Jigsaw Listener*

Author: Atsushi Fukada

Brief description of Jigsaw Listener

CIC-JAPIR Jigsaw Listening modules

Slide presentation of Jigsaw Listener

Brief description of Jigsaw Listener

This CALL system is an implementation of a new type of language learning activity devised by the author called jigsaw listening. (cf. Fukada and Takagi 1996) It allows a digital video clip of a conversation in a foreign language to be presented piece by piece in a jumbled order. The learner's task is to listen to each piece and reconstruct the original conversation by reordering them. Although this may sound like a game, it has theoretical justifications, some of which are presented below as grounds for adopting the system for the project.

1. This activity raises the learner's consciousness regarding the organizational pattern of a discourse. For example, when one wants to make a request in Japanese, he typically starts out presenting a lengthy discussion of reasons and grounds for the request before making the actual request.
2. At a more local level, the learner needs not only to understand the meaning of each utterance but also to recognize the function of each utterance. Can you open the door? may be a request or an inquiry, to take a simple English example. The leaner, furthermore, needs to learn what function is accompanied by what other functions in Japanese to effectively solve the puzzle. This activity helps the learner to acquire these types of knowledge through discovery learning.
3. Since the goal is to reconstruct the original conversation, it forces the learner to be constantly thinking of the meaning of the entire conversation, encouraging use of a top-down strategy of discourse comprehension.
4. Since the learner is likely to view each piece at least a few times, it exposes the learner to a large quantity of native speech.
5. It also gives an opportunity to observe gestures and mannerisms and other types of non-verbal behavior of native speakers as well as cultural elements.

In short, this activity is not a simple receptive listening activity, but is one that also involves production skills, organizational knowledge, and top-down discourse processing. It is an integrated type of learning activity which is arguably very beneficial to the learner at all levels.

CIC-JAPIR Jigsaw Listening modules

The following two modules have been created. These modules are based on video clips extracted from a database of instructional video clips compiled by Tsukuba University. Creation of these clips was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education, JAPAN, 1996. They are not to be used for any commercial purposes.

• Module One: "Student and teacher"
• Module Two: "Ordering at a restaurant"

*I would like to acknowledge the Multimedia Instructional Development Center (MIDC) at Purdue University for providing funds to complete the development of the system, in addition to the CIC institutions for providing start-up funds.

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