The use of classical music to improve reading comprehension

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

THE USE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC TO IMPROVE READING COMPREHENSION

EL USO DE MÚSICA CLÁSICA PARA MEJORAR LA COMPRENSIÓN LECTORA

Daniela Holguín-Barrera / Universidad Técnica de Ambato / md.holguin@uta.edu.ec

ABSTRACT

his study focuses on an action research project related to the use of classical music to improve reading comprehension in a foreign language

classroom at a university level in the town of Ambato, Tungurahua, Ecuador. The need for university students to improve reading skills in this

society was analysed, due to the fact that young people have not developed reading habits, even in their mother tongue. This aspect was conside-

red, as well as students’ results on reading exercises applied to them, before and after being exposed to the use of classical music in the language

classroom, which were evaluated through a comparison between the different experiences revealed in the surveys applied to the students, and

their grade reports. The conclusion highlights that there was a signiﬁcant improvement in the academic performance of students when they felt

comfortable in their classroom environment while classical music was played. Even though research has not yet proved scientiﬁcally that the use

of classical music inﬂuences students to improve their reading comprehension in the language classroom, there are studies related to the use of

classical music in education and the learning process, related to the topic of this study, which contributed to conclude that further research must

be done in this speciﬁc area.

Key words:

classical music, comprehension, improving, reading

RESUMEN

ste estudio se basa en un proyecto de investigación-acción relacionado con el uso de música clásica para mejorar la comprensión lectora en la

clase de idioma extranjero, llevada a cabo a nivel universitario en la ciudad de Ambato, Tungurahua, Ecuador. Se analizó la necesidad de que

los estudiantes mejoren la destreza de la lectura, en vista de que los jóvenes en esta sociedad no han estado acostumbrados a desarrollar hábitos

de lectura, incluso en su propio idioma. Se consideró tanto esta razón, como los resultados de los estudiantes en los ejercicios de comprensión

lectora aplicados antes y después de exponerlos al uso de música clásica en el aula, los cuales fueron evaluados mediante una comparación entre

las diferentes experiencias reveladas en las encuestas aplicadas y los reportes de caliﬁcaciones. La conclusión resalta que existió una signiﬁcante

mejora en el desempeño académico de los estudiantes, cuando se sintieron cómodos en su ambiente de clase mientras escuchaban música clá-

sica. A pesar de que las investigaciones, cientíﬁcamente, no han logrado comprobar que el uso de música clásica pueda mejorar la comprensión

lectora en la clase de idioma extranjero, existen estudios relacionados al uso de la música clásica en la educación y el proceso de aprendizaje,

relacionados al tema de este estudio, que han ayudado a concluir que se necesita más investigación en esta área especíﬁca.

Palabras clave:

comprensión, lectura, mejorar, música clásica.

ARTÍCULO RECIBIDO: 21/11/16

ARTÍCULO ACEPTADO: 30/11/18

Investigación y Desarrollo • Revista de Divulgación Científica y Cultural • Volumen 11

Diciembre 2016 • PP 27 - 39 • Dirección de Investigación y Desarrollo • U.T.A. • Ambato - Ecuador

ISSN: 1390 - 5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

Daniela Holguín-Barrera

he need for university students to develop reading skills

has been noticed for more than ﬁfteen years in English as

a Foreign Language (EFL). In Ecuadorian society, people tend

to have insufﬁciently developed reading habits and motivation

from early stages, even in their mother tongue. Regarding this

aspect, the latest census performed in Ecuador, to people older

than 16 in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Machala and Ambato,

demonstrated that:

El 26,5% de los ecuatorianos no dedica tiempo para leer,

de ellos el 56,8% no lo hace por falta de interés y el

31,7% por falta de tiempo. Según el estudio, el 50,3%

de los ecuatorianos lee de 1 a 2 horas a la semana [26.5

% of Ecuadorians do not dedicate time to reading; from

them, 56.8% do not do it due to lack of interest, and

31.7% due to lack of time. According to the study, 50.3%

of Ecuadorians read 1 to 2 hours per week] (INEC, 2012).

Consequently, this problem becomes additionally complex

when it is a foreign language, especially at a university level.

Therefore, students of EFL need external motivation in the skill

of reading, to foster their concentration, achieve higher results

in their academic performance and obtain advanced levels of

retention of what they have read. This research intended to

discover to what extend the use of classical music in the EFL

classroom encourages university students to improve reading

comprehension in their language class.

Motivation and good stimulation are important in the learning

process, especially of a foreign language; therefore, the

classroom environment is an element to be analyzed. Regarding

this topic, the importance in creating a safe, welcoming learning

environment, where all students feel safe and welcome;

teachers have the duty to make sure students feel comfortable

in a respectful and friendly environment, concluding that:

Reading in any language has a crucial role to play in

creating independent learners and increasing their

educational attainment. Reading is the basis of a

student‘s success at all levels of education. Developing

good reading habits is vital to a child’s future – not

just academically, but in everyday life as well. Students

with good reading habits learn more about the world

around them and develop an interest in language and

in other cultures. Reading leads to asking questions and

seeking answers, which expands students’ knowledge

on a constant basis (Teacher Education through School-

based Support in India, 2016).

Nowadays, as a result of research that has been performed, it is

possible to see the truth in Plato’s statement “musical training is

a more potent instrument than any other for education” (Harris,

2009, p. xi), as neuro-musicology studies the form in which

music affects the brain. Ramos (2008, p.6) for instance, states

that music is in the environment, all around us, and the voice is

the ﬁrst musical instrument possessed by humans; consequently,

the qualities of sound and its effects in learning are possible

to investigate, as people musically express themselves in an

improvised voice with everyday objects.

To illustrate the latter, Canal & Cabacés (2009, p. 6) indicate

there are professions in which the voice is frequently used:

actors, narrators, teachers, singers, among others; their tone of

the voice makes their work attractive; consequently teachers,

have a gift in their hands due to through their communicative

activities they are able to use the language of music.

Regarding teaching and the learning process, teachers have been

using different types of activities to reach students’ attention

and motivation, being as creative as possible to motivate their

students in order to achieve higher results in the skills of the

language they aim to teach. Motivation and good stimulation

therefore, are important in the learning process. This is the case

of music, which is suggested to be used from early stages.

