Impact of multimedia in learning English as a second language Literature review

Impact of multimedia in learning English as a second language - Literature review Example Meanwhile, learning happens as a process rather than an event. This means that for the acquisition of second language to take place, there are series of things that a person should do, as learning a second language will not happen overnight. Mayer (2003) used the cognitive theory to explain the processes that take place in the course of second language acquisition. It was noted that the more interaction a person has with the language being learnt, the better the chances of acquiring it more easily and quickly. Meanwhile, the interactions that a person has with language often differ in potency and impact. For example using the multimedia principle, Mayer (2003, p. 33) explained that ‘the human information processing system contains an auditory/verbal channel and a visual/pictorial channel’. By implication, a person gets an easier grip of a particular language being learnt if provisions are made for all of auditory, verbal, visual and pictorial channels. However, using multimedia such as audio and video easily provides all these channels at a go (Neal, 2006). Based on this, when designing a website for acquisition of English as a second language, it will be beneficial to include audio and video files that wil l provide multimedia learning platforms, rather than use only written and verbal means of acquisition. Neal, L. (2006). Predictions for 2006 — E-learning experts map the road ahead. Elearn Magazine [online]. Available at http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&article=31-1 [accessed 13 February