CHAPTER III

THE EXPERIMENT

3.0 Introduction

This chapter is divided into three major sections: 3.1 Research Design and

Methodology, 3.2 The New Materials, and 3.3 The Field Trial. Section 3.1

gives justification and an overview of the research design, mentions the

variables and describes the participants (sample). Section 3.2 gives details

of the new materials. It gives details of the language skills covered and the

software used in the multimedia package. The chapter also presents a

sample unit from the multimedia package. Finally, the 3.2 presents the

details of the research tools used for the study, measures taken for data

validity and reliability and a description of the data collection procedures.

Section 3.3 gives an account of the piloting and the field trial of the

materials.

3.1 Research Design and Methodology

As stated earlier, the purpose of the study was to establish the effect of the

multimedia materials to enhance communication skills of the students at the

UG level in Digital Language Laboratory. The study was guided by the null

hypothesis given in the section 1.7 of the thesis. The testing of hypothesis

required an experiment in controlled conditions. As pointed out by Seliger

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and Shohamy (1989) the “Experimental research is carefully constructed so

that variables can be controlled and manipulated.” Generally, the

experiments are also carried out in order to explore the strength of

relationships between variables (Nunan, 1992 p.25). In other words, an

experimental research design involves manipulating the independent

variable and observing the change in the dependent variable(s). A true

experimental design consists of three basic characteristics; a. the presence

of a control group, b. random selection and assignment to groups, and c. an

administration of a pre-test to capture the initial differences in the groups.

However, when conducting research for language learning or applied

linguistics, the feasibility of carrying out a true experiment which fulfils the

criteria of all the three basic characteristics may not always be viable. “The

reason is that we are dealing with the most complicated of human

behaviours, language learning and language behaviour” (Hatch and

Farhady, 1982). So, to meet the requirements, the present study uses one

group pre-test post-test experimental research design, also known as Pre-

experiment as it lacks a control group (Nunan, 1992). According to Seliger

and Sohamy (1989), the one-group pre-test post-test design “attempts to use

the subjects as their own controls and to eliminate the need for a control

group design. This design is sometimes referred to as a ‘repeated measures’

design because subjects are observed or measured twice on the dependent

variable.” Seliger and Sohamy (1989) further state that “the design is

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efficient because it controls a number of extraneous variables which can

affect the homogeneity of subjects when more than one group is involved”.

The design can be represented as follows:

X1 – T – X2

where, X1 is the pre-test, T is the treatment, that is, the tryout of the

multimedia materials, and X2 is the post-test used to measure the effect of

the materials on the communication skills of the subjects.

Thus, the present study has adopted the one group pre-test post-test design

experimental research method.

3.1.1 Variables

The experimental design, as stated earlier, explores the strength of

relationship between variables. A research in language and linguistics

“includes language proficiency, aptitude, motivation”, etc as variables

(Nunan, 1992). According to Nunan (1992), “the variable that the

experimenter expects to influence the other is called the independent

variable”. It can also be defined as the major variable that the researcher

hopes to investigate. It is the variable which is selected, manipulated, and

measured by the researcher. In this research study, the independent variable

is the tryout of the materials to enhance communication skills or the

treatment which was given to the participants.

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“The variable upon which the independent variable is acting is called the

dependent variable” (Nunan, 1992). It is the variable which the researcher

observes and measures to determine the effect of the independent variable.

The dependent variables therefore in this study are the pre-test and post-test

scores that measure enhancement in the communication skills of the

students.

3.1.2 Participants

For a true experimental to take place, a random selection and assignment of

subjects is important for causal claims resulting from the research.

However, in classroom research neither of the two is possible since students

have already been assigned on the basis of some principle like test scores,

eligibility requirements, or through self-selection of courses by students. In

such circumstances, the researcher is required to work with an established

class called an intact group. An intact group allows the researcher to give

evidence in support of links between variables if not cause effect relation

statements about findings (Hatch and Lazarton, 1991).

