STUDENTS' LEARNING PREFERENCE IN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE

Recent developments in information and communication technologies (ICT) are starting to affect positively the teaching and learning of a language. Video is one of the examples of an ICT, which has been commonly used as one of the teaching tools in classroom for over a decade because it enhances students’ creativity by providing the opportunities for students to act as scriptwriters, directors, actors and camera crews. Video-making can also be used as one of the assessments to measure students’ proficiency in the target language. However, it is still less practiced especially in teaching and learning a foreign language in Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). At the moment, apart from written tests, students’ proficiency in the target language---which in this study is the Spanish Language---is tested through oral test, which requires them to orally use the language in a given situation. However, many students do not perform well during the oral test as their anxiety level increases. They are so nervous and pressured that they tend to make more mistakes. Realizing that students have problems to perform under pressure, the researcher replaces the test with video-making project that gives students more time to complete the project. Video-making project does not only develop learner’ communication skill/ knowledge building capabilities, implement soft skill elements such as creativities and teamwork, it also enhances learning environments of the target language. Surprisingly, the students perform much better in the video-making project rather than the oral test. Why does this happen? Despite all the tedious and hard works in making the video, still the students show interest. In relation to this, the researcher will discuss the factors contributing to students’ preference in the video-making. It is hoped that the findings will open more opportunities for students to enhance their creativity in the learning the target language, which in this case, the Spanish Language.