The video materials probably enhance learners' listening comprehension skill. With
little printed input, their reading skill may well be less engaged by this type of materials. As
noted earlier, this differential focus is often intentional; many if not most Japanese learners
have greater reading and grammar skill development than aural comprehension at the
beginning of company program instruction. The choice to enhance what is least developed
is often a pragmatic one, considering company needs for employees who can use English
for oral communication.
The interface of video materials to the TOEIC test appears to be the opposite of that
for the current events and newspaper materials. If the input is mainly audio-visual, we
would anticipate that language development would be largest in the area of aural
comprehension. The listening comprehension portion of the TOEIC test could therefore be
anticipated to differentially assess gain accruing from the use of video materials.