The purpose of the present study is to establish the effect of the multimedia

materials on communication skills of the students at the UG level. In order

to test hypothesis, a simple random sampling was impracticable for data

collection in order to test hypothesis. Therefore, for the present study a

group of First Year Arts and Commerce students of Sardar Patel University

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that had qualified itself at 12th Examination of Gujarat State Higher

Secondary Education Board, Gandhinagar with English as one of the

subjects was selected following random cluster sampling techniques. A total

of twenty students participated in the experiment. Out of these, eight were

female and twelve were male; ten students had passed the 12th board

examination in the Commerce stream and ten in the Arts stream. The

mother tongue of all participants was Gujarati. They had studied English as

a Second Language with Gujarati as medium of instruction at various

schools. Ten of them had scored above 50 marks in English at 12th standard

level. Nine participants’ the annual family income was above one lakh and

eleven participants’ family income was below 1 lakh per year. Thus, the

sample, that is, the participants for the present study were controlled in the

sense that they belonged to an intact group and had similar linguistic and

educational background.

3.1.3 Instruments for data collection

All experimental approaches involve the control of manipulation of the

three basic components of the experiment: the sample, the treatment, and

the measurement of the treatment (Seligar and Shohamy, 1989). The current

study therefore involves the control of the three components namely, the

sample, that is the participants as described in 3.1.2, the treatment, that is

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the multimedia materials, and the measurement of the treatment, that is the

pre-test and the post-test.

The primary research instruments used to determine the effectiveness of the

materials to enhance communication skills of the UG students include the

treatment, the pre-test and the post-test and finally a questionnaire to

evaluate the program. A detailed description of each instrument is given

below.

a. Treatment: The Multimedia Materials

A fifteen hour multimedia package was designed, produced and delivered in

the year 2010-11 after piloting of a sample unit. The multimedia materials

consisted of five units of three hours each. Each unit of the package

included at least three thematically connected language functions. Listening,

speaking and reading skills were covered in the multimedia package. Each

unit was divided into three stages: a. pre-learning activities, b. learning

activities, and c. post-learning activities. The pre-learning and the post-

learning activities were generally group and pair works as preparation and

follow up of the multimedia input. Each unit consisted of a theme based

with and without computer activities. The units also had instructions for the

teachers to carry out pre-learning and post-learning activities. According to

Chapelle (2001), CALL materials should have interactiveness, meaning

focus and positive impact where interactiveness and meaning focus make

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them different from exercises with structural grammar focus in the sense

that they involve the learners in expressing and interpreting meaning. This

quality of the CALL materials is determined by “contextuality, accessibility,

interaction as various forms of assistance that may be available and the

socio cultural settings” as suggested by van Lier (as quoted by Chapelle,

2001). Following van Lier (1996), Chapelle (2001) further suggests that

quality could be summed up as “participatability” in one word. The table 3.1

gives details of the unit titles, the language functions and the grammar

topics that were developed in the five units. Moreover, the units were

specifically designed to take care of the above mentioned aspects of CALL

materials production.

b. The pre-test and the post-test

The pre-test administered at the beginning of the experiment and the post-

test administered at the end served as significant instrument for data

collection. A 30 item pre-test measured various aspects of listening and

reading skills. The 30 items were divided into information transfer,

true/false, choose the correct option and fill in the blanks exercises. In

addition to this, a speaking test was given to assess speaking ability of the

participants. A list of five questions on real life language use was prepared

for each language function included the package. The participants were

asked five questions from the list and were given a time limit to respond.

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The participants were assessed qualitatively using the rubrics given in the

table 3.2 below. The rubrics were adopted and adapted from BULATS and

CEFR proficiency indicators with minor adaptations.

Table 3.1 Rubrics for assessing speaking

Level Descriptors

C2 • Achieves the task effectively; responses are consistently appropriate. • Able

to express both simple and complex ideas with ease; coherent extended
discourse. • Consistently displays wide range and accurate use of grammar
and vocabulary. • Pronunciation is easy to understand; • Responds promptly
with only natural hesitation; makes effective use of the allowed response
time.

C1 • Achieves the task well; responses are generally appropriate. • Able to

express simple and complex ideas; generally extends discourse coherently. •
Generally, displays wide range and accurate use of grammar and vocabulary.
• Pronunciation is easy to understand. • Generally responds promptly, with
only natural hesitation; generally makes good use of the allowed response
time.

