the circle for
evaluation. Each participant then
picked up someone else's form
and read it out. The suggestions
This example originated in an optional English course at the Werner-von-Siemens Realschule, Hannover. The participants, 9 girls
and 11 boys, come from three tenth classes.
The project was planned for one school year,
comprising two lessons a week.
A teacher reports:
The theme of the course was known to the
pupils through announcement, however a certain tense sense of expectancy could be felt
at the first meeting:
- Which pupils from parallel classes will be
with us?
- Will it be possible to fulfil the expectations
of English teaching "without a book" by
means of independent effort?
- Who is the teacher?
- How will the marks be worked out?
Sitting in a circle we all introduced ourselves
and expressed our expectations. After that I
explained the most important functions of the
digital camera and asked the participants to
take pictures of each other. The gallery of
participants was stuck into the course book,
so that I could connect names and faces. The
photos were also useful on the cover of the
CD with the photostory as a slide show.
30
At the next meeting the participants agreed on a
general structure. During this discussion the boys
dominated proceedings, with the result that some
girls no longer wanted to contribute. In order to
relax the mood I decided to form a boys' and a
girls' group. The aim was now to describe the
beginning and the end of the story.
Both groups agreed to the procedure, work and
discipline increased noticeably. Almost simultaneously the first sketches were presented and
discussed in plenary session.
react constructively to the unexpected. Thus the idea
of rejecting the original plan that Tyra and Barry
meet in the bus or in the subway came from a closer
consideration of the situational photos; the beginning
of the story could be generated from these. The
story board for this episode evolved afterwards. I
regard such chance events as these to be perfectly
in order, so long as the story line is not subjected to
radical upheavals. Other changes will presumably
also occur. What will happen if the group are not
allowed to work in a tattooing studio close to the
school? Then we have to find an alternative
location, where the "baddies" meet up and where
the treacherous brother of our "hero" fixes his beady
eyes on Tyra. For one thing is certain: at least one
of the brothers must die in the end.
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were recorded on a transparency in two columns,
"headings" and "ideas". It soon became clear how
difficult it is to formulate a pithy title at the first attempt. The boys had very similar ideas regarding the
theme, as was proved by repeated entries. The girls,
on the other hand, had quite different ideas.
Several of the episodes were shot outside school
time and even holidays were not taboo. In so doing
the pupils got to know their teacher in different
Who acts the part of the woman who kills herself?
Then I informed the class about the results of the
questionnaires with regard to the distribution of
tasks: five girls and seven boys were prepared to
act in front of the camera. Four girls and seven
boys had plumped for computer work (picture
processing, insertion of text elements, montage and
multimedia presentation). After some persuasion
a girl took the short part of the suicide.
After the third meeting the thread of the story had
been spun. Before the actual photographic work began, we went into the town centre to make situational photos. The aim was to put together scenes
which clearly express situations and are suitable for
the subsequent insertion of speech bubbles. I arranged the results on six pages, complete with empty
speech bubbles; these were copied for every participant in black and white. In the next double lesson
the pupils had the task of choosing three pages and
adding dialogue to them. At least two more utterances of each dialogue-partner together with a concluding remark should be written under the photos.
The red shoes
Mandy: I know, but I need red shoes for my party.
Sandy: You are crazy, but if you need red shoes, then go
and get them.
Mandy: They look nice and it‘s a fair price, isn‘t it?
Each participant fed the dialogue, which I had corrected, into the computer and saved it as a text
file. As there is an index with the photos in every
computer, each of them could complete his chosen
situations with speech bubbles and insert his text
into them. Speech bubbles can be found in the
type-face "Webdings". The pupils worked with a
partner in this phase: one pupil read out the text,
the other fed it into the computer, and vice versa.
Flexibility - a component necessary for success
Our work was affected time and again by external
factors. These led to alterations in the sequence
of the work process, and occasionally to changes
in the content. This situation was a challenge for
pupils and teacher, as chance events are an
exceptional occurrence during "normal" teaching.
We learned to think in a flexible manner and to
Elmstreet
Charly: Do you know, where Elmstreet is?
Danny: Let me think. First you walk down Churchstreet.
After 50 metres you turn left into Elmstreet.
Did you get that?
Charly: Mmh, yes I think so. Thank you and bye.
Danny: Bye!
31
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32
surroundings, a fact that had a positive influence on
the class situation. Despite the reduction of distance
I experienced no loss of authority. On the contrary:
through the shared work and the common aim there
was more trust – especially in the reliability of the
partner. A pupil–teacher relationship based on
shared responsibility was for all concerned an experience of particularly high value.
At the end of the project each participant presented
his folder with all the worksheets, partial results, floppies and the printed photostory. In this way the pupils possess a portfolio giving evidence of their work.
Last but not least: if everything is so easy, where is
the catch? Admittedly the question of the risk of
damage to the camera is justifiable and can be answered clearly: there is no insurance to cover damage. If the damaged camera is school property, the
budget will certainly be stretched, whereas if teachers use their personal apparatus they must run the
risk. I do that and trust my pupils. Up to now I have
not been disappointed.
Lessonplan
1l
Introduction
2 ls
Collecting sources;
Creating/generating
ideas
Skill
Materials / Media
Photosoap: printed or as
slideshow
Group discussion
Song (lyrics)
Poem
Story
Play
Horoscope
Newspaper article
Movie
Students' ideas
Presentation of
material by
students;
evaluation
Storyboard worksheets
Group work;
Panel discussion
2 ls
Storyboard
Drawing;
Description of
situations
4 ls
Getting organized
Video equipment
Manual skills:
Make-up; sewing; Digital cameras
Handling technical
equipment
-------------------------Writing dialogues
Ext.
Production of raw
material
Taking excellent
photos;
(professional)
acting
2 ls
Editing material
Making directories; PC + software
Working with files
3 ls
Language work
Comments
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Time Objectives
Developing a
storyline according
to target group;
Personel
What have we got?
What do we need?
Who is an expert
on…?
--------------------------Schedule:
locations, actors,
costumes &
accessories,
technical
equipment,
transport,
financial support
Digital camera
Digital camcorder
Digital imaging
PC + Photoshop®
Photopaint®
Making speech
bubbles with text
inserts
PC + Word®
PowerPoint®
CorelDRAW®
Can also be done
while raw material
is produced
PC Dictionary®
2 ls
DTP (Desktop
Publishing)
Slide show on CD +
audio
Layout of pages
PC + graphic tools
Creating slide
show
PC + multimedia tools
33
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PHOTOSTORY QUESTIONNAIRE
Name:
Form:
My hobbies:
That’s me!
What I like about photostories:
My suggestions
Title:
The story is about:
The main characters in my story:
My contribution
I‘m an actor / actress:
yes
no
I prefer standing behind the camera:
yes
no
I’d like to do some computer work:
digital imaging
arranging texts into speech/
thought bubbles
layout of the storyboard
multimedia arrangements
I’m a beginner
I’m experienced
34
Project example Chilled Out…
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35
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The photostory Chilled Out… consists of 14 episodes, containing up to 30 photos
each. The first episode shows how the two protagonists accidentally meet each other
in a pedestrian area.
Chilled Out…: a photostory in 14 episodes
36
1. The beginning: Barry meets Tyra
8. School talk
2. Louise
9. Tyra gets into difficulties
3. Why, Jenny? Why?
10. Help me, please
4. Bad news
11. An eye for an eye
5. The funeral
12. A walk in the park
6. Jenny‘s diary
13. We care for you
7. A touch of Xmas
14. The fight
This section describes the carrying out of the project from the planning stage via different steps and production
ideas to the actual final presentation of the results. To support teacher training, hands-on modules are
embedded in the methodological-didactic framework which embraces the development of the photostory.
For all the phases from the staging of photos to the production of the photostory, practical tips and
useful basic nformation have been included.
6.1 Didactic–methodological framework:
From the idea to the storyboard
A whole range of receptive and productive language
skills are called upon, practised and reinforced in
the framework of the project, because foreign language activities take place in every phase. The pupils speak and write in meaningful, communicative
contexts and increase their language power and language knowledge.
It all starts with an idea for a story which will later be
given scenic expression ("staged") and told in photographic form. The pupils develop the plot of the story
which is processed into a storyline. At this juncture it
is important that the threads of the action, the characters and events complement one another and are
developed consistently.
The storyboard is then assembled as an action guide
for the forthcoming staging and photo sessions. To
do this, a list is made of single scenes with details
about people, places, time and the sequence of
events. The units of action described in the storyboard are staged within the framework of the shooting sessions and documented with the camera.
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6
Implementation of in-service training
The next step is image processing using a PC. Appropriate pictures are selected and, if necessary, digitally reworked. Then the montage of the individual sequences in the photostory is carried out.
Parallel to this or afterwards, dialogues for the
speech bubbles and the inserted narrative texts are
written. The pupils write the dialogues and texts in
this intensive, creative phase either on paper or on
the computer.
Elements of content
continuous checking of storyline with regard to consistency; if necessary adaptation or amendment
Describe the
characters and plot
their relationships
with each other
Writing scripts, using Non-verbal
communication
knowledge of the
descriptions of
location and
Staging the pictures
character, of the
order of events and
details of setting
SHOOTING
STORYBOARD
STORYLINE
Brainstorming,
expressing opinions
and feelings,
expressing and
refuting criticism,
expressing agreement
Describing complex
situations and
actions in a short,
precise manner
Setting the scene
Learning working
vocabulary by using
foreign-language
software
Drafting dialogues
and connecting
narrative on paper
and on the screen,
reworking and
correcting
PRESENTATION
DIALOGUES
IMAGE-EDITING
Understanding of
instructions;
Adaptation of the
stage directions as
discussion of
non-verbal elements possible solutions
(mime, gestures,
posturing);
Presentation, short
talks, scenes from
the production
Coordination of
speech intentions,
functions and
registers with the
situation presented
in the photo
Adaptation of the
presentation for
different target
groups
Drafting posters,
writing invitations
and programmes
discussion of
possible solutions
Forms of classroom communication;
linguistic items and skills related to the project
37
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Development of the storyline
Learning a foreign language is especially successful
if the context and topics are meaningful to the pupils
individually. The development of the storyline into a
photostory offers an appropriate framework to include topics which really mean something to the
pupils. In most cases these topics deal with growingup and the relevant experiences and problems.
In the role of an advisor and presenter, the teacher
will tread carefully in this phase, he will, however,
modify exaggerated ideas and will try to reach a consensus in the group of learners. Only if the group can
not agree on a common theme will fixed tasks and
impulses be necessary.
