Madagascar I

Grease Last Thirty Five Minutes

Grease 35 to 1.10 Minutes

Grease 35 First Minutes

A Walk to Remember Last Part

A Walk to Remember

Movies add variety to our class methodology and they do not only make our classes more interesting but also help our students with different ways of learning. They add cultural references constantly too and this is both interesting and motivating.
We have always been told that the best way of acquiring and improving a language is through reading and now through the new technologies that we enjoy why not the movies. There are indeed differences between the books and the movies. With the books, we learn how English native speakers write English and with the movies, we learn how they speak English and in some occasions the different varieties of English. When speaking we use words and expressions that we do not find in the books. We even find informal language and slang that has not even appeared in the published dictionaries but that, via internet, for example, in the cambridge online dictionary you can learn their meaning and use.

Coraline Second and Last Part

Coraline Part 1

Alvin and the Chipmunks 30 to 45 Minutes

Alvin and the Chipmunks Fifteen to Thirty Minutes

Alvin and the Chipmunks First Fifteen Minutes

Students enjoy watching movies and at the same time they learn a language without noticing. But this is not a rose path as movies are difficult to be understood. However, if we think it over they are easier than any other activity of listening since they are a mixture of images and audio, being the first element an element that facilitates understanding. If we want to get the most of it, we can add English subtitles to the movie. By doing this, students relate writing, audio and images and hence they improve their listening skill at the same time that they enjoy the known series or movies.

Monsters vs Aliens From 60 to the End

Monsters vs Aliens From 45 to 60 Minutes

Monsters vs Aliens From 30 to 45 Minutes

Monsters vs Aliens From 15 to 30 Minutes

Monsters vs Aliens First Fifteen Minutes

The following worksheets are for elementary pupils, hence, the questions are multiple choice. These types of questions are easier in the sense that pupils do not have to elaborate the answer but they are given and what they have to do is to choose among three options. So the burden of the task is lighter. The time they are exposed to the film is also shorter so as to maintain their attention the whole time.

Twilight From 40 Minutes to the End

Twilight First 40 Minutes

Here are some examples. The first two are for an upperintermediate level. As a consequence the type of questions required are open questions, perhaps the most difficult to be answered. Furthermore, the time the pupils spend watching the movie is also a long one. As you will see in my other worsheets that are aimed at elementary levels, the time is only 15 minutes intentionally.

The teaching of a foreigh language is not an easy task. One of the most difficult thing is to catch the pupils' attention by presenting language in an attractive way. Hence the importance of using a methodology that motivates them. So when working out how to do that we reached the conclusion that apart from dealing with vocabulary and grammar it was a good idea to set them in real context by watching English movies. So this blog is supposed to be about how to use movies in the ESL classes. My intention is to share my ideas and experiences and my worksheets at the same time. I hope you like it.