B2 • Achieves the task adequately; most responses are appropriate but a few may
be inappropriate or ambiguous (possibly due to incomprehension of input). •
Able to express simple ideas and makes some attempt to express complex
ideas; mostly coherent, with some extended discourse. • There is an adequate
range of grammar and vocabulary which is sufficiently accurate to deal with
the tasks. • Pronunciation can generally be understood. • May be some
hesitation while searching for language generally makes adequate use of the
allowed response time.

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B1 • Achieves most of the task, in a limited way; some responses may be
inappropriate, ambiguous or not attempted (possibly due to incomprehension
of input). • Able to express simple ideas; little extended discourse; some
incoherence. • The range of grammar and vocabulary used is sufficient to
complete tasks in a limited way. Some language in simple utterances is
accurate but basic inaccuracies may impede communication of ideas and
achievement of the tasks. • Pronunciation can generally be understood but L1
features may cause strain• Hesitation may demand patience of the listener;
use of the allowed response time may not always be adequate.

A2 • Achieves only simplest part of the task (i.e. responding to simple prompts)
in a very limited way; many responses may be inappropriate, ambiguous or
not attempted (possibly due to incomprehension of input). • No extended
discourse • The range of language is sufficient to respond to simple prompts
but not to complete complex tasks. Some utterances (single words or short
phrases) may be accurate but inaccuracies in grammar and vocabulary limit
achievement of the tasks and restrict coherence and communication of ideas.
• Pronunciation of single words may be intelligible but L1 features may make
understanding difficult. • Hesitation is excessive; use of the allowed response
time is adequate on only a few occasions.

A1 • May achieve a few of the simplest parts of the task (i.e. responding to simple
prompts) in a very limited way; most responses may be inappropriate, ambiguous or
not attempted (possibly due to incomprehension of input). • Utterances may be
limited to single words. • The range of language is limited and inadequate to
complete the tasks. Some accurate language but frequent inaccuracies may mean the
message is not communicated. • Pronunciation of single words may be intelligible
but L1 features may cause excessive strain to a listener. • Hesitation is excessive;
use of the allowed response time is generally inadequate.

0 Throughout the task, responses are not attempted, OR consistently no meaning is

conveyed, OR responses are consistently inappropriate due to incomprehension of
input.

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A post-test of comparable difficulty level was administered at the end of the

experiment.

c. The self evaluation checklist and the questionnaire

A short term programme brings attitudinal changes that motivate the

learners to learn the target language. To measure attitudinal changes, a 20

item self evaluation checklist was developed from communicative

objectives defined by the British Council on the basis of CEFR proficiency

indicators was given to the participants. The participants were made to

reflect on 20 “Can Do” statements through responses such as Yes; No; and

Not sure. The participants reflected on the statements such as ‘I can

understand simple conversations about family, daily life, hobbies if people

speak slowly’, ‘I can ask and answer simple questions about home, country

and work place’, etc in the beginning and at the end of the experiment.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the multimedia materials’ package,

a programme evaluation technique was adopted in the form of a

questionnaire. “Collecting data through the use of a questionnaire has the

advantage of ensuring stability of response across a range of questions of

interest to researchers” (Hiradhar, 2012). Seliger and Shohamy (1989)

mention that:

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“questionnaires have a number of advantages: a) They are self-administered

and can be given to large groups of subjects at the same time. They are

therefore less expensive to administer than other procedures such as

interviews. b) When anonymity is assured, subjects tend to share

information of a sensitive nature more easily. c) Since the same

questionnaire is given to all subjects, the data are more uniform and

standard. d) Since they are usually given to all subjects of the research at

exactly the same time, the data are more accurate” (p.172).

Questionnaires have been recommended to collect data for phenomena like

attitudes that are not easily observed. For the current research, the

questionnaire aimed at collecting descriptions, attitudes, and perceptions of

the participants about the multimedia package. According to Seliger and

Shohamy (1989), structured questionnaires are considered to be more

efficient than open ones. Thus, the subjects were made to check agreements

and disagreements to maintain objectivity of the responses through Likert

five point scale with responses such as: strongly agree; agree; not sure;

disagree and strongly disagree. The questionnaire was given to the

participants at the end of the programme. The questionnaire consisted of a

range of questions based on characteristics of good CALL materials. Since

the researcher already had descriptive data of the subjects through the form

filled in the beginning of the programme, the questionnaire consisted of six

major areas of evaluation such as accessibility, relevance of the content to

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the real life language use, time, interactivity, attitude towards technology

and overall enjoyment. Each area of evaluation comprised a set of related

items.