Finding a theme takes place in three steps:
- brainstorming
- decision
- a mind map to plot the field of the thematic frame
work
As an advisor, the teacher has to pay attention to
the applicability of certain criteria during this process:
-
practicality
length of the story
attractiveness
language register
factual knowledge
An open beginning – with or without a pre-set thematic framework – offers the pupils the opportunity
to give their imagination free rein. We can expect
themes like life and love, sex, drugs, violence to be
taken up. The teacher shouldn't consider these taboo from the very start, but rather try to integrate
them appropriately, and so include these at one and
the same time sensitive and fascinating areas of youth
culture. The conflict in many stories will be about
love, and this permanently requires a suitable
openness. Acting out a kiss will alone be a threshold
that has to be overcome.
Thus taboos will be dealt with in lessons, and it will
depend on the group how far their ideas can really
be put into action.
CONTENTS
PEOPLE AND RELATIONSHIPS
jealousy
LOVE
PARENTS
ACTION
…meeting in the
town centre
(pedestrian zone)
TEACHERS
FRIENDSHIP
... meeting people
Barry
...
violence
drugs
DANGERS/
PROBLEMS
Ecstasy
money
...
...
bans
US:
FRIENDS,
CLIQUE
Tyra
...
disco
...
cinema
LEISURE
TIME / FUN
party
LOVING
COUPLE
...
sport
pranks
38
DREAMBOY/
DREAMGIRL
CH AR ACTERS
PER S ONA L BA CK GR OUN D
EV EN TS
PHO TOSTO RY - FIRST I DEAS
L OCATIO N
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39
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6.2 Steps to the storyboard
The roughly structured ideas for the story are filled
in with details in the next step. The threads of
action are interwoven and the production of the
drama is refined. The story gains by mixing truth
and fiction and, if possible, by giving it a point or a
final punchline. Very often the pupils lose the overall
view and discrepancies creep in. To avoid this and
to include pre-set material, the storyboard offers
a framework on the basis of which the production
can begin: when does something happen, where
does it happen, who takes part and what makes
the story move on. The storyboard is at one and
the same time a detailed plan and a production
guide.
In this preparatory phase the following details
should be noted for every photograph that is
planned,
1. what is to be seen in the photograph
2. where the action is taking place
3. which persons are to be seen
4. which props are needed for the photograph
TIP: The group can decide whether the story will develop from the actions and interaction of the characters or whether a narrator (represented in the inserted texts) is to draw the threads together.
Older pupils may develop their story using classical dramatic structures: exposition - climax / turning point - solution / dénouement.
Just as they would with a modern short story, the group can think
about how they'd like to start their story and then continue the
action accordingly. Ready, steady, go…
40
The storyboard is a great help not only to put together a photostory but also to carry out the photo
sessions. Detailed planning avoids later misunderstandings (How did we want to do it? How does it
go on now?). If necessary, the storyboard can be
altered, for example, because of technical and
organisational difficulties (longer absence of actors).
The storyboard worksheet serves the development
and documentation of the following steps in the
work:
the story is divided into scenes
every scene is numbered and briefly outlined
the arrangement of the scenes is checked to see
which passages would be better rendered by
means of text inserts
for every photograph certain things are fixed:
- the setting (place, time of day, atmosphere,
mood)
- the positions of the actors
- the necessary props
all this information is then transferred to the
storyboard worksheet
TIP: The threads of the action and the scenes should
be developed in plenary session of the group in order to guarantee the continuity of the story. Dividing
up the work only makes sense if the tasks entail selfcontained sub-plots.
T ITLE
L OCATIO N
N OT ES (AC CE SSOR IES , D ATES E TC .)
NA RR ATIVE
NO
CH AR ACT ERS
STOR YBO AR D
AC TIO N
CA ME R A
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6.3 Staging a photostory
What would language learning and teaching be
like without body language?
The following exercises on mimicry
and gestures for a photostory are not
specific to foreign languages. Different forms of expressions are a necessary part of any sort of staging
and a part of language, because
non-verbal communication helps foreign language learning acquisition
in all sorts of situations. Role-plays
can help pupils to develop social
skills and to react appropriately in
similar situations outside the classroom. So it is clear that staging
can contribute to the development of personality. Using dramatic means, different forms of action,
behaviour and stereotypes can be shown.
There is a liberating effect to staging, through which
it is not only an experience for the group but also
for the individual pupil. It's much more than just
every-day lessons, it promotes co-operation among
the pupils and offers the opportunity to take on different roles. Using staging, we can practise ways of
expression for future photo sessions.
42
TIP: Considering this, we recommend exercises on
role-play and off-the-cuff acting before putting together a script. Using the freeze technique, you can
practise keeping up the tension that photography
needs, when it is necessary for the actors to remain in a
certain body position with a certain facial expression for
some time.
Staging portraits
TIP: There are some tricks which can be a help to provide a relaxed atmosphere, like
Don't forget to say 'cheese'
Use body exercises, like, for example, moving the
head to and fro quickly with relaxed facial muscles
Pulling faces and grimacing.
Movement is important regarding the photos and
the model should try out different possibilities: rolling his head, putting on a haughty expression, pulling
faces, shouting angrily at someone etc..
The pupils should experiment with make-up, hairstyles, clothes and props, in order to try out different effects and reinforce the identification with
the respective role.
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"In the search for man’s own identity, the portrait is
the most classical field for photography." (Zimmermann, 1978, 40). Making portraits is a challenge for
pupils, because they are often afraid of making fools
of themselves. Regarding method, it is a matter of
helping the pupils to overcome their shyness and
consciously alter their facial expression.
Photos should be taken during this preparatory
stage. A close look at the photos will help the actors to see whether they have succeeded in slipping into their role. The photographers will see
which photographic means produced particularly
expressive pictures and will thus be able to improve
on their technique.
43
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Hands on... body language and gesture
Mimicry and gesture when acting
in front of the camera
Mimicry refers – as we noted under portrait photography – to the face, gesture to the expressiveness of the body, or parts of the body.
Using mimicry and gesture, the pupils can carry
out the following tasks in small groups:
- Act out certain moods, feelings and characteristics like merriment, sadness, harmony, devotion, rejection, aggression etc.
- Take on stereotypical characters like a rocker,
a ‘square’, a sex-bomb, a pop star etc.
Using a photo as a starter for creative writing
The amount of time and material can only be justified if photos are used in a new context.
Printed in the format of 10 x 15 cm the photos can
be used as postcards to be sent to friends and relatives – usually the writers get a pleasant feedback.
44
From trial sessions to casting
As many pupils as possible should have worked
with the camera, taken photographs and have
posed to be photographed. After going through all
this, it will be easier for the group to decide who is
going to be the actors, directors, photographers,
layout specialists, make-up artists and stage
designers.
Mimicry and gesture belong to our everyday life and are elements of communication – in the classroom
as well. The following tables show a survey of forms of expression. They can help to analyse body
language and to use body-language signals specifically with regard to the photostory.
BO D Y PO SITI ON
SITTI NG
signal
meaning
head tilted back
reserved, distance
USING THE SEAT
head tilted forward
curiosity, intellectuality
head tucked in
immobility, fixation
-
bowed
burdened, worry about
insufficiency
chest drawn back
distance, feelings kept back,
activity reduced, unyielding
-
shoulders, chest drawn back
avoidance
-
free hip movement
relaxed attitude to feelings and
emotions
-
shrunken
passivity, stubbornness
hips tucked back
reserved, respect for social
taboos
both feet planted firmly on the firmness, realism
ground
standing legs straight
spite, staying power
toes grip the ground
insecurity, 'child of habit'
W AY S O F W A L K I N G
'blinkers'
head back, stiff walk, quick
steps
'Mr Careful'
head forward, looking around,
narrow walk, short steps, feet
kept flat
'Mr Ambition'
proud chest, big, energetic
steps
'The Peacock'
accentuated slow walk, the
body is put on display
'secretive'
the person 'shrinks' (shoulders
and knees bent), hands/palms
hidden, but normal steps
-
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Elements of body language and gesture
Full weight on the seat surface shows self-confidence
Half-sitting on the seat shows a lack of self-confidence
and a pre-disposition to self-sacrifice
Sitting on the front edge of the seat shows an
inclination to be ready to leave or to start work
Slumping on the seat shows a lack of willpower and
direction
Sitting on a chair the wrong way round builds a
barricade against other people
Someone who leans back or rocks on the back legs
of the chair takes up the position of an observer
Someone who keeps getting up for a moment while
sitting is uncomfortable
THE POSITION OF THE TRUNK OF THE BODY
(See ‘standing’)
THE POSITION OF THE FEET AND LEGS
Neutral position: both feet are at rest, parallel to one another, flat on the ground
Variations:
- Locking ankles: restraint or tenseness
- Feet wound round the chairlegs: staying put
- Tapping feet: ready to leave in a hurry
- Stretching the feet out forwards, tilted sideways:
claiming greater territory, at the same time lacking
the readiness to discuss
- Legs open wide: originally a sign of potency in men
and of openness in women; a sign of relaxation and
trust
- Legs crossed:
the movements of the upper leg are important
Following others – readiness to adapt
Forming a circle with others – solidarity
Moving against others – confrontation
45
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USING THE ARMS
USI N G ONE HA ND
arms crossed
defensive expression or
blocking own activity
closed palm
grasping an idea in thought or
while talking
arms crossed behind back
taking a step back (often done
by officers)
looking for a hold
when in danger of losing
balance
arms crossed at hip height
elbows as defence, protecting
territory, craving admiration
clawing
symbolic threat
arms thrown up with fingers
spread
recoiling
the fist as a natural weapon
shows aggressiveness
(clenching, hitting)
arms hanging
passivity
stroking hand
contact made to an object;
thumb and index finger often
roll a pencil or are rubbed to
increase sensitivity
top of thumb touching top of
index finger
certain detail caught, which
we had to watch out for
pushing away
nasty things
cleaning oneself or the table
(fluff, crumbs)
answer to a momentary
nuisance
U SIN G BOTH HA ND S
U SING I NDI VI U AL FI N GER S
finger tapping
need to get away, nervosity
thumb erect
shows claim to dominance
'twin pistols' fingers (both
index pointed)
aggressivity
pointing finger erect
interwoven fingers
tension, readiness
substitute for an offensive
weapon (threatening,
whipping, looking for weak
points) or for a pointer to
indicate something
interwoven fingers with
fintertips sticking up
defence
"Pyramid" ((fingertips
touching)
looking for contact, openingup, weighing up
rubbing hands
ready to act, warming up
'washing hands'
undecided, helplessness
'Reverend Father', palms
diagonally locked
need for harmony
E MO T I ON A L, S O CIA L A ND FU NC T I ON A L G E S T URE S
Emotional gestures
Social gestures
Function gestures
arms stretched up in joy or misery
waving
putting one's hand up
clenching fist
threatening fist
fist held up in (revolutionary) greeting
vgl. Eckey (1999)
46
Hands on... Make-up and props
Tasks
1. The homepage of YAHOO International
(www.yahoo.com) includes a link to Art and Humanities. Search within the sub-categories for fashionmagazines and fashion photos.
