using film in language classes: school teachers’ perceptions of (dis)advantages and challenges

The use of film in language classes has rapidly increased in recent years because of advances in information communication technologies and this is an important tool for the incorporation of authentic sociocultural, critical, discoursal, and visual dimensions into language teaching practices which can enhance language learners’ ability to communicate values, customs, attitudes, beliefs, gestures, movements, etc. in the target language. however, the problems are that these potentials are not always acceptably used and that little is known about the challenges that reduce the effectiveness of the use of films for language teaching. even though previous research has frequently shown that the use of films could be effective, advantageous, motivating, and useful in many other ways, published research on the possible (dis)advantages and challenges of the use of films in english language teaching (elt) is scant and the area is particularly under-researched in iran. considering these gaps, the present study was designed with the primary purpose of exploring public school teachers’ perceptions about the (dis)advantages and challenges of using films in english language classes. the study used a mixed-method design involving a researcher-made questionnaire survey supplemented with content analysis of interview data. 50 secondary school teachers of english, randomly selected from schools in kashan, consented to provide survey and interview data on how frequently they employed films, how they thought films could help, what (dis)advantages they perceived with their use, and what challenges they face when trying to use them. the quantitative and qualitative analyses of the collected data showed that 1) even though teachers strongly believed that the use of films positively affected learners’ success, they reported infrequent use of films in their classes; 2) limited technical equipment/facilities, lack of expertise to handle/produce pedagogical films, difficulty in finding films suitable for culture, syllabus, age, and atmosphere of learning were reported as serious challenges faced by teachers in the use of films; 3) teachers perceived an unwillingness in policy-making to give more weight to oral skills and to balance a predominantly reading-based syllabus that leads learners, school masters, and parents to consider the use of films a waste of time. based on the results and the voices of the teachers, this study highlights the educational potentials of the use of films and pinpoints issues that need to be addressed not only in-service training but also in curriculum modification attempts.