Accessibility area had items like, ‘It is easy to understand the instructions’,

‘The navigation between the slides is easy’. The relevance of the content

was assessed through items like, ‘The situations used for practice are real

life like’, ‘The language functions, grammar and vocabulary practiced are

useful in day to day life”, etc. For assessing appropriateness of the duration

of the units and time given to accomplish task, the subjects were asked to

respond to, ‘I could finish the tasks in the given time-frame’ and ‘I got

adequate time to practice each skill’. Interactivity, attitude towards

technology and overall enjoyment were assessed using items like ‘I got

immediate feedback on the tasks completed’, ‘I learnt correct answers

against my wrong responses’, ‘Feedback from my classmates during group

and pair works helped me improve the language’; ‘I enjoyed learning the

language using computers’, ‘I would like to practice more using computers’;

and ‘I enjoyed working on and off the computers’, ‘I found the materials

enjoyable and useful’, respectively.

3.1.4 Data Validity and Reliability Measures

The data collection procedures create some effect on the data as it is

difficult to say that there is any data collection procedures that do not affect

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the data (Seliger and Shohamy, 1999). In other words, all data collection

procedures have some effect on the type of data elicited. However, it is

more important that the researcher is aware of these effects in explaining the

results obtained. “Over the years, researchers have developed a number of

techniques to assure the quality of the research and the quality of data

collection procedures used in the research” states Seliger and Shohamy

(1989) (p. 184).

Validity is an important criterion for assuring the quality of the data

collection procedures for any research. Validity provides information on the

extent to which the procedure really measures what it is supposed to

measure. Seliger and Shohamy (1989) note that “the internal validity of a

research study concerns with being able to state that relation between the

independent and depended variables is unambiguous and not explainable by

extraneous variables” (p. 105). Thus the internal validity refers to the results

that are because of the factors that have been selected by the researcher,

rather than other factors that the researcher hasn’t controlled. Factors that

could influence the internal validity of a research study are usually related to

the participants and the instrumentation. The current research has ensured

internal validity of the study for various aspects of the study.

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a. The participants

As noted by Seliger and Shohamy (1989), the internal validity of the

participants in a research study could be affected by various factors such as

history, attrition, maturation, and differential selection. The history refers to

the influence if events that take place at different points in time on the

dependent variable other than the independent variable. It refers to the

possible negative effects of the extended duration of the study. In such cases

there are possibilities of the subjects being influenced by sources of

language input other than those measured by the dependent variable. Any

study that takes considerable amount of time to complete can be affected by

this if care is not taken (Perry, 2005). The current study was conducted over

a period of three weeks which included the 15-hour program and therefore

the threat due to the history factor did not exist.

Another factor that may have an effect on the internal validity is attrition. In

a longitudinal study that takes extended time to complete research

procedures, the subjects may lose interest and drop out or may remain

absent due to health problems. To avoid this problem, it is sometimes

preferred to begin with a larger than necessary number of subjects. The

current study could retain all the participants (20) throughout.

The threat related to the maturation of participants is similar to that posed

by history, but deals with natural changes taking place over time in the

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participants such as emotional states, physical coordination and strength, or

cognitive structures (Hiradhar, 2012). It is an influencing and significant

factor with younger subjects than with older ones (Seliger and Shohamy,

1989). Studies that take place over longer periods of time are potentially

subject to this interference. However, this potential threat was avoided in

the current study because it spanned a period of three weeks only.

Finally, the third factor, differential selection could occur whenever a

researcher does not randomly select the samples when forming different

groups for comparisons (Perry, 2005). Since the current study used

randomly selected subjects from an intact group, the issue about pre-

existing differences among different groups of participants did not arise.

b. The Multimedia Materials

The multimedia package used for the treatment was designed and developed

by the researcher in consultation with experts from the field. In addition,

comments made by the experts were incorporated into the design. Thus,

experts’ comments also helped validate the design and the content of the

materials. As a result, the validation through experts’ comments was useful

in establishing the validity of the design as well as the treatment used in the

current study.