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An introduction to searching for
fashion on the Internet
2. How many search results do you get by searching
for the keyword fashion with a popular search-engine?
3. Search for the newest creations on the website of
your favourite designer and choose your favourite
“piece of art”.
4. Search for school projects dealing with the topic fashion.
Fashion always was and still is an important means
of identification, but also of communication. For
young people it is of the utmost importance. This
can be seen at a glance in young people's magazines and has been confirmed in countless polls.
Clothes, jewellery, hair-dos and type-suitable makeup, as well as brand-name accessories like a walkman, discman, MP3 player and a skateboard
among many others, are all important
interdependent elements of non-verbal communication in the social life
of young people.
It is important for the staging of the
photostory to make the function of fashion clear, because a person's "outfit" is
at one and the same time identification and
the communication of a lifestyle.
Goffman (1976) comments:
"When an individual meets a group,
the latter usually try to gather information on him/her and bring information they already have into play. (...) Information about that certain individual helps to
define the situation, so that the group can guess
at his/her expectations and formulate their own.
With this information the group knows how to behave in order to evoke a desired reaction from the
individual."
Every individual is conscious of the many signals
he/she is emanating, he/she uses those signals
accordingly and is equally open to the
signals others are giving. However,
some research has shown that
young people today are considerably more sensitive in this respect
than their parents and grandparents could possibly be in the 1960's
and 1970's: while the Hippie look and
parkas were almost uniform-like, young
people now value a rich variety of all
their gear, which gives them a special
note in an area of non-verbal communication via the visualisation of a complex lifestyle.
The photostory generates actionoriented levels of motivation (being
close to life and reality) through the
inclusion of fashion, make-up and accessories and the intrinsic nature of these
becomes clear in every phase.
Searching on the internet you find a series of
school projects on the theme of fashion, partly
in combination with digital image processing. The
projects deal with the history of fashion, the function of fashion, the social pressures of fashion, ideal
beauty, advertising, brand names etc.
47
The process
A new look
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Using Cosmopolitan My
Style for Windows 95/
98, pupils can play
around with their appearance on the computer and experiment with
their type. Just by clicking the mouse, they can
change hairdos, add
beards, apply cosmetics
and many other accessories to their own photo
face. There are contact
lenses in over 40 shades,
way-out glasses, cool
sun-glasses and cheeky
hats for endless variations. The type description helps in the search
for the right colours and
stylings, the hairstyle
panorama shows side
and rear views for over
200 hairstyles, make-up
is made easier and the
new export function permits further processing
of the image.
Functions
- 500 hairstyles - of which 200 are panoramic
- hairstyles and beards for men
- 500 cosmetic colours/shades for cheeks, lips and eyes
- many glasses, contact lenses, hats, bridal veils
- styling tips from the virtual cosmetic studio
- image import
- image export
- many printing possibilities - with the special attraction: put your own photo on the cover of Cosmopolitan
48
Your own photo - using a scanner or a digital image - is
imported. In further steps hairstyles, colours, cosmetics
and accessories are selected and combined. Choose a
hairstyle from the suggestions on the right in the picture. Use the computer to alter the size to fit your head.
The colour selector offers a large range of options. Your
favourite hairstyle can be stored in the computer.
Colour on the cheeks, lips and eyes. Here you can
select and apply the colours for lipstick, eye shadow, rouge etc..
Glasses can be selected and moved to fit perfectly.
You can even alter their size. Further models are
available. There is an on-screen slide to click on for
viewing the selection.
Presentation of the new look: Without a doubt the
special attraction is to put yourself on the cover of
Cosmopolitan. You can print your new self on postcards or as a straight picture. The export function
enables processing in both graphics and text programmes, use of the image on websites or sending
out in the form of an e-mail.
describe basic characteristics.
Experience has shown that pupils use the programme
very imaginatively. They change their appearance
quite differently to the way they would do using real
make-up and props in school. A double period is
enough to achieve impressive results.
During processing it has been observed that other
pupils often intervene spontaneously with suggestions
or improvements, e. g. "your eyes are rather blue".
The presentation of the new look appeals to the pupil audience. the aims and the steps of the processing are described, so that the appropriate vocabulary
and the necessary structures have to be activated.
The pupils' task is to prepare for a special occasion,
for example, a party, a family celebration, an evening
at the disco or a wedding. They have to find an appropriate hair-do and accessories.
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Using the programme in class
Intuitively they soon grasp how to use the programme
in the target language. However, the various export
and saving possibilities for the processed images do
need some explanation. Pupils with
less PC experience
need support from
capable pupils or
the teacher.
There is a final presentation of results,
when the alterations are explained
and the social occasion for the styling is revealed.
During the process the pupils do language work in
different ways: the programme in the target language
has several possibilities - menus, instructions, information material (also available as a sound file). The
pupils are engaged in reading and listening comprehension in an unaccustomed context. The vocabulary
comes from word-fields in cosmetics, make-up, hair
styling and accessories. The programme challenges
the user to think about his/ her appearance and to
Pupils work: „A new look“
Do you need a make-over?
The following worksheet is a suggestion for the
introduction to vocabulary dealing with Make-up.
49
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Do you need a makeover?
Has the time come for a major well-sorted overhaul in your beauty routine or are you sorted as
you are? Do our quiz to find out...
1. When you look in the mirror in the morn
ing, do you...
Give yourself a quick glance and then go.
Play around with your hair for a few minutes
before leaving.
Feel like crying.
2. If your favourite lipstick colour was discon
tinued, what would you do?
Save the last bit and trawl round the shops until
you found the closest match ‘cause Shiny Conk
er is the only one for you.
9. You bump into an old friend from primary
school. Does she:
Walk by and look amazed when you teIl her who
you are.
Do a double take, then approach you.
Recognise you immediately and say you haven’t
changed a bit.
10. You apply your make-up with:
Specialist eye, lip and blusher brushes and foun
dation sponges.
Try to find a similar colour, but you wouldn’t
waste too much time or energy looking.
A lip and blusher brush usually, but otherwise I
rely on what the make-up comes with and my
fingers.
Favourite colour? What favourite colour?
Whatever brushes the make-up comes with.
3. You make a real effort to go to a party, so
how do you feel when you walk in the
room?
11. Would you have plastic surgery if you could?
Pretty confident.
No, I can think of a million better ways to spend
my money.
Slightly unsure, but not too bad.
Perhaps on my most hated body part, but proba bly not.
Like the ugliest girl there.
Yes, definitely.
4. How often do you have your hair cut?
Every couple of months, I’m forever chopping
and changing it.
About twice a year, whenever I have enough
spare cash.
12. How long does it take you to get ready in
the morning?
10 minutes
5 minutes
About an hour – I need a lot of work.
Never, I’m way too scared to let a hairdresser
loose on it.
Conclusions
5. Where do you test foundation to check it’s
the right colour for your skin?
On the back of my hand.
On my cheek.
I don’t, I just slap it on.
6. Do you have a favourite make-up brand?
Yes and I love it.
I’ve got a couple of favourites.
No, I’m never happy with anything I try.
7. What colour nail polish is your fave right
now?
Purple.
Clear or brown.
My nails are disgusting.
8. How many different shades of eyeshadow
do you own?
5-10.
15-20.
Oh, about 500.
50
Mostly As: Wow, you’re pretty sorted. You know what
suits you, which colours compliment you and how to apply
your make-up. You’re also up with the trends and aren’t
afraid to try new fashions, but you do have some favourite
products in your make-up bag that you couldn’t be without.
Bags of experimenting and effort have gone into how good
you look and you’re not big-headed, just confident because
you could start giving some advice to your friends!
Mostly Bs: You’re not unhappy with your look but you feel
there’s room for improvement. The thing is, you’re not all
that fussed. Looking good is important but it’s not a priority, so you’re quite relaxed about it. You could do with
sorting out exactly which colours suit you and trying a few
new products. Some basic advice from a beauty consultant at a make-up counter is all you need, but book in for
the full monty if you start to lose confidence. No doubt
you’re too busy to bother with a makeover though!
Mostly Cs: Alert! You need a makeover sharpish. You really
don’t know what suits you and it’s zapping your confidence.
Your make-up bag’s bulging with hundreds of different
shades and products, most of which you don’t know how
to use. You can spend hours getting ready and still not feel
right and you sometimes think you’re the ugliest girl in the
world. Find out which colours suit you and which make-up
brand goes best with excellent advice, so book yourself an
appointment now and become a babe.
Hands on… picture composition and camera work
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The horizon plays a part in almost
all landscape-pictures. It creates
an effect according to the way
the photographer places it. A low
horizon gives the picture optical
distance. The picture seems balanced.
A low horizon gives the picture distance.
If the horizon is placed higher it makes
the picture heavier. That can fit the
landscape. Above all the landscape
can be shown with all its details.
A high horizon emphasizes the landscape, but makes it heavy.
This is even more the case when
one does without a horizon. But
then it is important to compose
a clear structure within the landscape as the horizontal element
which stabilizes the picture is
missing. A horizon that divides
the picture in the golden section
is the most harmonious.
Doing without a horizon demands a clear structure within the landscape.
51
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Consciously out of focus
Portraits or statues have a much more plastic
effect when the background is out of focus.
For this one uses a telephoto lens and a high
aperture-setting. Only wide-angle lenses make
it possible to focus equally on foreground and
background. However the lack of depth with
clear contours of other lenses can be used
intentionally in the composition of a picture.
A portrait or a shot of a statue is clearer if
the unfocused area begins just behind it.
If the foreground is not sharp and an object
behind it sharply focused an attractive keyhole-effect is achieved through which the eye
is drawn towards the sharp object. Motion can
be emphasized in two ways: a moving object
can be photographed with a fixed camera and
a relatively long exposure so that it appears
blurred, or the photographer pans the camera with the moving object and focuses it
sharply, while the background is blurred. In
both cases very impressive pictures can be
made.
Foreground and background are blurred by the use of a telephoto lens
with a large aperture.
Composition using extreme focal lengths
The wide-angle lens (focal length smaller than
35 mm) offers a depth of field in which foreground and background can be equally sharply focused. Objects which are quite near to
the lens are represented oversized, and perpendicular lines are distorted when the camera is tipped. All these “flaws” can be used
consciously for the composition of the picture,
in order to achieve certain effects.
Over-emphasis of the head through the distortion caused by the extreme nearness of the camera and the use of wide-angle lens.
The telephoto-lens (focal length over 135
mm) has a narrow depth of field. It can be
used to produce blurred effects. The compressing effect of the telephoto lens is very
impressive, pulling together objects that
lie behind each other (for example:
avenues, rows of pillars, street lanterns).
Compressing effect of the telephoto lens: posts standing behind each
other are drawn together.
