Movies and English lexicon

Abstract

This study aimed at assessing the effects of movies on the student’s lexicon. The term lexicon as broken down to the following research questions: To what extent is the students’ spelling of words affected by the movies they watch? What is the effect of movies on the sentences students construct? And, how do movies affect students’ creativity in their use of the English lexicon? A case study was conducted in three selected secondary schools in Masaka Municipality – Uganda.

The findings of the study are that despite the negative effects such as students adopting the use of slang; adopting an informal style of presentation; and also adopting the direct translation style typical of some movies; more than half, 55% of the students population experienced positive effects from watching movies which effects included; getting exposed to a wide range of vocabulary; alternative sentence construction; getting exposed to life realities; thus, taping into their creativity. The study concluded that movies bore both positive and negative effects on the students’ spelling of words, sentences students constructed and creativity in the use of English, as per the movie categories which included the soap operas, High School movies and the Nollywood.

Basing on such findings, the study then recommends that students be encouraged to watch the soap operas which yielded more positive effects on the biggest percentage –55% of the sampled students. Other categories such as the High School movies bore positive effects to only 30% of the students’ population and the Nollywood movies positively affected only 15% of the students as was reflected in the students’ spelling of words; sentences they constructed; and creativity in the use of English.