The Role of Short Movies in Teaching English To EFL Young Learners

Abstract

This research paper attempts to analyze what is elementary EFL teachers’ perception of the role of short movies in teaching English to EFL young learners. To answer this question, the researcher conducted an interview with four elementary EFL teachers in Salatiga from three private schools in Salatiga who have experience in using short movies in their English classes. The qualitative descriptive research method was used in this research, while the research instrument used semi-structured interview questions. The results showed that by using short movies teachers found many advantages both linguistically especially in improving speaking and listening skills and also acquiring more vocabulary, and non-linguistically i.e. learning moral values, learning new cultures, and increasing students' motivation in learning. Nonetheless, besides all the advantages, there are still challenges that the teachers may face such as choosing the appropriate short movie for children and technical issues. The implication is that teachers should make careful planning and provide a back-up plan when using short movies and to find appropriate movies in kids-friendly websites, YouTube channels, or other sources.