52
Choice of perspective
According to location and camera position different perspectives can be used as forms of composition.
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The central perspective results in a strict construction of lines
leading to an object in the middle of the picture with the help
of the diagonals. It is important to structure the foreground in
order to break up the strict lines a little.
The bird’s eye perspective from a raised position gives one a
good view over a landscape or over groups of people. One
should take into account that people seem to be small and
insignificant when seen from a bird’s eye view.
The worm’s eye view, on the other hand, makes people more
massive, more significant. Power and status are suggested.
The keyhole-perspective, the view through a dark alley, an opening in a wall or an opened door has something mysterious,
revealing, surprising.
Choice of foreground
Motifs at a certain distance need a foreground, in
order to establish a relation. Objects which are further away and produce no striking optical signals,
for example buildings or landscapes, should be enlivened by a suitable foreground. The branches of
trees are a popular foreground motif. It is however
Composing a picture with a row of pillars.
better when the foreground stands in a certain
relation to the main object, like for example the
banister leading to the girl.
Rows
The stair-rail in the foreground points to the main motif a person.
Interesting possibilities can be achieved when similar objects are lined up in a row. Example: pillars,
columns etc.
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Filming without a tripod
Stable shots are not only a criterion
for the professionalism of the camera team but are also pleasant
for the eye of the viewer. This will
not be possible and sensible in every
case: a trip in a roller coaster only
has an authentic effect if the shaking and bumping are visually expressed.
Filming from a standing position:
form a human tripod. Feet apart – body
upright.
54
Kneeling shot: this position is ideal to film
people in deep chairs. One elbow can be
supported on the thigh.
Filming in a sitting position: the back of a
chair can be used comfortably to allow more
freedom for the camera movements.
Filming in a lying position, your elbows firmly
placed on the floor. In this way you can
achieve stable takes. This position is ideal
for dramatic angles.
Leaning: use any chance of support. Wedge
your body firmly into a doorframe, e.g.
Propping up the camera: desks, tables and
chairs make good supports. When filming
outdoors cars or low walls can be used.
Walk with the camera: curving sidewaysmovements, called ‘crabbing’, make a gentle, wobble-free motion possible. Swing one
leg past your body and then the other. Keep
your knees at the same level by sliding your
feet sideways. Be careful! Check first that
no obstacles disturb your sideways movement.
Taking pictures with a pull-out monitor: Most
camcorders have a TFT display which makes
the shooting considerably easier, especially
when following moving objects or using the
zoom mode.
6.4 The photo sessions
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In general, photographic techniques - without expert
advice - are kept uncomplicated. No experiments are
needed. As far as possible, the picture should make
a 'normal' and realistic impression. The use of lighting effects will therefore be rare. Automatic cameras will mostly be used, so that, in the end, the
results will all look equally "good".
Digital photography encourages people to experiment,
because paper developing costs no longer arise. With
a little practice it is possible to work with perspective
and wide-view or close-up shots.
The teacher should encourage the group to take photos outside class and outside the school, as well. He/
she needs to estimate the chances of success and, if
necessary, obtain permission for the pupils to work
at a certain location.
Tips for good photos
-
do several 'takes' of a scene
-
alter the perspective of a scene (change of
direction, distance, frame and perspective)
-
use the flash to make clearer pictures of faces
-
watch the compositions of the picture people and background
Much of what seems easy in the script can prove
difficult in photography, e.g. acting out abstract
concepts like hope or sadness. There are some
hints on preparatory exercises for the actor in
the module on body language.
A checklist to prepare
for the photo session
Well-prepared photo
sessions can save time!
Little things can delay
the project or even endanger it. Good preparation means not only
thinking of obvious
things but also of respecting normal school
procedures.
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6.5 Digital image processing
Scanner
Up to the present day, digital imaging has very much
been a professional affair - expensive, very complicated and the final result has not matched the quality of traditional photographs. Now, thanks to technological progress and falling prices, new standards
are being set, especially in the private use sector.
The scanner transforms paper prints into computer
files. With relatively little instruction it is possible to
get the best out of every single picture. Most of the
equipment (scanners and printers) is sold with image processing software, so that there are no additional costs as a rule.
The digital camera
Ink-jet printer
The digital camera permits immediate viewing of
the photos taken. If the photos do not turn out so
well, they can be deleted. There is no waiting period, no developing costs, and only the desired photos need to be kept. Depending on the amount of
use, the camera pays for itself sooner or later vis-àvis an analogue camera. The PC offers many possibilities of editing, manipulating and retouching.
An ink-jet printer, if it offers photographic quality,
will ensure that the results of the digital processing
are once again printed appropriately. Thus the wheel
turns full cycle.
The following pages contain detailed information
on digital image processing or visit the pages of the
Virtual Learning Centre on the Lower Saxony educational server (at http://www.nibis.de).
PHOTOGRAPHY
SCANNING
CD-ROM
INTERNET
56
IMAGE PROCESSING
PRINT-OUT
Hands on… digital image work
Tools,
Tools,toolbar
toolbar
Commands bar
Action menu
Configuration of tools
Whether you’re a
first time user or
you already understand the basic
tools but now
want to be able to
go that bit further,
work your way
through this stepby-step worked example to discover
just how much you
can do with MGI
PhotoSuite II SE.
The layout below
shows where you’ll
find your modes
Activities, Tools
and Settings. While
the tools will differ
according to the
mode and activity
you select, the basic user interface
remains the same.
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Modi
1 Modes
In this example, we’ve selected ‘Photos’ in the
Modes area and this automatically presents five
choices in the Activities area below…
2 Activities
You ’ll notice that three of the Activity buttons
here have a small black arrow to their right; this
indicates that further choices are available via a
flyout menu, accessed by holding down your
mouse button on that particular Activity. In this
example, Edit Photo has been selected, and this
particular Activity presents nine choices in the vertical toolbar…
4 Settings
Depending on the Mode>Activity>Tool you select, you will be given appropriate options in the
Settings panel at the bottom of the screen. Here
we have a number of control settings including
size & style of brush, opacity and paint colour
selection.
5 Command bar
Finally, at the top of the screen, you’ll see the
Command Bar.This remains basically the same in
each of the four imaging modes (Photos, Projects,
Albums and Slide Shows).
3 Toolbar
Again, a number of the tools offer further choices via flyout menus. (For instance, holding down
on the Selection tool - second from top - would
reveal Elliptical, Rectangular, Freehand, Magic
Wand and Edge Finder selection options.) In this
exam- ple however, we have chosen the Apply
Paint Effects tool (3rd from bottom) and this dictates the options contained in the Settings area…
57
CROPPING IMAGES
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Photo Editing
In this first example, we look at how easy it can be
to improve a snapshot using a few basic tools.You’ll
learn how to get a photograph into the program,
then rotate, crop and retouch it before improving
some of the colours.
IMPORTING IMAGES
To bring any picture into MGI PhotoSuite II SE, select the Photos mode, choose Get Photo from the
Activities menu, select the directory in which you
saved your images and double-click on the file name.
ROTATING IMAGES
Photos taken in the portrait mode are on their side,
when opened for the first time. They have to be
rotated to be the right way up. This is often useful if
you’ve inadvertently scanned an image at a 90
degree angle.
1. Click ‘Rotate and Crop’ in the
Activities menu.
2. Then click the Rotate/Mirror icon
(second from top) on the toolbar.
3. A small menu now appears in the Settings area: click the icon on the left of
this menu to rotate the picture 90
degrees to the left.
STRAIGHTENING IMAGES
Though we’re now the right way up, you’ll notice
that the original photograph was taken with the
horizon at a slight angle – we’ll now ‘fine tune’ by
straightening this up.
1. With ‘Rotate and Crop’ still selected
in the Activities area, click the
Straighten icon (bottom) on the
toolbar.
2. Click the far left point of the horizon,
then the far right of the horizon – a
line will appear between the two
points.
3. Now click the ‘Straighten’ button in
the Settings area and the photograph
will automatically be corrected to
make this line horizontal.
TIP: If you’re not happy with your first attempt at
setting the line, click ‘Reset Line’ instead of
‘Straighten’ and make the selection again.
58
Next we’ll create more focus on the subject – and a
more interesting format – by cropping the picture.
1. Still working with the ‘Rotate and Crop ’
activity selected, choose the Crop icon (fourth
down) in the toolbar.
2. A selection will appear around the picture
(shown as a dotted line), with eight ‘handles’
around its edges.
3. Click on the centre right handle and drag it in
to exclude the parts to the right of the person.
Then drag in the centre left handle until the
person’s head is in the middle of the selection.
Now click the ‘Crop’ button in the Settings area
- all the area of photograph outside the selec
tion is removed.
RETOUCHING IMAGES
Now we’ll remove the tombstone on the girl’s left,
by sampling an area of grass around her – this technique is called ‘cloning ’.
1. Select ‘Edit Photo’ in Activities, then click the
Clone icon (fourth down) in the toolbar.
2. Enlarge the size of the cloning ‘brush ’in the
Settings area by clicking the ‘up ’arrow 3-4
times. This defines the size of the area we will
sample. (Keep the Opacity slider at +100 as we
wish to sample our chosen area at full strength
to completely remove the tombstone.)
3. Now click on the grass, just above the tomb
stone we are removing, then click again on top
of the tombstone. You’ll see a small area of the
grass from your first click now being cloned on
top of the tombstone.
4. Repeat step 3 until it is completely removed.
5. To select a new area to clone from, hold down
the CTRL key and click the point from which you
wish to clone. You can either drag the cloned
area around, or repeatedly click on the area you
want-experiment to achieve the best results.
SAVING IMAGES
While the colours in the foreground of this shot are
good, the background sky looks a bit pale so we’re
going to change the colour balance in this area.
Having made all our adjustments, we should now save
our new image. Select ‘Save, Print & Send’ from the
Activities area, and ‘Save as’ from the fly-out menu.
This allows you to save the finished image under a
new name instead of overwriting the original. Now
choose where to save the image on your hard drive.
1. First we need to select the existing sky
area, so that our adjustments will affect only this area. Still working in Edit
Photo, click on the Selection Tools icon
in the toolbar (a dotted circle, second
down), holding down your mouse button until the fly-out menu allows you
to select the ‘magic wand’ tool.
TIP: The default format for saving is JPEG
(.jpg) which is adequate for most needs. On
your CD you can find more detailed
information on the various files (select Tips
and Info in the navigation bar and choose
tips! in the dropdown menu).
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CHANGING COLOUR
2. Now click the wand on the sky. Most,
but not all, of the area is selected, so we
must adjust the magic wand’s tolerance
(i.e. how much of an area it automatically selects). First deselect the original area
(‘Edit>Select None’ from the pull-down
menus or ‘CTRL+D’ on the keyboard).