The well-known philosopher Nietzsche stated that “without music,

life would be a mistake” (Berlioz, 2002, p.91); thus, he suggests

that babies need to be prepared from the mother’s uterus, due

to the fact that the hearing system, from very early stages, starts

to get vibrations that are transformed into sounds approximately

between the ﬁfth and the sixth month of pregnancy. The baby is

not able to interpret the sounds; however, the baby is capable to

recognize and process them, once being born.

Consequently, music during childhood is an important stimulus.

For example, Canal & Cabacés (2009, p.9) state that babies are

very receptive to music even before they are born. After birth,

they experience different types of contact with music. Through

the lullabies, they learn melodies, and perceive the movement

from balancing. Later, children produce their own sounds, not

only with their voice, they use their body and objects that are

around them. These examples are expressions of how music is

important in human life, and how it is acquired from early stages.

The music of Mozart for instance, has been studied for decades

due to its strong inﬂuence in children from pregnancy. The so

called ‘Mozart effect’, ﬁrst proposed by Rausher and Zupan

INTRODUCTION

The use of classical music to improve reading comprehension

(1993), has been under investigation regarding the inﬂuence of

his music on children and their brain. However there has been the

constant questioning of why Mozart, and what is special about

his music. To respond to these questions Berlioz (2002, p.93)

states Tomatis’ studies, claiming Mozart to have been virtuous

in the neurovegetative system and a specialist in functional

neurology, transmitting special vibrations that evidence the

creative potential of people. Moreover, Jausovec, Jausovec, &

Gerlic (2000), studied the inﬂuence of Mozart’s music on brain

activity in the process of learning, based on the Mozart effect,

concluding that his music activates task-relevant brain areas,

which enhances the process of learning spatio-temporal rotation

tasks.

Regarding the effect music has in learning, Habermeyer (1999,

p.25) states that music is a powerful vehicle to reach knowledge

and academic success, not only a form of art which adds

aesthetic experiences to life. For instance, studies using other

types of music have been proven to be effective in learning.

One example is the research performed by Cripe, 1986, testing

children with Attention Deﬁcit Disorder (ADD), and rock music,

who demonstrated a decreased level of activity in those children,

and an increasement in attention span. This is to say that

scientists, neurologists, and researchers that study the effect of

music in the brain, have started to reveal the potential that music

has in the development of human beings.

Additionally, concerning music perception, Corrigall & Trainor

(2011), state that music training, especially in children, predicted

academic achievement; measured in two aspects: through

standardized tests and grade reports from school. Another

example of the relationship between music and reading is found

in Tsang’s (2011, p.30) study, where he proved that music

training improves music perception skills, which are associated

to reading.

The skill of reading therefore, has been demonstrated to involve

reasoning, and imagination of abstract situations; on the other

hand, music is perceived by Habermeyer (1999, p.39) as a

powerful tool to increase the temporal-spatial reasoning, which

is the ability to perceive, with accuracy, the visual world and form

mental images of the objects; aspects that are close related to

reading.

Consequently, spatial reasoning, and its relationship with music,

is relevant to be mentioned when referring to reading, as this skill

is an abstract activity; therefore, what teachers aim to achieve

with their students is forming a visual image of what students

are reading, knowing that music contributes to it. Regarding this

ﬁeld “studies have shown that young children who take keyboard

lessons have greater abstract reasoning abilities than their peers,

and these abilities improve over time with sustained training in

music” (Rauscher & Zupan, 2000).

Music, therefore, has been used for learning purposes. The use

of classical music, for instance is illustrated by Habermeyer

(1999) through the ﬁndings of researchers from the University of

California and Wisconsin, who speciﬁed that listening to classical

music increases memory and concentration. Learning how to

play a musical instrument has been veriﬁed to increase spatial

reasoning. Thus, proving that music beneﬁts students who lack

conﬁdence, disabilities, and learning problems. To illustrate what

happens in the brain. Habermeyer (1999) states that the left,

right, anterior and posterior parts of the brain are involved in

music, explaining why people learn and retain information in an

easier way when learning is marked by music.

Furthermore, throughout history, classical music composers, have

used their sounds to identify certain characters from a narrative.

Cabacés-Vilaplana (2008, p.54) discussed the following as an

example of the latter: Prokóﬁev, for instance wrote a piece for a

narrator and an orchestra called Peter and the Wolf; in his work,

there are several characters, each one of them represented by

a speciﬁc musical instrument, or a group of them, as well as

a speciﬁc musical tone. Another example can be found in the

Disney ﬁlm Fantasia, an illustrated narration through images,

giving life to Paul Dukas’ symphonic scherzo called The wizard’s

apprentice which was based on Gothe’s ballad, the story is about

an old wizard that wants to imitate his master.

Additionally, parental support at home is important when

children are in school. Learning could be supported with the use

of classical music according to the topics studied in class. A

number of speciﬁc examples are to be considered regarding the

moment children are studying. For example, The Flight of the

Bumblebee from Rimsky-Korsakov when studying bees, where

children are able to visualize the sound of the bees through their

imagination. Another example is the carnival of animals from

Camille Saint-Saëns, where children are able to guess thirteen

animals that appear in the tune, therefore learn through music.

Finally The planets by Gustav Holst, when children are studying

the universe, as there is a representation of the Solar System and

each one of its planets seen from Earth, with their astrological

character (Habermeyer,1999, p.226).

As stated above, the use of classical music for learning purposes,

especially for children, has been a matter of research. The best

example is the above-mentioned ‘Mozart effect’. However,

regarding language learning, Dr. Lozanov, who has been studying

music, the brain, and language learning for decades, developed

Daniela Holguín-Barrera

a methodology for teaching foreign languages that used baroque

music. According to Walker (1993), Lozanov suggested the use

of certain Baroque pieces to master foreign languages with more

effectiveness, recalling what they have learned in the foreign

language, even when they had not studied it for four years. Dr.

Lozanov studied foreign language instruction through the use of

what he called Suggestopedia, deﬁned as “a system of suggestive-

accelerative learning and teaching techniques professing such

a claim; Lozanov claims that a 1,000% increase in learning is

possible with Suggestopedia” (Dipamo & Job, 1991).

Since research has shown that music affects the brain, scientists

have discovered that “music has the capacity to train the brain for

levels of thought that are superior. Those types of thought include

solving problems; inferring information; getting conclusions;

comparing and contrasting similarities; synthesising and

evaluating information” Habermeyer (1999, p.32), these aspects

are remarkable for this study, especially due to the fact that

reading, including in a foreign language, requires the previously

mentioned actions from the brain.