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c. The tests

Content Validity of the tests is an important factor in any language teaching

research. It is essential to find out if the data collection procedure is a good

representation of the content which needs to be measured (Seliger and

Shohamy, 1989). An acceptable level of content validity was established for

both the pre-test as well as the post-test by having them reviewed by the

experts. To avoid the threat of the test effect, the post-test in the current

study had different test items of comparable difficulty level. However, the

pattern of the pre-test and the post-test remained the same.

d. The Questionnaire

Item analysis is an established means to ascertain the validity of a

questionnaire as pointed out by Seligar and Shohamy (1989). By using this

procedure, the researcher can obtain information on whether the items are

well phrased and easily understood by the respondents. For the current

study, an item analysis was conducted and the items were modified and

revised thus ensuring that the questions provided varied and meaningful

information through its items. In addition to the item analysis, a pilot run of

the questionnaire was carried out for determining the quality of the

questions in terms of comprehension and eliciting of responses.

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3.2 The New Materials

The new materials were divided into five units. The units were a

combination of print, audio and audio-visual media. Tomlinson (1998)

defines multimedia materials as “materials which make use of a number of

different media. Often they are available on a CD-Rom which makes use of

print, graphics, video and sound. Usually such materials are interactive and

enable the learner to receive feedback on the written or spoken language

which they produce” (p. xi). Therefore, the units were digitized and were

presented in the form of a CD. The researcher reviewed freeware available

on the internet that can make the content presentation interactive and

selected CourseLab 2.4, free e-learning authoring tool to finalize the

package.

3.2.1 CourseLab 2.4

CourseLab 2.4 is an authoring tool developed by WebSoft Ltd., a Moscow

(Russia) based software development company. The term authoring is used

to describe the creation of courseware using an authoring tool. Davis,

Bangs, Frisby and Walton (2005) assert that “authoring tools enable the

teacher to create complete programmes of courseware, as opposed to

content elements such as texts, pictures, and audio and video recordings,

without having to learn how to programme a computer”. In other words,

authoring tools provide a shell or template to add content to create learning

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programmes. Online encyclopaedia Wikipedia defines an authoring tool as

“a software package which developers use to create and package content

deliverable to end users”. It further informs that “though authoring tools

have a range of uses, they are commonly used to create e-learning modules.

These modules are generally written to conform to some international

standard, such as SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model)

or AICC (CBT) (Aviation Industry CBT Committee)”. Thus, authoring tool

is a template “which prompts the author for the materials to be included”

(Chappelle, 2001). CourseLab 2.4 is a free authoring tool that fulfils many

of the conditions for the second language learning through computers

mentioned in Chapter 2 of this study. CourseLab 2.4 helps in creating

interactive environment necessary for language learning but it is not the

only use of it. As defined by the CourseLab 2.4 User Manual it is “a

powerful, yet easy-to-use, e-learning authoring system that offers a

programming-free environment for creating high-quality interactive e-

learning courses which can be published on the Internet, Learning

Management Systems (LMS), CD-ROMs and other devices”. It supports

SCORM 2004, SCORM 1.2, and AICC. In addition to this, it can stand

alone i.e., it does not require LMS and can be distributed of a CD. Working

with CourseLab at least requires Microsoft® Windows® 2000/XP/2003,

Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher and 50MB hard drive space. Minimum

system requirements for viewing learning modules are Microsoft®

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Windows® 98, XP, 2003, Internet Explorer 5.0, Mozilla FireFox 1.0 or

higher, JavaScript enabled and XML support enabled. The key features of

CourseLab 2.4 as claimed by the User Manual are:

• “A WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) environment for

creating and managing high-quality interactive e-learning content.

• No HTML or other programming skills required.

• Object-oriented Model allowing the construction of e-Learning content

of almost any complexity - as easy as putting together building blocks.

• Scenario feature enables building complex multi-Object interactions

with one mouse click.

• Interface is based on an Open Object Model and enables you to easily

extend and enhance existing libraries of Objects and templates, including
those created by the user.

• Built-in test creation capabilities.

• Embedded mechanisms for animating Objects.

• Insert rich-media content like Macromedia® Flash®, Shockwave®,

Java®, and video in different formats.

• Easy insertion and synchronization of sound files.

• Import PowerPoint® presentations into the learning material (requires

optional PowerPoint Import Pack).

• Screen capture mechanism enables emulating the functionality of

different software (requires optional Screen Capture Pack).

• Simple intuitive Action description language.