3. Adjust the tolerance in the Settings area
to +80 and click again in the sky. Now
the part of the area is selected. Any extra areas which the selection might still
have missed can be added to your selection by holding down your Shift key while clicking
your mouse on the area(s) you want to select
(a technique known as Shift-Clicking).
4. Finally choose the Touch Up & Trans form activity
and select Touch Up from the fly-out menu. In the
Settings area, select ‘Brightness and Contrast’ and
increase both brightness and contrast to +20. The
sky is now much brighter and cleaner than be
fore.
5. Click the ‘Apply ’button for the touch-up to take
effect.
TIP: Don’t be frightened of experimenting! If
you make a mistake or simply don’t like the result of a particular effect you’ve applied, you
can always undo it using the Undo button at
the top of your screen (the ‘anti-clockwise’ arrow), or via Edit >Undo (or CTRL+Z). Depending on how much memory you have, you can usually keep
‘undoing’ right back to the last time you saved a piece of
work.
TIP: The deault format for saving is JPEG (.jpg) which is adequate for
most needs. On your CD you can find more detailed information on
The finished picture
ENHANCING PRINTING
With a few simple adjustments, a picture that was
previously a snap shot has been turned into something to be really proud of.
1. To print it out, select ‘Save, Print and Send’ in the
Activities area, choose the ‘Print’ option, and follow the on-screen instructions (clicking ‘Fit to page’
is always the easiest option).
2. Be sure to check that the paper orientation (landscape or portrait) is set as you want it.
Alternatively, if you want to print out a number of
copies on one sheet – perhaps to show your friends
the quality of your retouching skills – select ‘Print
multiples’ and then the number of pictures per
sheet you’d like from the selection presented. For
either option, then simply press ‘Print’!
59
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6.6 Textproduction
Electronic dictionaries
There is no special
time for editing in
texts and inserted
texts, because speech
bubbles can already
be edited in when the
images are being processed. The speech
bubbles
should
contain, as far as possible,
authentic
speech. When the
photo story is put together, texts which
carry on the narrative
must be inserted, too.
Electronic dictionaries are more practical and are
equipped with a range of new possibilities of access.
They include, among others
Normally, the learners
can use a two-way
dictionary to help
them. Consulting a dictionary is one of the
basic
learning
techniques for second
language acquisition
and an important precondition
for
autonomous learning.
- Pons LEXIFACE
Working efficiently
with a dictionary presupposes a measure of
practice. Accordingly,
a teacher needs to decide whether such
practice the concrete
class situation. Der
fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch 3/
2000 lists suggestions
for work on this topic.
Worksheets can also
be downloaded from
the internet.10
- recording and listening facilities for the learner
- Collins Electronic English Dictionary and Thesaurus
- Collins Cobuild English Dictionary
- Collins Cobuild Student’s Dictionary
- Collins Cobuild English Collocations
- Langenscheidts Großwörterbuch Deutsch als
Fremdsprache
- Langenscheidts Pop-up Wörterbuch Englisch XL 3.0
- Langenscheidts PowerROMs
- Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
- Oxford Wordpower Dictionary
Detailed descriptions are to be found on the publishers' websites.
Electronic dictionaries differ from traditional, printed
editions above all by way of
- new search facilities and the display of the search
results
- authentic examples of use from large text corpora
- sound recordings of catchwords and examples
- interactive pictures and graphics
- possibilities to produce one's own learning
dictionary
- integrated vocabulary and listening comprehen
sion exercise should precede programmes
- extension and updating by downloading from the
internet.
The 3D search option of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
Sixth Edition CD-ROM presents the search results as a dynamic mind
map of collections. By clicking on the headwords the user finds de-
finitions and further connections. With just a few clicks the learner
can negotiate word fields and improve his/her vocabulary.
10
60
e.g. www.pons.de or http://www1.oup.co.uk/
Dictionaries on the Internet
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There are a whole range of dictionaries and thesauri on the internet. The Web of Online Dictionaries11 offers the best survey. LEO12 is an easy-touse and wide-ranging German-English dictionary
which can be recommended.
MAKING YOUR OWN LEARNING DICTIONARY
Pons Lexiface helps you to make your own dictionary. Existing
specific glossaries and word lists can be automatically included
thanks to the user dictionary function. Word lists which are put
together in class or in projects can be integrated into the dictionary and put at the disposal of the whole school via networking.
Click here for listening
PRONUNCIATION EXERCISES
This feature included in the Collins Cobuild English Dictionary
for Advanced Learners makes it possible to record the user's
voice and compare it to the original of a native speaker. Recording is started by clicking the record button. When listening,
the modulation of the voice is displayed helping the learner to
get near to the original in several tries.
LEO is a service run by the Faculty of Information
Sciences at the Technical University of Munich. The
German/English dictionary with its 350.000 entries
is consulted almost 2.000.000 times a day on working days. In addition to the basic form it is also
possible to enter inflected word forms. The entered word form (according to the option) is passed
on to the morphology browser which finds the basic
form, or the possible basic forms,(e.g. if you enter
'buche', you get the basic forms 'buchen' and
'Buch'. LEO then gives you the translations for these
basic forms. Users can call up a mass of additional
information, not only on the inflected form (e.g.
number, case, class for substantives, resp. tense
and mood for verbs), but also on the basic form.
Using the function Generiere Wortbildung it is possible to display compounds of the inflected form or
of the basic form. One special feature is that all
such words are linked on LEO, so that, by clicking
on them, the English translation will appear.
11
12
http://www.yourdictionary.com/
http://dict.leo.org/
61
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The morphology browser linked to LEO (http://
www.canoo.net) is specially interesting for work
with German as a Foreign Language. it can analyse
inflected forms and display their morpho-syntactic
characteristics; it can generate the inflected forms
of lexemes, it can analyse complex compounds and
generate the word field compounds of lexemes.
the pupils learn new words, verb conjugation, the
declination of nouns and adjectives, the rich possibilities of compounds and spelling variations due
to the recent reform.
The dictionary of inflected forms generates tables
of inflections for 200,000 German catchwords, the
compounds browser displays the whole dictionary
and all the contextual compounds.
Slang Dictionaries
When formulating the speech bubble texts, the pupils will want to know which words in the target
language are "tight" or "cool" among their peers.
The College Slang Page
http://www.intranet.csupomona.edu/~jasanders/slang/index.html
A Dictionary of Slang
http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/frames.htm
This site offers the user a large bibliography of
slang dictionaries.
The Rap Dictionary
http://www.rapdict.org/
Useful to decipher rap texts.
Aids for the text production
Pupils find it difficult to create texts for speech
bubbles and comments, because idiomatic phrases
are not part of the students’ active vocabulary. Nevertheless the pupils will tend to use the language
they are familiar with in youth language.
Unfortunately teachers will fail when looking for
compilations of that kind of register – the simple
reason is that youth language is changing rapidly.
Phrases and expressions that sound “cool” today
make a good laugh tomorrow. The following links
offer useful material but don’t refer to any register:
http://maennerseiten.de/englisch2.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/id/Robymode/idi.html
This Website offers hit lists for various years. The five favourites
in the autumn of 2000/ spring 2001 were e.g.
tight (adjective) Generic positive: Great, awesome,
wonderful, perfect, cool, attractive, nice. I saw
this snowboard the other day that was so tight!
chill/chill out (verb) To relax; to calm down.
Let's just chill with some brewskies tonight.
trip/trip out (verb) To overreact. To become excessively worried or stressed. My parents are trippin
over that stain on the carpet from the spilled
punch.
phat (adjective) Generic positive: Great, awesome,
wonderful, perfect, cool, attractive, nice. Todd
has a phat ride now with his new dubs on it.
dude (noun) A person, usually male. A friend.
Often used to replace a name. Dude, I have a
midterm next Wednesday.
13
62
http://www.canoo.net/
http://www.angelfire.com/id/Robymode/say.html
http://englischlehrer.de/language/idioms.php
http://englischlehrer.de/language/collocations.php
TIP: Pupils work in groups and collect suitable
phrases for their story.
6.7 The montage of a photostory
Theoretically, completely different dialogues could be
written for the individual pictures in a photostory. Generally speaking, this is a good exercise in foreign language learning and, within the framework of this
project, it shows that it is the combination of pictures,
inserted narrative texts and dialogues that provides
the structure of the story. Thus language elements in
photostories are more than just the cream on the cake
– they are indispensable.
doubtless have a different meaning to square or round
ones. And the symbolism of a heart-shaped picture
will not escape any reader. In photostories as well as in
comics the basic type contains 3 to 4 horizontal divisions
and 2 to 3 vertical ones. Thus the panel form is usually
automatically rectangular. This is very practical with
regard to producing the photos, because the usual
formats – including digital cameras – are rectangular.
Just as the story is reduced to a
small series of pictures, so the
FOR
SAME US
text has to be compressed.
F
ALL U
Passages not necessary for the
unfolding of the story, slow-moving passages and situations and
facts which are difficult to portray
…you get to
must be summarised in inserted narthe thought
rative texts.
bubble…
Say it with a bubble
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The relation between picture and text
A typical element of the photostory is the
speech bubble (balloon). To describe its
From t
function figuratively, one could say it is
classic he
the expiring breath of the speaker and,
bubble
at the same time, the carrier of the
spoken words. As the sequence and
placing of the bubble represent readers’
habits, we can expect that the upper, lefthand bubble takes priority over the rightthe
…or e r
p
hand one or ones behind it. The bubbles thus
s
i
h
w
le…
b
indicate
the sequence of the utterances.
b
u
b
The transformation of the remaining text into direct speech is full of
language activity: language registers
have to be considered, thoughts
have to be put into words
appropriately. At the
same time, the learn…OR A SCREAM-ANDers need to decide
SHOUT-BUBBLE!!!
which inserts are necessary to keep the
thread of the story logical.
Alternative layout: the text can be inserted - like in a
comic strip - in a rectangular text box, but a firstperson narrator could also keep the story going.
TIP: The preparation of the storyboard and the
photo sessions are, it is true, separate, linear
steps, nevertheless suggestions for improvements
can still be made while the photos are being
taken. This also applies to the texts which were
written at an early stage and which may have to be modified to fit the finished photos. Possibly even the necessity of content changes will become evident during production work.
The layout
There are certain basic rules for the layout of a page,
a double page or a brochure, although the structural
possibilities are countless. The layout artist has a variable number of different size pictures beside text and
speech bubbles at his disposal. The photos (usually in a
frame) are called panels and their size often has something to do with the motif (a long shot needs more
dimension), but that doesn’t automatically say anything about meaning and function. The form of a single
panel is variable, but there is a story direction mostly
from left to right. Each new picture represents a cut
or rather: a scene in a film. Broad or long pictures
If many figures shout or say the same thing, it
is sufficient to use one bubble and attach it to as
many people as you like.
