Multisensory approach of BBC's program Muzzy in teaching foreign languages to young learners

Multisensory approach of BBC's program Muzzy in teaching foreign languages to young learners

Kurspahić, Ajla

Muzzy is a linguistically recognized and multiple award-winning multimedia program for teaching and learning foreign languages. The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) initially created an animated movie entitled Muzzy in Gondoland (1986) with the purpose of teaching English as a second or foreign language to children. Three years later, BBC released its sequel, entitled Muzzy comes back. It was supposed to be used for teaching only English language, but due to the movies' remarkable effects on young learners' English language acquisition, the movie was redesigned into a program Muzzy used for teaching not only English, but also many other languages worldwide. The essence of Muzzy lies in its fun and multisensory approach to language acquisition, presenting languages in meaningful context and stress-free environment. The focus of this research is on the analysis of the program's linguistic aspects, including linguistic components and benefits in cognitive terms, as well as on the introduction of its main concept. The procedures and manner in which Muzzy has been used in young learners' classrooms for more than 25 years now are specifically emphasized.

Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed

2013

1431