Chapter 2. Short Videos for Learning Indirect Speech: Impacts on Outcomes, and Effects of Video Modulation
Keina Hamagami, Ryan Spring, Sachiko Nakamura, and Atsuko Otsuki
Keina Hamagami, Ryan Spring, Sachiko Nakamura, and Atsuko Otsuki
Abstract
This chapter introduces a series of short instructional videos designed to support the learning of indirect speech acts in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). These videos, created by the authors and made available to other educators, aim to address the challenge of teaching pragmatics by providing both visual and auditory context, which are elements essential for interpreting indirect speech acts accurately. Unlike general phrases, indirect speech acts rely heavily on situational awareness, making video an especially effective medium for instruction. To evaluate this approach, we produced paired video clips illustrating 41 indirect speech acts taught as a part of a university-level EFL curriculum in Japan. We collected survey responses, pretest and posttest scores measuring students’ understanding of the speech acts, and their end-of-semester exam results. Findings showed overall improvement from pretest to posttest, with student engagement with the videos influencing gains. Notably, posttest scores were more predictive of final exam performance than pretest scores, suggesting that learning indirect speech acts contributed to broader pragmatic competence. Based on these results, we recommend the use of these videos as a practical resource and encourage the development of similar materials using the methods outlined in this chapter. A link to the full video set, hosted on YouTube, is also provided.
About the Contributors
Keina Hamagami is a lecturer at Ritsumeikan University in Japan. She received her PhD from Osaka University in 2020. Her research interests include language learning with short videos, computer-assisted language learning, and cognitive linguistics. She and her team create short videos that provide specific examples of English expressions used in authentic contexts, which help second language learners to learn socio-cultural nuances associated with those expressions. The team’s ultimate goal is to establish a worldwide online learning system centered around short videos. She also serves as treasurer of the Association for Teaching English through Multimedia (ATEM).
Ryan Spring is a professor at Tohoku University in the Institute for Excellence in Higher Education. He obtained his PhD from Tohoku University in Language Communication. He has a wide range of research interests, including technology in EFL education, objective measures of second language production, curriculum evaluation, and applications of cognitive linguistics to language learning. He has published in a number of competitive journals and is on the review and co-editing boards of several. He is a member of several academic groups in Japan and is currently the president of the Association for Teaching English through Multimedia.
Sachiko Nakamura is a senior assistant professor at the Institute for Excellence in Higher Education at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. With about 20 years of experience teaching English, she earned a master’s degree from Temple University. Her primary passion lies in the field of TESOL, with a specific focus on speaking practice and integrating multimedia into EFL learning. She is particularly enthusiastic about creating materials and developing activities to enhance speaking skills. She currently serves as the vice president of the Association for Teaching English through Multimedia (ATEM).
Atsuko Otsuki works at Senshu University, where she teaches English as a Foreign Language classes. She obtained her master’s degree from Shinshu University of Japan and then completed the PhD Program at Nagoya University of Japan. She focuses her research on English language pedagogy, language learning through movies, and linguistics. She is an active member of ATEM (the Association for Teaching English through Multimedia) and the author of a series of books to help develop speaking skills by using verbs as cue words. Her research interests include multimedia in EFL and speaking skills development.
Citation
Hamagami, K., Spring, R., Nakamura, S., & Otsuki, A. (2025). Short videos for learning indirect speech: Impacts on outcomes, and effects of video modulation. In A. Leis & M. Wilson (Eds.), Screen media in foreign language education (pp. 20-42). Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/37/2
This chapter introduces a series of short instructional videos designed to support the learning of indirect speech acts in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). These videos, created by the authors and made available to other educators, aim to address the challenge of teaching pragmatics by providing both visual and auditory context, which are elements essential for interpreting indirect speech acts accurately. Unlike general phrases, indirect speech acts rely heavily on situational awareness, making video an especially effective medium for instruction. To evaluate this approach, we produced paired video clips illustrating 41 indirect speech acts taught as a part of a university-level EFL curriculum in Japan. We collected survey responses, pretest and posttest scores measuring students’ understanding of the speech acts, and their end-of-semester exam results. Findings showed overall improvement from pretest to posttest, with student engagement with the videos influencing gains. Notably, posttest scores were more predictive of final exam performance than pretest scores, suggesting that learning indirect speech acts contributed to broader pragmatic competence. Based on these results, we recommend the use of these videos as a practical resource and encourage the development of similar materials using the methods outlined in this chapter. A link to the full video set, hosted on YouTube, is also provided.
About the Contributors
Keina Hamagami is a lecturer at Ritsumeikan University in Japan. She received her PhD from Osaka University in 2020. Her research interests include language learning with short videos, computer-assisted language learning, and cognitive linguistics. She and her team create short videos that provide specific examples of English expressions used in authentic contexts, which help second language learners to learn socio-cultural nuances associated with those expressions. The team’s ultimate goal is to establish a worldwide online learning system centered around short videos. She also serves as treasurer of the Association for Teaching English through Multimedia (ATEM).
Ryan Spring is a professor at Tohoku University in the Institute for Excellence in Higher Education. He obtained his PhD from Tohoku University in Language Communication. He has a wide range of research interests, including technology in EFL education, objective measures of second language production, curriculum evaluation, and applications of cognitive linguistics to language learning. He has published in a number of competitive journals and is on the review and co-editing boards of several. He is a member of several academic groups in Japan and is currently the president of the Association for Teaching English through Multimedia.
Sachiko Nakamura is a senior assistant professor at the Institute for Excellence in Higher Education at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. With about 20 years of experience teaching English, she earned a master’s degree from Temple University. Her primary passion lies in the field of TESOL, with a specific focus on speaking practice and integrating multimedia into EFL learning. She is particularly enthusiastic about creating materials and developing activities to enhance speaking skills. She currently serves as the vice president of the Association for Teaching English through Multimedia (ATEM).
Atsuko Otsuki works at Senshu University, where she teaches English as a Foreign Language classes. She obtained her master’s degree from Shinshu University of Japan and then completed the PhD Program at Nagoya University of Japan. She focuses her research on English language pedagogy, language learning through movies, and linguistics. She is an active member of ATEM (the Association for Teaching English through Multimedia) and the author of a series of books to help develop speaking skills by using verbs as cue words. Her research interests include multimedia in EFL and speaking skills development.
Citation
Hamagami, K., Spring, R., Nakamura, S., & Otsuki, A. (2025). Short videos for learning indirect speech: Impacts on outcomes, and effects of video modulation. In A. Leis & M. Wilson (Eds.), Screen media in foreign language education (pp. 20-42). Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/37/2
Information About the Book
Title: Screen Media in Foreign Language Education
Editors: Adrian Leis and Matthew Wilson
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Title: Screen Media in Foreign Language Education
Editors: Adrian Leis and Matthew Wilson
Read more...