Most bubble forms have developed from comics,
but they are basically appropriate for photostories, just like the symbols used in comics and cartoons, for example, the sound of snoring 'ZZZZ’,
which can also be used for
a saw in action. This
!OW
symbolism should not be
W
a
And ble...
exaggerated,
otherwise
b
u
b
it will destroy the character of the photostory.
By the way there are few differences
regarding foreign lan...becomes a bow-wow
guage
acquisition
in the interbubble, if your graphic
skills are up to drawing
pretation and associations of
the outline of a dog‘s
photostories, comics and carhead:
toons. But it is a different cup
of tea if the photostory or comic is
to be produced during foreign lanW
O
guage learning as part of a preB
W!
O
defined interactive process. In
W
contrast to the comic, which presupposes graphic or artistic talent,
photostories can be produced in the
classroom or in school nowadays practically without
artistic talent or a gift for drawing.
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Hands on… Soapy Pictures
Do-it-yourself daily soap!
Love, separation, jealousy and heartbreak - that's
the way we know our daily soaps! But why be a
couch potato? Have a try at making your own soap!
As digitalised photos can also be imported, the software is ideal for montage and for the printout of
the photographs taken by the pupils.
Software for the montage of photostories
Soapy Pictures offers the software necessary with
nearly 12000 pictures about the love story between
Kathrin and Philip.
These pictures, which contain a variety of combinations in any order you wish, show many facts of
a young love, of friendship and jealousy, but also
episodes of the relationships to friends in general.
It is the dialogues that are missing and these can
be integrated into the story by way of speech or
content/frame
64
thought bubbles. The text in these bubbles can be
freely edited. On top of that, short narrative information like "Three days after..." and text windows
can also be added in order to give a more detailed
description of the situation.
writing print
Hands on… Aquasoft DiaShow 3.5
If you own a CD writer,
you can use the assembly assistant to put together a self-start DiaShow CD. Using an
HTML-Assistenten you
can produce a complete
website from your Diashow with links to internet sites/pages, and, in addition, you can use the
slide show as a Windows backdrop changer.
The catalogue function lists the images clearly as
Thumbnails and keeps order among larger collections
of pictures with key words and search facilities. This
function is also contained in the slide show player, in
order to be able to move quickly to any part of the
Diashow. An import assistant enables scanning in connection with the DiaShow and can use images from
digital cameras. An integrated image-processing function and the conversion assistant, which can both
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If you want to present your photo story on the computer, then AquaSoftware “slide show 3.5” can help
you. You can store images in a catalogue in over 30
formats and make different settings for each image.
The images can be put anywhere on the screen, fadeins can be fixed, and a
dialogue text inserted in
any configuration you
like, either in the image
itself or in a dialogue box
set apart. Alternatively,
the commentary can be
recorded via microphone
and played back with the
appropriate images. Diashows like this can be
stored and passed on to
other colleagues.
Catalog
convert an image into another format and alter the
size of the image, almost renders other graphic software superfluous.
Using the screen saver modul you can set up your
slide shows like any normal Windows screen saver.
The help function describes all the settings
possible in the programme, which is also
extremely suitable for further processing of digital
camera images.
Mainmenue
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Some useful features:14
- Soft look (interpolation)
- Fade-ins and –outs
- Background music (MP3,WAV,Midi)
- Different settings and a commentary for each
single image possible
- Windows backdrop changer
- Catalogue function with thumbnails and
search facility (in the player, too)
- Several Diashows playable in succession
- Conversion assistant to produce self-start slide
show CDs (images can be protected from outside
influence)
praise and applause?
- Select menu for several slide shows (on CD, too)
The Show
- HTML Assistant for internet sites/pages
The atmosphere of a premiere can arise when the
printed version of the photostory is sold during the
mid-morning break or a slide-show is put on in the
course of a school event.
- Conversion assistant, import assistant for
scanning and enhancing digital cameras
- Sound-assistant to make easy sound recordings
- Integrated image processing
- Make your own logo
- Drag & drop in combination with other functions
- Separate DiaShow player (Freeware, can be copied with no inhibitions)
- Screen saver module
- And lots of other goodies
6.8 Presentation
The presentation is the crowning achievement of the
project and a part of the self-experience that the
pupils have gained during their independent design
work on the photostory. The finished product now
faces a discriminating public audience and it will soon
be clear whether they approve or not. Will it be a
question of self-satisfaction or will the participants
be euphoric and proud of their work, if it meets with
Representation
There will be more excitement if the actors in the
photostory act out some scenes live on the stage.
The dramatic distance interplays with personal acquaintance to seize the audience's attention and
enables direct empathy. If someone has a contact at
the local newspaper, there will be greater publicity
for the event and it will be a good example of school
life.
The variations mentioned above are not completely
interchangeable, because, as in the case of the stage
presentation, they do presuppose pupils who are not
afraid of going on stage in front of an audience.
This is also true of the compere/stage manager/narrator who is not only required for the slide show but
also for the stage performance. This work has to be
done to high standards, because the announcements
and explanations will, of course have to be in the
foreign language.
Presentation on the Internet
Another variation would be to present the photostory on the Internet, normally on the school's homepage.
There will be some individual feedback in that case,
but of a less personal nature. Nevertheless, this form
of presentation is to be recommended, because
projects like this do a lot for the school's profile.
14
66
http://www.aquasoftware.de
6.9 Self assessment and achievement measurement
L A N G U A G E
ENTER FOR OFTEN
L E A R N I N G
A C T I V I T Y
C H E C K L I S T
••• OCCASIONAL •• SELDOM • NEVER -
1. Working with texts/media
Reading for information using texts from newspapers and magazines
Listening to pop songs or watching video clips and trying to understand the text
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A
Looking at adverts or watching TV commercials and thinking about their effect on me
Searching for certain information in books, reference works and on the internet
Working with works of reference and dictionaries on CD-ROM
2. Exercises and activities
Keeping my own vocabulary book or word card index
Looking up the meaning, pronunciation and spelling of new words in the dictionary
Listing new words and phrases, learning their meaning, spelling and pronunciation and using them in new context
Writing my own texts, correcting them with friends and reworking them
Collecting texts and material on a certain theme and presenting it to others
Working in teams or groups
Trying out my language knowledge in direct contact with native speakers
Exchanging letters (or e-mails) and things with a partner abroad
Doing discovery projects and interviewing people outside school
3. Oral communication
Making contact, introducing myself, taking leave
Holding telephone conversations with friends
Holding personal conversations with friends, arranging to meet and what to do
Putting together short role-plays, acting them, producing them
Talking about texts and films, discussing their effect
Taking an active part in discussions and debates
4. Writing texts
Making notes in everyday life
Changing or adding to given texts
Describing myself or others, characterisation
Writing e-mails or notes to friends and acquaintances
Writing down my own opinions and thoughts in an ordered way
Composing my own poems, dramatic scenes or tales
5. Topics, content, life
My family and I - our life together
Leisure time, hobbies, sport, music, films, festivals and celebrations, traditions and special cultural events
School, apprenticeship
Friendship, partnership
Going shopping, consumer habits
The generations, their ways of life
Travel, holidays, transport, using different forms of transport
The press, the media and media behaviour
Work, jobs, finding jobs
Nature, ecology and technological progress
Living together in a society with different languages, cultures and ethnic roots
67
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7
Documentation and evaluation
E VA L U AT I N G
THE PROJ ECT
M AT E R I AL -
QUESTI ON AIRE
Title of the project:
Produced by:
The general lay-out and content
1
Is it exemplary?
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Comments:
2
Is it covered by national curricula?
How? (State nationality)
3
Is it innovative?
Give examples.
4
Is it concrete and reproducible?
If not, give ideas for improvement.
5
Is the layout user-friendly?
If not, give ideas for improvement.
6
Is a European value added?
How?
7
Is there a potential for transfer?
In which way?
Other aspects as regards the general layout and contents, which should be included?
Staging competencies included - and to which extent?
1
Acting
Comments:
2
Stage directing
Comments:
3
Scripting
Comments:
4
Managing multi-media presentations
Comments:
5
Video editing
Comments:
6
Digital imaging
Comments:
7
Creative writing
Comments:
Other staging competencies included:
68
1
Is it easy to organize for the teacher?
0
1 2
3 4
5
0
1 2
3 4
5
If not, give ideas for improvement.
2
Are instructions learner friendly?
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Its use in the classroom.
Comments:
3
Do the activities give scope for differentiation? Different levels? Different teacher / learner
types?
0
1 2
3 4
5
4
To what extent are the activities open for - is it possible to incorporate - the users'
(teachers' and learners') own needs / ideas?
0
1 2
3 4
5
0
1 2
3 4
5
Give examples.
5
Do the activities give scope for learner autonomy? Is it possible for the teacher to let go?
Is it possible for the learners to take over?
Comments.
6
To which extent does the material / the activities lead to co-operation
and negotiation?
0
1 2
3 4
5
7
To which extent is awareness of own learning catered for?
0
1 2
3 4
5
0
1 2
3 4
5
Give examples.
8
Is the learning environment learner centred rather than teacher centred?
Give examples.
Other aspects of the use of material in class?
Further ideas for questions / areas to be included in the evaluation of the projects:
69
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8
A survey of the modules
O BJ ECT IVES / CO NTENT
METH ODS
1. Staging photos - mime and gesture (page 42)
- verbal and non-verbal communication physical
expression
- conscious movement and empathy
warming-up exercises
- statues
- expression of (un)friendliness through gestures
and mimicry
- mirror images reveal the perception of the
other and of the self
2. The new look - a new composition of fashion, hair styles, cosmetics and accessories (page 47)
- the meaning of fashion for young people
- self image and creating a new type with the
programme Cosmopolitan Virtual Makeover
- Internet research of fashion
- pupils take photographs of one another using
the digital camera.
Cosmopolitan Virtual Makeover helps to create
a new style
- putting ideas into practice with real make-up
and props
3. Photo composition and camera work (page 51)
- opportunities and limits of photography
- taking photos under guidance
- small group work on a theme: putting a
photostory together
- presentation of the results
- analysis of photographic means of expression
- learning to use technical equipment
- thinking out a short photostory and taking
photos
- presentation
- discussion on the intended and achieved
effects
- collecting tips and tricks
4. Digital image processing (page 56)
Basic functions of digital image processing:
- importing, cutting, formatting photos
- adjusting brightness, contrast and colours, i
ntensity
- retouching, saving and printing
-
user interface and basic functions
learning by doing - concrete tasks
presenting results
describing the progress of the work
5. Work with electronic dictionaries and Internet resources (page 60)
- the features of electronic dictionaries
- Internet resources for vocabulary work: online
dictionaries, text corpora etc.
