Reflection on final project-providing the authentic learning resources in Modern Language Class

How to provide students the authentic learning opportunity in language class has been always an important issue. I am so excited to produce this above mini movie when I was travelling in Beijing this 16th -24th Oct 2009 to attend a weekend workshop. This movie will be a wonderful learning and teaching resources in teaching of the Unit " Travel". And here I would love to share how I made this movie and how I want to apply this movie in my curriculum content.

The structure of this movie

Software I used to make this movie: window movie maker;

Music chosen: "Beijing Welcome you" from 2008 Olympic theme song

The basic information on travelling: transportation, hotel, shopping, souvenirs, eating outside and local culture; I edit the photos and videos in such order as the basic information when oneself needs in travel.

How I embed this digital movie into my teaching

This movie can be either used to assess students for their academic grades or to encourage students to work for their credit points. There are three ways for students to use the movie:

1) To get the Chinese words as much as possible in the movie to edit them into a mini-travle dictionary. Then select the best travel dictionary among the class;

2) To produce a relevant movie based on this;

3) To compose a travelling story based on the background, the information in this movie;

Students can be a writer, a director or an editor to produce the above respective performance tasks, and display their work to the public.

Not only the movie can serve the above purposes, but also students have the opportunity to test themselves if they can apply what they learnt from textbook to the real life situation, for example, reading the menu book of the restaurant, telling the services offered in business centre in the hotel, recognizing the public signs in airport, central commercial district...and touching the pulse of modern Beijing in 21st century.