Restating the objective of this research, to discover whether

students, when exposed to listening to classical music while

performing reading activities in the classroom, improved in their

foreign language reading comprehension activities in order to

achieve higher results, it has been based on supporting studies

related to the use of classical music in education and the learning

process, explained together with the analysis of the information

obtained from the results of this project and supported with

previously performed studies.

his study is based on an Action Research project carried out

at the University of Ambato (in Ecuador) which intended to

discover to what extend the use of classical music in the EFL

classroom encourages university students to improve reading

comprehension in their language class.

The term action research was ﬁrst used by Lewin “to describe

research that will help the practitioner by providing clarity about

what is to be done in complex situations” (Baumﬁeld, Hall, &

Wall, 2013, p. 3). Furthermore, Efron & Ravid, (2013, pp. 2-6)

stated that, according to Lewin, action research is an inquiry

conducted by educators in their own settings with the aim of

advancing their practice and improving their student’s learning. It

emphasizes the role of practitioners in conducting investigations

in their classrooms and schools. The members of the group that

intend to be changed should participate in the action research.

This is the case of the thirty-three students of upper-intermediate

level from the previously mentioned university who were the

participants of this action research project.

This type of research is conducted in a classroom; consequently,

“The starting point for AR (Action Research) is identifying a

problem you want to focus on” (Burns, 2009, p.32). Therefore,

the need of students for developing reading comprehension

in the language classroom was established. As a result, it is

essential that teachers start applying the use of reading material

in the classroom habitually. This is, reading activities which were

meant to be applied once a week as part of the curriculum. For

this project they were performed two or three times instead.

Afterwards, following Guskey’s suggestion (2002, p.50) that

“using appropriate pre- and post-measures provide valuable

information”, comprehension questions were applied to the

students to obtain a grade of their understanding of the reading

text. First without being exposed to classical music; subsequently,

with similar types of texts, comprehension questions were

asked again, this time using classical music as background

while students were reading, to analyse whether the results are

different in both stages. Questionnaires were once again applied

to the students to check how they feel about this activity in terms

of comprehension, to know if they feel they are improving or

not, and then compare that with the obtained results from the

exercises previously applied to them.

As stated above, it was important to select the sample group

to work with; therefore, the chosen group was a class of thirty-

three students of upper-intermediate level from the previously

mentioned university. The way in which the study was developed

is based on the teacher’s experience in classroom management.

To start, students were given time to read with short pieces of

classical music in the background, which means that they were

not exposed directly to reading whole long texts with classical

music. They started with short exercises, improving the level of

retention. Subsequently, the texts were longer and the time of

exposure to the classical music was increased, until reaching

the reading of whole texts in English with classical music as

background. The stages covered in this action research project

were: ﬁrst, to diagnose the problem with a questionnaire given to

students. Second, a pre-test on reading comprehension applied

to the students. Subsequently, students were given reading

comprehension exercises on the topics from the class syllabus,

without the use of music, which is the usual environment they

have when reading. Later, the use of classical music in the

classroom was introduced, while students were reading the

METHODOLOGY

The use of classical music to improve reading comprehension

same type of texts, to compare the differences. At that point, the

questionnaires, applied to the whole class and the results, were

tabulated. Finally, a comparison of the results obtained from the

exercises and the questionnaires was analysed to obtain the

correspondent conclusions.

Figure 1. Stages of the Action Research project to ﬁnd out whether students, when exposed to listening to classical music while

performing reading activities in the classroom, improved in their foreign language reading comprehension activities

Diagnose the

problem:

questionnaire

Reading

comprehension

exercises, with

classical music

Reading

comprehension

exercises,

without music

Pre-test on

reading

comprehension

Post-

questionnaire

Tabulate results

Comparison of

the results

Conclusions

Source: developed by the author, based on Burns (2002), and Guskey (2009)

The tools used to develop this action research project were the

reading materials that were part of the textbook and workbook,

Passages 2; extra reading materials related to the class

topics; the previously selected classical music tracks; reading

comprehension questions; and the questionnaires applied

to each student before and after being exposed to the use of

classical music in the foreign language classroom. In these

questionnaires, students were asked to answer questions about

their perception when reading without music and with classical

background music; whether they found any difference in their

concentration, retention of the reading texts in English; and,

to conclude, students responded to whether classical music

contributed to comprehend their reading texts when they were

exposed to listening to classical music while performing reading

activities in the classroom.

Once in the place where this action research took place, it was

necessary to select appropriate pieces of music, and the length

of the music tracks. Both depended on the type of reading

exercises students would be exposed to, and their difﬁculty. The

following are the examples of the music themes played to the

students for the purpose of this research:

Figure 2. Pieces of classical music chosen to be played as part of the Action Research Project

Source: developed by the author, based on music pieces suggested by Habermeyer (pp. 205-216), and Berlioz (pp.38-50)

Daniela Holguín-Barrera

he following is the analysis of the results obtained from the

answers students provided in the questionnaires applied

to them at two different stages of the process. The ﬁrst one

before the research started, and the second one after they were

exposed to perform reading activities with the use of classical

music as background. Due to the fact that statistics in Ecuador

(INEC, 2012) demonstrated that 26.5% of Ecuadorians do not

dedicate time to reading, the ﬁrst group of questions asked about

student’s likes regarding the skill of reading, their feelings while

reading in English.

RESULTS

Do you like reading in Spanish?

YES

Total number

of students:

24%

76%

2 2

Preferred type of reading

novels

short stories

self-esteem

fiction

classics

Total number

of students: 25

52%

20%

12%

8% 8%

Figure 2. Pieces of classical music chosen to be played as part of the Action Research Project

Source: developed by the author, based on music pieces suggested by Habermeyer

(pp. 205-216), and Berlioz (pp.38-50)

Data obtained from the questionnaires handed in to the total of thirty-three

(33) students before using classical music in the EFL reading class.

QUESTION 1:

Do you like reading in your native language (Spanish)?

Figure 3: Question 1 - Stage 1

Source: developed by the author, based on Question 1-Stage 1

from the questionnaire applied to students

When the answer was afﬁrmative, the following question was

required to be answered: What kind of texts do you prefer to read

in in your native language (Spanish)?