-
building word clusters with electronic dictionaries
making your own useful dictionary
Internet research
using text corpora and concordancing software
6. Montage and presentation (page 63)
-
70
montage of a photo story with Soapy Pictures
software
editing and presenting a photostory with
Diashow (possible sound function)
- user interface and basic functions
- ready-made images from Soapy Pictures or
own photos are combined and prepared for
printout
- setting up a slide show using Diashow
COURSE NO.:
THEME: Staging Foreign Language Learning: How to stage a photostory
VENUE:
9
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Work schedule (1)
DURATION:
COURSE ORGANISER:
COURSE ADVISERS:
GUEST SPEAKERS:
M O N D AY
morning Welcome, formalities
Introduction of participants
Group work: "family" photos
Working with a digital camera
see Setting up portraits /
Mime and gestures in front
of the camera
afternoon Group work continues
Introducing one another with the help of the photos
(Digital camera to big screen or TV set)
Photostories in foreign language learning
English-language examples
see Examples of
photostories from
magazines for young people
see Project example "Chilled
Out..."
Advice and technical support:
see "The Making of..."
see Variations
T U E S D A Y
morning Plenary session: Finding a topic
Group work: Developing a storyline
Course adviser:
see Storyline/Storyboard
afternoon Group work continues:
Focus: Working on storyboard
Course adviser:
evening Make-up, hairstyling and accessories
(personality development)
(practical work, followed by a photo session)
Course adviser and guidance:
see Make-up and props
71
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Work schedule (2)
W E D N E S D AY
morning Plenary session: Showing pictures of the results of the
previous evening's work
Group work: Producing images and camera work
Group work: Working on the storyboard
(final production): Locations, texts
Course adviser:
see Producing images and
camera work
afternoon Group work: Photo session
Plenary session: The groups report on their progress
(Digital camera to big screen or TV set)
Course adviser:
evening Plenary session: Image processing
Guest speaker and guidance:
see Digital image processing
T H U R S D AY
morning Group work: Layout of the photostory
Course adviser and guidance:
afternoon Group work: Print-out, resp. production of a CD version
Plenary session: forms of presentation
see Digital image processing
see „Hands on...“ Digital
image processing, Soapy
Pictures, Aquasoft
see Presentation
evening Presentation of results
F R I D AY
morning Plenary session: The photostory in foreign language
learning; Language skills
afternoon Course evaluation
Departure
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10
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Appendix
10.1 Glossary
Computer Glossaries
Online-Today Computer Glossary
Glossary with numerous items and a search function
http://www.online-today.de/onlinetoday/home/lexikon
NetworkWorld Online-Glossary
4000 items, graphics, photos etc.
http://www.networkworld.de/onlinelexikon/
ARCHmatic-Glossar
Extensiv glossary - free download
http://www.glossar.de
Digital Media Knowledge Base
Database with definitions, illustrated instructions and links
http://www.hansenmedia.com/
10.2 Bibliography
Staging Photostories
Digital Photography
Cisneros, Sandra (1991). Our House on Mango Street.
New York.
Bar, Melanie. (2000). Digitale Fotos. (fertige Lösungen zu
allen 10 Themen auf der CD-ROM). Düsseldorf: Sybex. ISBN:
3-8155-8022-6.
Lolie, J., Porter Ladousse, G. (1991). Paths into Poetry.
Oxford.
Docwra, Alan (1991). Theatre Feedback. Der fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch, 2 (4), 41-43.
Eckey, Jürgen (1999). Körpersprache als Unterrichtsinhalt.
Schultheater-Info des Fachverbandes für Theatererziehung
und Schultheater Niedersachsen, 15, 37-41
Freiberg, H. (1990). Ästhetische Bildung in einer von neuen
Technologien und neuen Medien geprägten Zeit. Kunst und
Unterricht, 139, S.16.
Goffman, Erwing (1976). Wir alle spielen Theater. Die Selbstdarstellung im Alltag. München: R. Piper & Co.
Horn, Friederike (2000). Die Novelle La Parure von Maupassant als Fotoroman. Der fremdsprachliche Unterricht
Französisch, 43 (1), 40-42.
Greenberg, Steve. (1999). The complete idiot’s guide to
digital photography. Indianapolis, Ind.: Que.
King, Julie. (2000). Digitale Fotografie für Dummies: Perfekte Fotos mit Ihrer Digitalkamera. Bonn: mitp.
ISBN 3-8266-2906-x.
Kraus, H. (1997). Digitales Fotografieren, Mit Digitalkameras zum perfekten Bild. Bonn: Addison-Wesley-Longman
Verlag GmbH. ISBN 3-8273-1123-3.
Materials
Collie, J./ Porter Ladousse, G. (1991). Paths into Poetry.
Oxford. 13
Lienert, Eva-Maria (1986). Daran ist er doch selber schuldFotorama-Projekt in Bildern und Sprache. Lehrerjournal
Hauptschulmagazin 9, 13-15.
Morgan, J., Rinvolucri, M. (1983). Once Upon A Time. Using
stories in the language classroom. Cambridge.
Tepe, Thomas (Ed.). (1997). Twenty-One New Short Stories.
Stuttgart: Klett.
Tepe, Thomas (Ed.). (1997). Twenty-One New Short Stories.
Creative Exercises. Stuttgart: Klett.
Zimmermann, Joachim. (1978). Fotografieren im Kunstunterricht. Unterrichtspraxis vor und hinter der Kamera.
Ravensburg.
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10.3 Internet links
Image editing and montage
Idioms
Graphic Workshop:
http://www.mindworkshop.com/alchemy/dwspro.htm
Englisch…
wie es keiner kennt
http://maennerseiten.de/englisch2.htm
Paint Shop Pro:
http://www.jasc.com
Idioms for Windows
http://www.angelfire.com/id/Robymode/idi.html
http://www.angelfire.com/id/Robymode/say.html
Picmaster:
http://www.grafik-software.de
The Gimp:
http://www.user.sgic.fi/~tml/gimp/win32
Ultimate Paint:
http://www.ultimatepaint.com
DiaShow:
http://www.aquasoftware.de
Electronic dictionaries
Collins Cobuild Dictionaries
http://titania.cobuild.collins.co.uk/
Langenscheid Wörterbücher
http://www.langenscheidt.de/
Oxford University Press Dictionaries
http://www.oup.com/elt/global/catalogue/multimedia/
Film in foreign language
WDR Lachgeschichten
http://www.die-maus.de/sndg/lcgs_bgs_idx.html
Neue Medien im Sprachunterricht - Die Filmwerkstatt
http://www.sprachwerkstatt.org/film/englisch.html
Helmut Korte: Dimensionen der Filmanalyse
http://www.gymnasium-borghorst.de/romeo/korte.htm
The English Listening Lounge
http://www.englishlistening.com
Language Centre - Hong Kong University of Science
and Technology (HKUST)
http://lc.ust.hk
74
The English Language: Idioms
http://englischlehrer.de/language/idioms.php
http://englischlehrer.de/language/collocations.php
Internet Dictionaries
The College Slang Page
http://www.csupomona.edu/~jasanders/slang/
The Rap Dictionary
http://www.rapdict.org/
A Web of Online Dictionaries
http://www.samson.spb.su/~tea/diction.html
LEO German/English dictionary
http://dict.leo.org/
A Dictionary of Slang
http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/frames.htm
Classroom practice
‘Have your students design their own photostory’
http://www.ulaval.ca/apeal/own.html
Disney Channel
http://www.disney.com/disneychannel
Storyboarding and scripting.
Practical Help and Resources
http://www.worthseeing.net
10.4 Staging Foreign Language Learning - the concept
The change in communicative language didactics has,
however, caused lexical and syntactic language elements to be assembled in unreal dialogues which are
typically read out loud by learners sharing the parts
and sometimes put together in small role-plays. Simulated everyday situations are important for beginners
and are ordered according to a catalogue of aims
which refer to communicative functions (functions and
notions). They are complemented by fill-in and puttogether exercises in the form of rote learning and
are meant to lead to pupil transfer capability. Listening comprehension and body language, e.g. total
physical response, (cf. Asher, 1981), could well be
mentioned at this point as closely related to the didactic approach for beginners.
In secondary classes, expository texts on culture or
combinations of visuals and texts are used and oral
language practice is complemented by formal and
so-called creative writing tasks, which are unfortunately too often judged by their grammatical and
orthographical correctness.
The reality of such language learning and teaching in
school, which has been observed throughout Europe, can
only support the dominance of teacher-centredness –
teaching from the front. Occasional phases of partner
and group work serve the aim of guaranteeing the formal results of learning processes, so that a creative and
autonomous dimension simply can not develop among
the pupils.
Kohonen (1987), Bleyhl (2000), Balboni (1998) and
many others have, indeed, heavily criticised the linearity of language material and the one-sidedness of
an imaginary grammatical progression as found in
textbooks, for example, and have proved scientifically
that it does not produce results. Language acquisition
research has confirmed this criticism – following
Pienemann’s teachability hypothesis (1998) and taking into account the dichotomy of acquisition and
learning as propounded by Krashen (1989). In practice, however, not much has changed as a result of
this and other research nor has the recommendation
of hands-on consequences borne fruit.
That is all the more surprising, because in adult education the linearity of teacher-centred learning processes has long been overcome and changes have
been made to the examination regulations involving
a myriad of different learning forms and cooperative language activities according to learner-types.
In Denmark and Austria, for example, language learning has been reformed in elementary and secondary education.
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Introduction: The Reform of Foreign
Language Learning
A European face from a photo-workshop of the ECP project school Garbsen Comprehensive
Learner-centredness and the use of experience and
knowledge about the world have reinforced pupil
activity beyond doubt, and, in combination with
better language acquisition processes, all these factors have provided a good basis for vocational training and further academic work. No longer do linguistic progression, dialogues based on background studies, nor factual texts take a dominating position. On
the contrary, pupils have learnt to use the breadth
of their experience, their ways of perceiving the
world, their approaches and personal inclinations to
handle content and language activity. They put forward their suggestions and make clear their expectations. Hunfeld threw down the challenge in 1994
that the addition of different competencies through
a richness of material and language activities would
create a perfectly normal majority process of comprehensive language power growth and a diversity
of methods. His challenge has awoken a wide interest in the narrative and histrionic components of
foreign language learning and teaching from primary
school onwards. The „Guidelines for German as a
Second Language” in the whole Italian-speaking
school system are one example. Workshops, handbooks, content and forms of expression are all dealt
with, and narrative and dramatic texts are worked
on creatively to the full.
These more programmatic thoughts have drawn attention in Europe to the tradition which seemed to
have been buried by linguistic dominance in foreign
language teaching, by examination regulations and by
curricula with a learning objectives orientation, that
is the tradition of didactics as the dramaturgy of the
learning situation in class (Hausmann, 1952) and the
staging of foreign language learning (Schewe, 1993).