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 • Access to additional functionality of the Course Player for advanced”
(CourseLab 2.4, p.7).

Table 3.2 Content Analysis

Unit Title Language Functions Grammar

No.

1 Do you know me? Introducing yourself, Contractions; Subject

Introducing Someone, Pronoun; Possessive
Asking about someone adjectives; Wh-questions;
Yes/No questions

2 How is life? Asking about family and Wh-questions, statements

family members; and short answers;
Describing family life Questions with present
continuous tense and yes/no
answers

3 Do you know him? Asking about and Questions like: What… look
describing people’s like, how old, what color,
appearance; Identifying how long/tall; Modifiers and
people prepositions

4 Did you buy this? Talking about prices; Questions with How
Talking about preferences; much/many, Which,
Making comparisons Demonstratives;
Comparison with adjectives

5 Breathe in a bit of Describing cities; Asking Adverbs and adjectives;

Gujarat! for and giving suggestions; modal verbs can and could
Talking about travel and
tourism

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3.2.2 Sample Unit

Unit 5: Breath in a bit of Gujarat!

Pre-learning activities

Instructions for the facilitator:

Activity 1

Divide the class into two groups and make them play a quiz on Gujarat. Ask

6 questions to each group and give 10 points for each correct answer. If a

team fails to answer a question, it will pass to the other team. On giving

correct answer of the question, the team will get 05 bonus points. Compare

the scores at the end.

You may ask general knowledge based questions on Gujarat such as:

a. When was the state of Gujarat formed?

b. Where would you go to see Aina Mahal and Prag Mahal in Gujarat?

c. If someone is a follower of Jain religion, which place would you

advise him/her to visit in Gujarat?

d. What is Velavadar famous for?

e. What are the names of the two Indus Valley Civilization towns found

in Gujarat?

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Activity 2

Divide the class into groups of 10 students each. Ask them to list ten places

in Gujarat worth visiting. Get the answers from each group and write them

on the board. Ask the learners to study each other’s list and make changes

in their own if they want to.

Ask the learners to imagine that they have guests from a foreign country

and they are supposed to take them on a tour of Gujarat. But following the

time constraint, they have to select any five places for the visit. Which

places they will select for the visit and why?

Now, ask the learners to log on to the computers and take the Unit.

Video Clip 1 [Opening clip]

Conversation 1

Jeet : Hi Kate, how are you?

Kate : I’m fine, Jeet. Thank you. And how are you?, I’m going to India
next December for a month.

Jeet : Enjoying the UK.

Kate : I’ve good news to share. I’m going to India in December!!

Jeet : That’s great.

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Kate : Jeet, You are from India, aren’t you?

Jeet : You’re right.

Kate : I hear India is a big country and there are many states worth
visiting!

Jeet : Oh, yes. India is called a sub-continent. It has almost everything.

Kate : So, how do I plan my visit? Could you help me, please?

Jeet : Well, you may restrict your visit to any one or two states this time.
And being a Gujarati, I’d suggest you to visit Gujarat first.

Kate : What is Gujarat famous for?

Jeet : Gujarat is famous for its rich historical and cultural heritage. It has
archeological sites, beaches, hills, places of pilgrimage and diverse
people.

Kate : Wow! It sounds beautiful. You’re lucky to be an Indian and a

Gujarati!

Jeet : Indeed. I’m proud to be an Indian.

By the way, let’s visit Gujarat Tourism website. You will be able
to see some of the attractions there.

Kate : That’s a good idea.

Check your comprehension:

Q.1 who’s going to visit India?

Q.2 Where is Jeet from?

Q.3 What does Jeet suggest to Kate?

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 Video Clip 2

Watch the video, listen carefully and fill in the blanks.