Figure 4: Question 1 - Stage 1

Source: developed by the author, based on Question 1-Stage 1

from the questionnaire applied to students

The use of classical music to improve reading comprehension

QUESTION 2:

How do you feel when reading texts in the foreign language

you are studying (English)?

Figure 5: Question 2 – Stage 1

Source: developed by the author based on Question 2-Stage 1

from the questionnaire applied to students

Figure 6: Question 2 - Stage 1

Source: developed by the author based on Question 2-Stage 1

from the questionnaire applied to students

QUESTION 3:

Do you need to feel in a relaxed environment in order to read

in the foreign language?

Figure 7: Question 3 – Stage 1

Source: developed by the author based on Question 3-Stage 1

from the questionnaire applied to students

Feelings when reading

COMFORTABLE

NERVOUS/

WORRIED

UN-COMFORTABLE

OTHER

Total Number

of students: 33

49%

33%

12%

1 1

0,5

1,5

Other feelings from question 5

it depends on the songs

sometimes disturbed

it bothers me

it disturbs

I hate classical music

Number of

students: 5

20%

50%

20%

Source: made by the author, based on Question 5-Stage 2

from the questionnaire applied to students

As visualized in the previous graphics, students’ answers

reﬂect a positive attitude towards the use of classical music in

their language classroom when performing reading activities.

Students expressed that they indeed experienced a difference

when they were exposed to reading with music rather than

when they did it without music; they showed improvement in

concentration, therefore, comprehension of the texts.

Once the results from the questions asked to the students after

being exposed to the use of classical music in their EFL class

when performing reading activities, it is time to analyse the

scores obtained on the reading exercises applied to the students

during this stage, in order to compare them with the scores from

the ﬁrst stage.

Figure 20. Scores obtained in the 10 reading exercises

applied with the use of classical music- Stage 2

Source: made by the author, based on the Scores the 33 students obtained

in the 10 reading exercises applied after using classical music as background

The use of classical music to improve reading comprehension

Clearly, in this second group of ten (10) reading exercises

applied to students using classical music, as the above graphic

demonstrates, students improved their grades signiﬁcantly from

the previous stage, reaching grades from seven point ﬁve points

over ten (7.5/10) to ten points over ten (10/10) in spite of the

fact that their readings were at the same level. In the latter stage,

students were exposed to using classical music while reading

in their EFL classroom, achieving higher scores in their reading

activities in class, as expressed below.

Figure 21: Comparative Scores

DISCUSSION

s stated above, in the last decades there has been a

tendency in researching about what effects music has in

the brain, either referring to the effects music has in children

from early stages, or to the inﬂuence music has in education.

There are studies related to music having a close relationship

to the mind, to the soul, and others to learning, supporting the

use of music, for learning and for reading. In the latter aspect,

Habermeyer (1999, p.60) states that parents, and how they

raise their children, inﬂuence on how they are going to grow

up from early stages; therefore, their children are able to feel

their parents’ presence from their mother’s uterus, which has a

positive inﬂuence in the babies’ future.

Regarding the use of music as a tool in the classroom and for

reading Berlioz (2002, p.12) mentions that “sounds, apart from

their capacity to transmit aesthetic values and the possibility to

increase our motor capacity, can improve our health, control

stress, and is able to stimulate intelligence, as it arouses the

comprehension of abstract things.” This statement is closely

related to the skill of reading, due to it refers to something

abstract that is process in the mind; therefore, music and sounds

contribute to stimulating comprehension of texts while students

are reading, which was a matter of analysis in this study. This

theory is supported with the studies performed on Mozart’s

music, explained above, which guided this research throughout

its process.

Furthermore, regarding the use of classical music, the

suggestion made by Habermeyer (1999, p.205) to parents and

teachers is that, when choosing classical music to play, they

should choose pieces that are played by orchestras instead of

instruments’ soloes. The pieces that are chosen should be agile,

entertaining, and lively; and when presenting symphonies, the

best idea is to play the fastest movements ﬁrst. This method of

exposure attracts learning through music, which was the aim of

this project. Consequently, the pieces of classical music were

carefully selected to be played in the classroom for the purpose

of this study.

Finally, the results of this action research project have clearly

demonstrated that, when choosing the appropriate pieces of

classical music to expose students during reading exercises in

the EFL classroom, there was a signiﬁcant improvement in their

scores especially when compared to the scores obtained in the

stage where students experienced non-exposure to classical

music when reading.

6.6

1st STAGE - Without the

use of Music

2nd STAGE - Using

Classical Music While

Reading

SCORE

Class Average Scores obtained in the Reading

Exercises

Source: made by the author, based on the class average scores obtained in the two stages of the project:

without the use of music, and using classical music while reading

Daniela Holguín-Barrera

CONCLUSIONS

he action research project, which intended to discover

to what extend the use of classical music in the EFL

classroom encourages university students to improve reading

comprehension in their language classroom, based its purpose

on the need of university students for developing reading skills.

This is important as Ecuadorians have insufﬁciently developed

reading habits from early stages. Once the study and its results

were analysed, they contributed to reaching the following

conclusions:

• When exposed to the use of classical music while

performing reading activities in the EFL classroom,

students achieved higher results in this second stage.

Consequently, it supported students in acquiring higher

standards of comprehension when reading the foreign

language. The scores obtained in the exercises applied to

students in the second stage, after using classical music,

support this statement, where they achieved scores from

eight (8.0) to ten (10) in the reading exercises, with a class

average of nine points over ten (9/10); compared with the

ﬁrst stage, where students obtained lower scores, from six

(6.0) to seven ﬁfty (7.5), and a class average of six point

six points over ten (6.6/10).

• Students who were subject of this study realized there was

a signiﬁcant difference between reading with classical

music and without background music, and expressed their

preference towards the stage when they were exposed

to the use of classical music while performing reading

activities in the EFL classroom. This is supported with the

answers of the questionnaire in the second stage, where

students’ answers to questions 1, 2, 3 obtained 94%,

85% and 79% in the afﬁrmative answers.

• Additionally, results from this research conﬁrmed that

students felt comfortable, or relaxed, in their classroom

environment, when exposed to the use of classical music

while performing reading activities in the EFL classroom,

due to answers for question 5 from the questionnaire

showed percentages of 73% towards feeling comfortable

or relaxed.

