Authentic Information as Topics for Social Awareness and Language Learning: Integrating Online Multimedia into College-level EFL Courses in Japan

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness and the potential for integrating media sources in courses for English as a foreign language taught at the college level in Japan. In all, 79 students in the School of Economics at a Japanese university in the Kansai region participated in this study using an innovative teaching method of selected media sources and activities designed for this study. Three social issues were selected based on the general economic curriculum of the university of the researcher’s affiliation. A questionnaire survey designed specifically for the purpose of this study was administered at the end of a semester, and the data collected were calculated using SPSS version 17 software. The results of this study indicated that students regard this teaching method as effective and that they gained more knowledge; however, because of the cultural background and certain limitations, it is suggested that this study be conducted for a longer duration.