Transcript

Tucked away on the western coast of India, Gujarat is a state famous for its

globetrotting people and their warm hearted spirits. The Karmabhumi of

Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar, Gujarat is ……… …….. its rich cultural and

historical heritage that dates back several centuries down to the times of

Harrapan Civilization. Today, Gujarat is …….. …… India’s most

prosperous and industrialized states and is well connected by air, road and

rail to all major cities of India. And with a recently commissioned

international airport at Ahmedabad, you can fly into Gujarat from any

corner of the world. Wherever you …….. come from and whatever may be

your interest, you will find Gujarat interesting, vibrant and welcoming. You

can traverse across the entire state within hours owing to …….. superb

internal infrastructure and spend months without the feeling of being left

out. It is here that you ……. visit all those archaeological sites and relive

moments of history. It is here that you can stroll on sun presst beaches on

one day and retire back to the hills the next. It is …….. that you can unwind

your body and mind in an Ayurvedic spa or cleanse your soul at many

pilgrimage centers. It is here that you will meet diverse people and discover

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their undying passion for life and its celebrations. So, it doesn’t matter

………….. you are young or old, hiker or a sea lover, spiritually inclined or

a history enthusiast, solitude seeker or a fun lover; there is something in

Gujarat for you just like there is something in Gujarat for ……………. .

Check your answers.

1. known for 2. one of 3. may 4. its 5. can 6. here 7. whether 8.

Everyone

Vocabulary Exercise 1:

Watch the video again to guess the correct meanings of the words

given below and mark the options T/F.

1. Tuck away

a. far away b. hidden in a quiet place c. go away d. very near

2. globetrotting

a. travelling a lot b. exploring c. hiding d. global

3. date back

a. go back b. come back c. in the past d. past date

4. recently commissioned

a. recently supplied, b. recently built c. built in past d. recently

planned

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5. traverse across

a. visit b. travel c. cross d. move across

6. Unwind

a. Wind up b. relax c. fold d. unfold

Now, watch the video clip, listen to the commentary carefully. Check

answers to of the previous exercise (Vocabulary Exercise I) and confirm

whether your answers are T/F.

Conversations 2

Language function: Describing cities

Kate : Well Jeet, it sounds interesting. I think I should start from Gujarat.

Jeet : That’s a good decision, indeed.

Kate : Where in Gujarat are you from, Jeet?

Jeet : I’m from Ahmedabad.

Kate : I think I‘ll land in Ahmedabad, that’s the only international airport
in the state, isn’t it?

Jeet : You are right.

Kate : So, what’s the city like?

Jeet : It’s a fairly big city, but it’s not too big like New Delhi and
Mumbai.

Kate : Is it expensive?

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Jeet : No, it’s not too bad. Not as much as a city in the US or the UK.

Kate : Is it an interesting place?

Jeet : Yes, it is. It has many attractions like Sabarmati Ashram, Sidi-
saiyad Mosque, Adalaj vav and Calico Museum. It has rich cultural
heritage as well as flare of a modern India.

Kate : Excellent! Well Jeet, I also read somewhere that there are many
ancient temples in Gujarat.

Jeet : It’s true. Gujarat is a land of religious minded people and some of
the world’s most famous temples are in Gujarat. Let me show you a
video from the website.

Video Clip 3

Watch the video and listen carefully to say whether the following

sentences are True or False.

1. Somnath and Dwarka are major attractions for the people.

2. Gujaratis believe in God.

3. The common aspect in Ambaji, Palitana, Girnar and Pavagadh is the

God and Goddesses are worshiped on the mountains.

4. Ambaji is famous for its art history.

Transcript:

Gujarat is a land of religious minded people who have an intense faith in the

God almighty. Little wonder that Gujarat is also a land of temples. Somnath,

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the temple of Lord Shiva and Dwarka, the holy abode of Lord Krishna

continues to draw millions of devotees and tourists. And while hill top

shrines like Ambaji, Palitana, Girnar and Pavagadh offer a rich spiritual fair

to the pilgrims, the sun temple at Modhera, a magnificent specimen of art

history will leave you spellbound and with feelings of reverence to the sun

God.

Conversation 3

Kate : This is exciting, Jeet. I would love to visit these temples. Can you

tell me something about the weather in Gujarat?

Jeet : Well, one can experience three different seasons in a year in Gujarat

as in other parts of India. Summers are very hot. Monsoon hot and

humid and Winters are generally pleasant.

Kate : Which is a good time to visit?

Jeet : You are going at the right time. December to February is winter.

Let me show you some more clips from the website and then you

can finalize your programme.

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 Video Clip 4

Watch the video and fill in the blanks.