• Finally, students stated that reading with classical music

contributed to improve their concentration, therefore obtain

higher scores on their reading tasks in the classroom, which

is possible to visualize in the answers of questions 3 and 4

from the second stage questionnaire, where 79% of them

stated music encouraged them concentrate and understand

better; as well as in question 5 where 21% stated that music

relaxed them, 15% answered it contributed to concentration,

21% said it made them forget what is around, and 24%

stated that it facilitated to develop creativity; and supported

once again, with the scores obtained in the second group of

reading exercises (11-20), reaching a class average of nine

points over ten (9/10).

These conclusions, therefore,, contributed to the recommendation

that further research should be performed in the speciﬁc ﬁeld of

EFL teaching, and its relationship with fostering reading with the

use of classical music.

REFERENCES

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Martha Lara-Freire; Gloria Escudero-Orozco

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

GRAMMAR VIDEO LESSONS TO FOSTER INDEPENDENT LEARNERS

IN THE ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

LECCIONES CON VIDEOS DE GRAMÁTICA PARA PROMOVER APRENDIZAJE INDEPENDIENTE

EN LOS ESTUDIANTES DE INGLÉS COMO LENGUA EXTRANJERA

Martha Lara-Freire / Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo / mlaraf@espoch.edu.ec

Gloria Escudero-Orozco / Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo / iescudero@unach.edu.ec

ABSTRACT

his research analyzes the impact of the implementation of the ﬂipped classroom to improve the low development of cognitive skills in the stu-

dents and to promote the autonomous learning in 30 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students Level Four in the English Center at Escuela

Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo through grammar video lessons. The proposal consisted of eight grammar video lessons based on the syllabus

designed for this level. These videos became both: a valuable tool to foster independent learning and a strategy to ﬂip the traditional classroom,

which allowed additional time to work on practical activities in the classroom, considering that the theory was studied outside the classroom. The

instruments applied in this research project are as initial survey, a satisfaction survey, a pre-test, and a post-test. The initial survey and the pre-test

determined the necessity students had to consolidate their knowledge regarding grammar and apply those contents in a real life context. The post-

test results revealed that there was a meaningful improvement in the level of grammar knowledge, which is demonstrated in the results analysis

and interpretation. Once the study ended, the students concluded that the grammar video lessons are effective and useful to achieve independence

in learning the English grammar rules. Students who were part of the intervention reached a level of autonomous learning which inﬂuenced mark-

edly in the students grades as showed in the interpretation and analysis of the results. Additionally, students felt motivated because they had less

“homework.” Thus, it is concluded that the grammar video lessons foster independent learning.

Key words:

independent learning, grammar video lessons, ﬂipped classroom.

RESUMEN

ste trabajo de investigación analiza el impacto de la implementación de la clase invertida en el aula de Inglés para mejorar el bajo desarrollo

de las habilidades cognitivas de los estudiantes y promover el aprendizaje autónomo en 30 estudiantes de inglés como Idioma Extranjero,

perteneciente al Cuarto Nivel del Centro de Idiomas de la Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo aplicando videos de gramática. La propuesta

consistió en ocho lecciones de gramática, basadas en el sílabo establecido para éste nivel, estos videos consistieron una valiosa herramienta

para fomentar el aprendizaje autónomo y una estrategia para cambiar el aula tradicional, dedicando más tiempo de la clase a la ejecución de

actividades prácticas, puesto que la teoría gramatical se trasladó fuera del aula. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron: encuesta inicial, encuesta de

satisfacción, pre-test y post-test. La encuesta inicial y el pre-test mostraron la necesidad de los estudiantes por consolidar sus conocimientos

de gramática y tener la habilidad de aplicarlos en situaciones de la vida real. Los resultados del post-test revelaron una mejora signiﬁcativa en el

nivel de conocimientos gramaticales lo que se comprobó en el análisis e interpretación de resultados. Al ﬁnalizar la investigación los estudiantes

concluyeron que las lecciones de gramática en video fueron efectivas y útiles para lograr independencia en el aprendizaje de reglas gramaticales

del idioma Inglés. Adicionalmente los estudiantes se sintieron motivados puesto que los “deberes” disminuyeron. Se concluye por tanto que el uso

de lecciones gramaticales en video promueve el aprendizaje autónomo.

Palabras clave:

aprendizaje autónomo, lecciones de gramática en video, clase invertida.

ARTÍCULO RECIBIDO: 21/11/16

ARTÍCULO ACEPTADO: 30/11/18

Investigación y Desarrollo • Revista de Divulgación Científica y Cultural • Volumen 11

Diciembre 2016 • PP 40 - 48 • Dirección de Investigación y Desarrollo • U.T.A. • Ambato - Ecuador

ISSN: 1390 - 5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

Grammar video lessons to foster independent learners

in the english as a foreign language classroom

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

INTRODUCTION

izar (2015) states that students appreciate being given

educational capsules in a similar way to eating fast food.

Based on this statement, this paper analyzes the facts that made

the researchers propose this investigation on video grammar

lessons to foster independent learners. Additionally, it describes

the theories that scientiﬁcally support the proposal and discusses

the results from an objective and real point of view comparing

them with results of other studies which apply the same variables.

Furthermore, this presentation creates awareness about the

need students have to become independent learners (Zhen,

2014), as well as the urgency of teachers’ commitment to push

students toward that independence (Hammond, 2015). Finally,

the research question seeks to know whether the implementation

of the ﬂipped classroom model through grammar video lessons

as homework train independent learners.

This study acquired a high level of importance due to the

problems to be solved and the results that can be generalized and

used by other professors in any other educational background.

During the research students’ insufﬁcient development of

cognitive independent skills affecting their learning is identiﬁed.

Furthermore, the major problems at the beginning of the

semester are to students{ lacked engagement with the learning-

teaching process. It is difﬁcult for them to acquire the ability

to create their own knowledge and critical thinking. Additionally,

a considerable amount of students in the intervention showed

insufﬁcient autonomous learning and they had difﬁculties to

identify the role of the teacher as a facilitator of the knowledge

(Ellis, 2004).

According to the researchers and other faculty’s point of view,

even teachers struggle with their responsibility in giving students

the necessary tools to become active participants in the learning

process (Murphy, 2016). The fact that classroom climate affects

the student’ ability to learn independently was additionally

considered (Alpha Omega Academy, 2012). Therefore, proving

the hypothesis, which facilitated understanding a solution to this

problem, implied to seek deeper on student’s perceptions of how

knowledge is acquired, the roles they are willing to take in order

to satisfy their needs and what the results from the intervention

they are able to apply along their learning process.

