Abstract
Feature films in foreign-language education are a modern, efficient, motivating, stimulating and engaging medium for conveying and experiencing authentic language in real communication situations, for teaching target-oriented, country-specific cultural information as well as for developing intercultural awareness and communication skills. The paper examines the extent to which the use of feature film is actually implemented in L3 German classrooms in Malaysia. Based on two empirical studies conducted via standardized questionnaires and interviews with 43 teachers and 168 learners of German as a Foreign Language, the aim was to examine the importance of film material as a didactic instrument in German language programs and to analyze the motifs and didactic goals for implementing films. Students were interviewed about their media attitudes, their film viewing habits and genre preferences as well as about their perception of aspects of German culture in feature films. Although Malaysian learners of the German language show a great interest in Germany, its people, language, society and culture, teachers - for a variety of reasons but foremost caused by a lack of knowledge about the adequate implementation of feature films - have provided only few “magical moments” in L3 German classrooms thus far.
Keywords:
Learning German in Malaysia, feature films in learning German as a Foreign Language in Malaysia; motives for implementing feature films in the German as a Foreign Language classroom, empirical studies, electronic survey, genre preferences