1. Dwarka is also ………….. as Moksha Nagari.

2. Dwarka is on the ………… of Gomti river.

3. Dwarka is one of the four most …………… places for Hindus.

4. Dwarka temple is ………… storey.

5. Dwarks has a history of about …………. years.

6. Lord Krishan left …………. and built his kingdom here.

7. The sea ……………. the city eight times.

Video Clip 5

Watch and enjoy!!!

Post learning Activities

Instructions for the facilitator

Activity 1

Divide the class in groups and make each one answer some of the following

questions about his or her hometown. Make them ask follow-up questions to

get more information.

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Questions:

What’s your city/town/village like?

Is it an interesting place? Is it very expensive?

Is it very big? What’s the life like?

Is it safe? What’s the weather like?

Is it clean? Do you like it?

Activity 2

Ask the learners to find out students from the group who have visited some

state or city recently. Ask the others to find out more about that state or city

by asking some of the following questions. Write down sample questions on

the board or give them on a handout. The students may ask questions like

the ones given below.

A: I visited Mumbai last summer.

B: Did you enjoy it?

A: Yes, I did.

C: …………………… ?

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Sample Questions:

What’s the best time of year to visit? What’s the shopping like?

What’s the weather like then? What things should people buy?

What should tourists see and do What else can visitors do there?

there?
Which place did you like the most?

What special food can you eat?

Activity 3

Read the following passage and answer the questions given below it.

SOMNATH

Legend weaves an interesting tale around the origins of the temple at

Somnath. Som (the Moon God) was married to the 27 daughters of

Daksha,who was a son of Brahma. However, Som loved only one of them,

Rohini. This caused great frustration to the other sisters. An infuriated

Daksha cursed his son-in-law, causing him to lose his brilliance. In despair,

Som turned to Shiva and served him with such zealous devotion that Shiva

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gave him respite from the curse - he would wax for half the month and wane

for the rest. In gratitude, the Moon God built a Shiva temple at Somnath.

Situated on the coast with a commanding view of the Arabian Sea, the

Somnath Temple is one of the twelve most sacred Shiva shrines in India.

The temple’s legendary wealth made it the target of successive plundering

armies, beginning with Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026. He is said to have made

off with camel-loads of gold and precious gems, leaving the edifice in ruins.

The cycle of pillage and reconstruction at Somnath continued over the next

seven centuries. The present temple, made of stone, was built in 1950. It is

situated 79 Kms. from Junagadh and 450 Kms from Ahmedabad. According

to the legend, Somnath is as old as creation itself. East of the temple, at the

confluence of three rivers, is Triveni Tirth. The ghats going down to the sea

at this spot are said to mark the place where Lord Krishna’s funeral rites

were performed, after a hunter mistook him for a deer and killed him.

Answer the following questions:

1. Working with your partners, answer the following questions:

a. What infuriated Daksha?

b. Why was the Moon God full of gratitude?
c. Why did Mahmud of Ghazni attack the temple?
d. What did he take away with him?
e. What happened at Triveni Tirth?

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2. Working with your partners, put the following in the order in which

they happened:

a. Mahmud of Ghazni attacked the temple in the year 1026.

b. Daksha cursed his son-in-law.

c. The present stone temple was built in the year 1950.

d. Rohini’s sisters became very angry.

e. Som married the daughters of Daksha.

f. Som served Shiva with devotion.

g. Som fell in love with Rohini.

h. Som built the Somnath temple.

i. Shiva helped Som recover from the curse.

3.3 The Field Trial

The field trial was conducted by the researcher as a teacher. The field trial

was conducted in the digital language laboratory of H M Patel Institute of

English Training and Research, VallabhVidyangar, Gujarat, India. It

commenced with the pre-test. The participants were made to take the

reading, listening and speaking tests. Following the test, the participants

were introduced to the technological and navigation aspects of accessing the

package. It was ensured that the participants could access the computer

based part of the materials uninterrupted. The orientation was followed by

the teaching of the units that constituted the multimedia package. At the end

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of the treatment, the post-test was administered. The trial ended with

administering of the self-evaluation checklist and the questionnaire to get

feedback on the multimedia package.

3.4 Conclusion

The chapter outlines the methodological approach and procedures including

the research design adopted to address the research hypotheses posed in the

current study. The first section gives justification for the selection and use

of the research design. The second section gives a detailed account of the

new materials, the tests and data validity and reliability measures taken.

Finally, the chapter ends with details of the field trial.

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