Additionally, it was observed that the majority of students were

visual learners, this fact is supported by a research from the

group of StudyMode in which they proved that approximately

65% of the population are visual learners (Kydiam, 2018).

Besides, it is important to mention that, nowadays, young people

prefer technology to printed material, as shown in the study by

Solano, Cabrera, Ulehlova, Espinoza (2017) in which 89% of

the participants agreed that technology is effective to improve

English language knowledge. Therefore, the general objective of

this study was to create video lessons of the grammar contents

studied in English Level 4 at Escuela Superior Politécnica de

Chimborazo as instruments for fostering independent learning.

The speciﬁc objectives were to use the video grammar lessons

to diminish the in-class theory time. This would create a way to

take that acquired knowledge into practice and to give students

the opportunity to learn grammar in a non-traditional way by

combining virtual education with face-to-face activities while

motivating self-study. The achievement of these objectives

helped to reach a better comprehension of the generalizations

discussed in this article.

The ﬁrst variable is the so-called independent variable, which

deals with video grammar lessons with focus on the ﬂipped

classroom model. The second variable, known as dependent

variable has to do with independence, speciﬁcally to develop the

necessary cognitive skills required for independent learning. The

ﬁrst variable was additionally used in the study by Ílin (2013), An

Action Research: Using Videos for Teaching Grammar in an ESP

Class presented by in which it is shown that 80% of students

nowadays prefer learning grammar using videos.

Flipped classroom was developed in 2007, the founders are

Jonathan Bergman and Aaron Sams, both science teachers. They

were not taking full advantage of the face-to-face time with their

students and realized that when they sent homework they were

not physically there to guide their students. All those situations

contributed to the Flipped Classroom model creation. The concept

of ﬂipped class is this: which was traditionally done in class is now

done at home, and which was traditionally done as homework is

now completed in class (Sams & Bergmann, 2012: 145).

Furthermore, the founders of this model started to record the

theory or lecture on videos and podcasts for their students to

have the opportunity to watch them as many times as they

needed, at their own pace, and in the comfort of their homes.

Moreover, several studies dealing with the same variables refer

to technology as the main tool to work with the ﬂipping approach

(Han, 2015; Chen Hsieh, 2016). One of these showed the

results that students outperformed the pre-test with a mean of

93 compared to 73.

The grammar video lessons, which are the recorded materials

carried out by the class tutor with content based on the syllabus

and on student’s needs, have to be designed with speciﬁc

Martha Lara-Freire; Gloria Escudero-Orozco

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

features such as an adequate length. It is essential to have the

singularity to catch student’s attention, in order to get them

involved in the teaching-learning process. Due to this fact, the

teacher became easily reachable. Students were able to turn on,

mute, rewind or repeat the class at will (Young, 2017). Seeing a

video of the content class has the same impact as the teaching

of one on one. This is something that it is challenging to achieve

in a public school setting.

Authors refer to independent learners as a student with the ability

to take charge of one’s learning (Carl, 2016). This is necessary

to comprehend that circumstances and learning style play a

crucial role, as age and maturity do (Alpha Omega Academy,

2012). When a student becomes an independent learner, he or

she exhibits features such as curiosity, persistence, autonomous

comprehension, critical thinking, accountability, self-examination,

self-motivation and are capable to choose their own study

strategies. This is remarkable because it’s difﬁcult for teachers

to design tasks speciﬁcally directed to one or another. The tasks

done at home have to match the level of proﬁciency with focus

on production (Harvey & Ckie-Wolfe, 2007). Lastly, providing

effective feedback contributes positively to this independence.

Additionally, it is necessary to highlight some results from other

researchers. For instance, Han (2015) points out that autonomy

was gained once the teacher created more opportunities for

meaning-focused output. This was clearly identiﬁed when

students submitted more work than the teacher expected.

Furthermore, when the tutor planned for them to look for

resources that possibly facilitate them learn independently they

enthusiastically look for learning activities that worked for them

and were valid to share with others. The second study developed

by Hsieh, Wu, & Marek (2016) remarks that doing autonomous

activities, student’s motivation and active participation notably

increased and additionally, their knowledge of the content

managed in class signiﬁcantly improved. Finally, the study by

Sung (2015) suggests that it is necessary to make students

realize that they are able to learn by themselves, becoming

active participants in the class.

The context in which the research was applied, the ﬁndings on

students’ survey and tests from this study show a tool which takes

EFL students and teachers to the next level. This is conducted by

switching from traditional to ﬂipped classroom. These showed

that students who participated in the intervention evidenced a

signiﬁcant improvement in their grammar knowledge as detailed

in the pre-test and post-test results.

According to Boulhuis and Voeten (2001), cited by Meyer,

promoting independent learning requires a new role for teachers,

a ﬂip from traditional transmission of information to a process-

oriented teaching, which ensures that students are actively

involved in the learning process (Meyer, 2010). It is crucial to

identify how everything ﬁts, equally considering the teacher’s

and the students’ role changes. The dependent learner is a

passive recipient of knowledge, who accepts the teacher as the

expert in the learning process; whereas the independent learner

is active in directing and regulating his or her own learning and

becomes the expert. Furthermore, the ability to blend processed

information and processing information without teacher

intervention sets the independent apart from the dependent

learner (Meyer, 2010).

METHODOLOGY

he background of this proposal draws on EFL students

enrolled in Level Fourth at a public undergraduate school.

The equivalence of this level is A2 of the Common European

Framework of Reference for Languages. Students come 4 hours

weekly to class and taking the English program is a mandatory

requirement for them to graduate. Before graduating, students

are supposed to reach B1 level. The sample was of thirty

students; in this group, 50% of students were male and 50%

female. They had different cultural backgrounds and different

levels of knowledge. A considerable amount of students had

issues in studying English continuously and for the majority of

them the proposed method was unfamiliar. However, they agreed

on the importance of using technology in the classroom and the

necessity of becoming independent, active learners. Due to

these facts, the following research question was formulated: to

what extend does the use of grammar video lessons recorded

by the researcher foster independent learning? It is necessary

to emphasize that the course content was designed with a

grammar-based syllabus (Nunan, 2002) and the tutor had to

create her own material and implement her own methodology.