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Staging as a didactic
and methodological extension
of the curriculum
Foreign Language Learning
and Foreign Language Teaching
between renaissance and innovation
The amount of suggestions made by the partners in
the project Staging Foreign Language Learning show
how great the need is to pick up an old tradition,
exchange experiences and to develop language learning further. The opportunities for expression through
staging communication using literary, situative and
imaginative contexts have been tried and proven over
many years. The minute a text or a scene has been
chosen for a performance, it has already been subject to interpretation and so there will be consequences for the motives, the tensions, the experience
included, symbolic images and the action – just the
way the director of a play works and thinks. The
choice of theme and the presentation are meant to
make clear to the audience just what is meant to be
expressed – even using minimal language. The directing and the development and filling out of roles include repeating many scenes, trying different people
in different roles and experimenting with all sorts of
circumstances – that is what staging means.
A survey of the prevailing national conditions and of the
evident, comparable problems to be solved in FLL and
FLT led to the establishment of the following didactic and
curricular essentials. The over-reaching aim was to promote a bonus for all European language work, not just
for the languages of the project - results and products
were and are to be transferable.
The knowledge of lexis, grammar and style is used
at all levels of competence, at times implicitly and at
times consciously, in full compliance with the content
and language standards defined by official guidelines.
The histrionic dimension of planning, action and evaluation sharpens the openness for intentionality and
finality and makes us aware of norms in human communication. Hidden as well as open motives and intentions soon become evident, too. This consciousness
is not just a pre-condition for appreciating literature
– it is the very way of access – for literature in all its
variations in different media. Every text idea, every
text document can be literally seen as such, but also
as an auditory image, as a video image or as a multimedia presentation, and, last but not least, as a
photo story or a satire.
All these possibilities offer the opportunity for interesting co-operation between the partners in the participating countries, whether it be on the Internet, at
theatre festivals or in the sum of all the interpretations and staging ideas on a particular topic.
The suggestions, which have been tried out, have lent
impulses to cultural understanding and to successful
foreign language learning in an inter-disciplinary approach. The figure of Punch, for example, which can
be traced back to Celtic-Gallic symbolism and to
Mystery plays in various cultures (even to Metternich’s
motives for forbidding language in puppet plays and
to the resulting role of the simple policeman) is an
opening to intercultural and ethnographic work, when
comparing similar characters in the tradition of hand
puppet theatre.
76
The project Staging Foreign Language Learning does not
have the absolute aim of complete reform in language
didactics but should be considered as an attempt to
steadily promote innovative and creative methods and
ideas, and so extend the curriculum – supported by audio-visual material, multimedia and electronic communication. The ideas and concepts for teacher education
and in-service training will have an influence over and
beyond the frontiers of the participating countries.
As the quality of teaching is often decisively influenced
by good material which fits in with the learners’ needs
and interests, the project included the development of
classroom materials in accordance with LINGUA 2 which
guaranteed the quality and the sustainability of Staging
Foreign Language Learning. The development of concepts for in-service training without the simultaneous
development of appropriate teaching and learning materials will not, in the opinion of the project partners,
exploit the full potential of the European Union and will
leave a vital challenge unanswered.
From the sage on the stage to the guide on the side illustrates the challenge that foreign language teachers
now have to accept. Learner, process and product-orientation are the keywords in foreign language learning.
New forms of classroom work are needed to effectively
transform these notions into action, because individual
learner needs are now taken far more into account than
ever before and are leading to a new understanding of
the teacher’s role.
Instead of traditional classroom talk and direct face-toface communication, the staging of learning processes and
of language work will come to the forefront phase by
phase. New communications technologies have made it
possible to break through the confines of the classroom,
motivation and learning have entered a new dimension.
Language learning has thus taken on the character of a
workshop activity through staging and the computer and
is leaving the well-trodden paths of traditional teaching.
Reference can be made, in conclusion, to the work
of Legutke (1998, 2000, Key concept: The classroom
as a world of learning – and beyond) who has shown
that the classroom has now become a workshop for
communication, offering opportunities for language
practice, a room for staging, indeed a stage.
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Außerschulische Lernorte
Theater
Museum & Galerie
Heimarbeit
Staging Foreign Language Learning an attempt at a definition
The concept of staging was intensively discussed in
the preparatory stages of the project with regard to
its appropriateness as a didactic and methodological category. Non-native speakers especially often
assumed a too close relationship to the stage, drama
and theatre.
Of course, this area is part of the project, but our
definition of staging, as in authentic English use, is
broader and goes much further. Research in a selection of dictionaries and in authentic contexts shows
us the meaning of staging as seen in the project.
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Just considering the verbs occurring in the context
of stage/staging reveals the understanding of the
pupils’ and teachers’ active role which characterizes
our project.
act
fake
orchestrate
arrange
give
play
carry out
lay on
present
contrive do
plan
produce
engineer
organize
put on
exhibit
perform
trump up
The project intends to find out what opportunities
there are, against the background of this project
philosophy, for the mise-en-scene, for involving
media and generally putting projects together in a
sensible combination.
A change of paradigm:
from teaching to learning
The traditional classroom metamorphoses into a language workshop containing a stage, an atelier, a
communications centre, a teaching section and a
linguistic research centre, complemented by external places of learning. This language workshop is a
rich learning environment which is enhanced by the
Internet to become a meeting place for own and
other cultures. Doing things with languages thus
becomes more target-oriented and more authentic
– the foreign language is experienced as a real instrument for intercultural communication.
78
Teachers’ and pupils’ roles also change radically. The
more passive sides of the pupils’ role like listening,
answering the teachers’ questions, copying down from
the board or doing exercises individually retreat into
Basically staging means for us Staging successful learning processes involving learners and
teachers in the form of creative, process-, product- and communication-oriented work- and
learning scenarios – in a motivating environment
which is in part enriched by technology.
the background. Instead active and creative sides of
the pupils are called upon – like writing texts to be
exchanged with partners outside the classroom walls,
designing tasks and exercises for fellow-pupils, searching for information, processing that information, presenting results etc.. The teacher becomes an adviser
and a facilitator, creating an optimal learning environment and giving the pupils individual support.
Regarding scenic approaches, these changed learning situations are described dramatically by Kao and
O’Neill (1998):
“The usefulness of every kind of drama in second
language teaching lies in the fact that it provides
contexts for multiple language encounters and encourages authentic dialogue between teachers and
students. As a result the usual classroom interactions
are profoundly and productively altered.“
Ten essentials for a didactic concept
1 The project method (Dewey 1962) is ideally speaking typical of staging foreign language material in
the foreign language, and it fulfills all the present
demands made by language experts regarding
learner-orientation, content-orientation, process-,
action- and product orientation – and all that in the
planning phases, the completion of the task and in
the final evaluation or tying up of loose ends. Despite this, the partners in the project have agreed
to make the in-service modules flexible (i.e. teaching
ideas, concepts and projects will be practicable
under less than perfect conditions, for example,
within normal lesson times). This became necessary
because of the differences in school organisation,
guidelines and curricula.
2 Project work is done in groups, so the present call
for the individualisation of learning processes and
clear distinction of achievement levels must remain
unanswered, although, of course, group results
must be defined as the sum, at least, of individual
efforts. The issue of formal evaluation of achievement in some countries and systems is the subject of research within the project and has as yet
to be settled. First findings and suggestions can be
found in Blume, Jandra and Ross (nm 53/2, 2000),
where the evaluation of role-play, of scenic interpretations of fictional texts, the achievement in
creative writing and the production of multimedia
presentations are discussed.
The combination of learner autonomy with the
social dimension of group work in staging was one
of the research tasks in the project …although
Burow (1999) has provocatively commented that
creativity is only possible in the plural.
3 Wagenschein’s assumption (1968) that “what is
good for girls is also good for boys” was a criterion
in developing the modules. In the area of performing and because of the age structure of our target
group, the first year of the project has shown that
creative, performance-oriented and theatrical-educational approaches generally appeal more to girls
and motivate them to go on with the work. The aim
of the project was therefore to design and increase
the offers of material such that boys will take up
those offers.
The same is true of learner types. The project partners started from the assumption that staging helps
to compensate for a lack of the ability to see things
in an abstract way when learning languages. The onesidedness of a cognitive orientation can be compensated by the “learning with all the senses” approach.
4 Basically the concepts being developed in the project
for in-service use are not oriented towards perfection in grammar and pronunciation, as many traditional university seminars still expect, they are rather
intended to spread foreign language use functionally for a greater number of learners than hitherto.
So the target group is not, say, a third of German
upper school pupils, nor their Irish, Finnish and Polish
counterparts, but all pupils participating in foreign
language learning and their teachers. Zydatiß (1998)
has formulated this in his paper on ‘Teaching for Tomorrow’, where he refers to the monoculture of
aims and content in the past, and emphasises the
changed needs of society and of the individual in
the future.
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The partners in the project had formulated the following
didactic assumptions to carry out their work.
Pestalozzi’s idea of “learning with head, heart and
hands” is the point of departure for our efforts.
5 Our synopsis of foreign language teaching in the
project partner countries has shown that the presentations we are promoting to enhance learning
and school culture and, of course, the competencies behind them remain the exception. Work results are kept in exercise books and rarely leave the
classroom. In times of the Internet this attitude to
communication is diametrically opposite to the
opening-up of society and will certainly not help
educational systems in Europe to grow together. In
addition, evaluation of presentations in the project
led to improvements which will bear fruit in the later
phases of marketing and distribution.
6 Above and beyond the individual examples, the
modules were designed to be a media and methods mix. There is more innovative potential in the
combination with electronic media and language
learning and use should basically be media-intensive. A variety of media is not only important for
content and methods diversity, but brings reality
from the target languages and cultures into the
classroom, thus making intercultural experience and
comparisons possible. Authentic media use should
therefore always take priority over didacticised
attempts (Gienow and Hellwig, 1998).
7 On the other hand, ‘classic’ methodological components can now be seen as offering ‘compensatory’ possibilities when virtual learning and the
media tend to dominate..
8 The levels and forms of the modules encompass
seminars, courses and workshops which include
practical trials in pilot schools involving the pupils
directly. The modules are bottom-up, intended for
direct application in foreign language work in
schools, i.e. teachers will be empowered to integrate the materials they have become acquainted
with directly in their own teaching – it is our aim
to open a direct path from in-service training to
79
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the foreign language classroom. That is why exemplary lesson suggestions, at least, are a part
of the in-service modules.
9 The motto teachers train other teachers or teachers learn from other teachers are a part of the
philosophy of our project. The new modules are
therefore primarily aimed at teachers prepared
to be cascaders or at those who are already involved in this work. In the meetings which led to
the formulation of the project application it was
decided that practice-oriented in-service institutions would play the main role in developing the
appropriate materials, while universities would
play a consultancy role.
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Notes
STAGING FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING
Materials for the in-service training of foreign language teachers
7II08-CP-2-2000-I-DE-LINGUA-LA