Furthermore, a previous-research stage was planned to identify

the problem. Once this problem was identiﬁed, a problem-tree

was structured in order to establish the cause and effect, as

well as the possible solution for it (Barreto, 2018). Moreover,

it is essential to remark that the research design was quasi-

experimental because the study was empirical and aimed to

analyze the impact of the intervention on the target group. The

experimental and control were chosen and the research was

developed in natural educational scenarios.

Grammar video lessons to foster independent learners

in the english as a foreign language classroom

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

In order to prevent bias, the control group, which was not

exposed to the intervention, belonged to a different teacher, not

the researcher; whereas, the experimental group was intervened

by the researcher. The experimental and control groups had 30

students from different cultural and educational background. For

that reason, an initial survey and a pre-test were applied at the

beginning of the intervention. It was clear that students had not

developed the necessary cognitive skills required for independent

learning; therefore, the researcher chose the ﬂipped classroom

as the method to solve this problem.

This idea is deﬁnitely innovative, challenging, and motivating.

Therefore the researcher reordered eight grammar video lessons

for the English Fourth Students. The videos were based on the

grammar contents planned in the syllabus: Wishes in Present,

Past and Future; Zero Conditional, First Conditional, Second

Conditional, Third Conditional and Adjective clauses. The series

were divided into two categories: lecture and exercises. The

purpose was for students to understand the grammar rules ﬁrst

by watching the grammar video lessons created by the teacher

and practice what they learnt in class with the teacher’s guidance

afterwards.

RESULTS

he initial survey determined that students were aware that

watching video lessons help them to learn English since 91%

of the surveyed answered yes. Therefore, it was essential that

students had the videos available all the time; for that reason,

ﬁrst, the researcher opened an account on YouTube to upload the

videos. The videos were also included in the Virtual Classroom

students had for the English class.

Regarding the evaluation and monitoring, the teacher used the

WSQ chart, which students had to ﬁll in and discuss with the

teacher and the class the next day. In this chart, students had to

write information about what they watched and include the name

of the video. Afterwards, students needed to Summarize the new

content they learned and ﬁnally, they wrote Questions they still

had about the topic. Once the teacher read the questions, 10

minutes from the class were given for feedback. At this time,

the teacher reinforced the information or knowledge students

already had and then started with the practice.

As the ﬂipped class model was implemented, the main focus

was on practice: the researcher created worksheets to work

with the students in class. The emphasis was on letting students

take an active part in their learning and notice the necessity

to learn by themselves. Furthermore, the researcher used the

YouTube Teacher Channel and a Virtual Learning Environment

to have the videos available for students to watch at their own

pace. In addition, for recording the videos, the researcher had

the support of students and teachers of the Graphic Design

School, who allowed her to record in their studio; making an

enormous contribution to the video quality. Additionally, the

videos were recorded on a CD, in order to let students to use

them without Internet access. It is crucial to mention that 90% of

the sample had Internet access i.e. except for one student in the

experimental group who had to work ofﬂine.

Concerning the statistics, the T-test, known as student’s T-Test

was applied because it compares two averages and establishes

the difference from each other. Furthermore, it veriﬁes the

signiﬁcance of the differences to make sure that they are

accurate. This statistic was applied to the results of the pre-

test and post-test allowing them to be tabulated and analysed,

both were given online by using the Virtual Classroom created

for this purpose. The test had 31 questions, which focused

on the grammar contents assigned for Level Fourth: Wishes,

Conditionals, and Adjective Clauses. The results evidence a

noticeable difference between the control and the experimental

group, since the control group students only went from 1.48/10

to 2.68/10, whereas the experimental group students’ scores

were 1.00/10 to 7.00/10. Besides the inferential statistic,

the descriptive one was additionally considered to analyze the

results from the initial and satisfaction surveys taken by the

experimental and the control group students. In the satisfaction

survey, the students veriﬁed the efﬁciency of the grammar video

lessons’ use to learn grammar for 26.67% of the students they

were good and for the 56.67% were excellent.

Moreover, at the ﬁrst stage of the research the problem was

identiﬁed by elaborating a problem tree, which showed three

relevant ﬁndings: low level of intrinsic motivation to learn English,

insufﬁcient use of technology as part of the English classroom,

and the necessity to look for new methods or strategies to teach

grammar. In this stage, the researchers also took advantage

of the data gathered through observation and the notes in the

logbook. The next step was to apply the initial survey to have

a clearer idea of the chosen groups (experimental and control)

needs. Different interesting facts were found and they are

detailed in the charts below:

Martha Lara-Freire; Gloria Escudero-Orozco

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

31%

69%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Yes No

91%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Yes No

Figure 2: Percentage of students whose teachers have used

grammar video lessons at ESPOCH.

43%

57%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Yes No

14%

74%

12%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

20%

71%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Figure 5: Percentage of students who think that one of the teacher’s goal

should be to foster independent learners.

In the initial survey, which students completed on-line (google

drive), the most relevant ﬁndings were the following: 57%

of students mentioned that they had not heard about ﬂipped

classroom, 69% of students stated that their teachers had

not used video lessons to teach grammar, 91% of students

considered that grammar video lessons could be helpful to learn

grammar, 74% of students agreed that English classes are to

focus on production rather than content, and 71% of students

were aware of the importance to foster independence in the

learning process.

After applying the post-test, the pre-test and post-test results,

from experimental groups and control group were tabulated;

these results are detailed in the following table.

Source: Survey applied to students by the author.

Figure 4: Percentage of students who think that classes should be directed

to production more than to content.

Figure 1: Percentage of students who had heard about ﬂipped classroom at

ESPOCH level four.

Source: Survey applied to students by the author.

Figure 3: Percentage of students who think video lessons could be helpful

to learn grammar at ESPOCH.

Source: Survey applied to students by the author.

Grammar video lessons to foster independent learners

in the english as a foreign language classroom

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

The average for the control group in the pre-test was 1.48;

whereas, in the experimental group, it was 1.00. These results

suggested that the level of the experimental group was lower

than the control one. In the post-test the control group average

was 2.68 and the experimental group average was 7.00. These

results showed that the experimental group students’ knowledge

about grammar improved signiﬁcantly. Finally, the results of

the satisfaction survey, which was applied at the end of the

intervention, were analyzed. This instrument results are detailed

below.

Table 1: Pre-test and Post-test applied to students to identify

their grammar knowledge and progress.

Note: This table shows the average of grammar knowledge improvement.

Source: Results thesis “Flipped teaching implementation to improve students’ high order thinking skills”

Table 2: Level of satisfaction of using videos to learn grammar

Note: This table shows the students answers regarding the use of grammar video lessons.

Source: Satisfaction survey

The parameters considered for the survey were strongly disagree

(1), disagree (2), neither agree or disagree (3), agree (4), and

strongly agree (5). A number of students equivalent to 70% of

students agreed that using video lessons to introduce grammar

content was an effective technique, 46% of students strongly

agreed on the usefulness of video lessons to learn grammar, and

42% agreed as well. The majority of students considered that the

content of the videos was excellent, and the same percentage

agreed that the image and audio were also high quality, 88% of

students stated that video lessons were enough to understand

Martha Lara-Freire; Gloria Escudero-Orozco

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

and apply the grammar content, 81% considered that the WSQ

chart was useful for understanding the grammar content in the

video lessons. Students who recommended the use of grammar

video lessons in the English classroom was 96%, and 88% of

them recognized the high contribution of the video lessons in

the development of activities in the class in an autonomous way.

Overall 85% of students felt satisﬁed with the grammar video

lessons used as a tool to develop independent learning cognitive

skills.

DISCUSSION

eachers are always innovating by ﬁnding new methods

and strategies to motivate students to learn English.

However, learners are not conscious of the need to speak a

foreign language. Numerous students take English classes as

a requirement to graduate from the different undergraduate

programs. In general, students consider English as one of the

most difﬁcult subjects to study. For that reason, it is essential to

give them reasons to learn and master this language. Students

need to acknowledge the importance of English to study a

master’s degree, to be granted an international scholarship in

the most recognized universities around the world, read and

understand books, and the experience of interacting with English

speakers through social networks.

Various statements about the technology in the 21st century

have been made; however, it is possibly complicated to introduce

it in the classroom. Nevertheless, it is essential to remember

that technology transforms the classroom experience from a

classic teacher-centered into a student-centered experience

with students taking a more active role in their learning. Certain

constraints teachers face when inserting technology in the

classroom were limited to time, to experimentation, and inefﬁcient

training for teachers. Despite the attraction technological

activities add to the lesson, planning the activities in the Virtual

Classroom require extra time. The teacher has to administrate

the classroom and choose the most effective activities to reach

the main goal, which is to motivate students to learn English.

While technology keeps evolving, English teachers have limited

possibilities to stay updated regarding the managing of new

technologies and the technical support they are able receive.

Since the main qualiﬁcation of an English teacher is not mastering

the use of new technology, there are several possibilities to get

effective training in the area of recording videos and managing

Virtual Classrooms efﬁciently.

The ﬁrst related study mentioned in the introduction of this paper

showed how students had to record their activities as homework

(Han, 2015). In contrast to this study which used grammar video

lessons that students had to watch. They are similar in terms

of measuring the effects of creating independence in learning,

which, in fact, was proved once student exhibited a high level

of independence by doing the task voluntarily and repeatedly

without any inhibition at the end of the interventions. The second

comparison is made between the article Using the ﬂipped

classroom to enhance EFL learning and the present study, they

concentrated on improving independence to increase knowledge,

however the former one focused on motivation which in fact

proved to be a key point to create students’ autonomy.

Different studies have pointed out that the ﬂipped classroom

model, which in fact, and based on evidence, is successful.

Nevertheless, it is reasonable to discuss some ﬁndings from

studies related to traditional classroom models (Kaye, 2008),

especially to those for which it is claimed the ﬂipped classroom

is not able applicable. For instance, in the study Flipped in

communication: the author points out that students working

with ﬂipped classrooms do not create opportunities to engage

in real communication, which sometimes is not accurate (Olsen,

2018). In fact, this study contradicts this view because the

ﬂipped classroom has to do with blended learning and since this

study concentrated on watching the theoretical part at home, the

real communication indeed happened in class. In addition, the

environment ﬂowed smoothly creating natural interaction with

other learners.

Furthermore, Tarhini (2014), stated that another disadvantage of

the ﬂipped classroom model possibly includes little or no in-person

contact with the faculty member. Conversely, during the project

intervention, the teacher was able to answer questions about

what problems students had in understanding and discussing

in class the student’s doubts, points of view and feedback from

students’ WSQ chart. This process facilitated the teacher to have

more control over the aims, the pace and the materials. Another

beneﬁt of traditional classroom over the ﬂipped classroom

method is that it provides students with a ﬁxed schedule and

speciﬁc periods dedicated exclusively to learning (Paduraru,

2008). With ﬂipped classrooms procrastination can become a

common attitude while traditional classrooms preserve a feeling

of real time (Paduraru, 2008). Finally, learning about technology

is conceivably a drawback for ﬂipped classrooms teachers who

are less technologically literate and this class approach probably

becomes time consuming, adding more workload to teachers.

However, since teachers do not have to worry about other

problems such as mixed-abilities classrooms, late arrivals and

Grammar video lessons to foster independent learners

in the english as a foreign language classroom

Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557

misbehavior as happens in on-site classrooms, the use of their

time in managing the technology is likely compensated. Finally,

every approach presents pros and cons, it is necessary for

teachers to analyze students’ performance and evaluate which

approach will suit the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

fter developing the study and analyzing the research

question, the conclusions are the following: there was a need

to change the way the English classes were being developed

to emphasize autonomous learning with activities outside

the classroom. These activities did not necessarily have to be

homework. Various students agreed with this proposal and it was

proven that the use of grammar video lessons recorded by the

researcher fostered independent learning.

Taking the in-class theory out of the classroom by blending the

English learning brought effective and productive results in the

students’ performance. Therefore, the usage of grammar video

lessons and the ﬂipped classroom model proved to be effective

in promoting autonomy in learners, according to what was

shown in the post-test results. Furthermore, that experimental

group outperformed the control group. Additionally, according

to the satisfaction survey, a considerable number of students

strongly agreed that the beneﬁts of watching a video and using

the WSQ chart is more effective than the practice achieved while

they are in class. They explained that this procedure is quite

different from what it is done in the traditional classroom where

they listen to the teacher and rarely have the chance to practice

what they learn in a real environment.

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