Using short films in the language classroom

NSW Department of Education

Inspire your students to learn and use

language authentically

Using short films in the language classroom

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Acknowledgement of Country

Image of Lincoln’s Rock, Blue Mountains with permission from R Ostrzycki


Supporting language teachers 7-12 in

NSW public schools

Languages and Culture team



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AgendaWhat are we watching?

Why use short films?

Techniques for using short films to teach language

The Present

Smoke Seller

Japan – a short travel film

Love Symptoms

Versus

Mind Games. Your turn!

Summary and questions


Benefits to students

Why use short films in languages?

Create a more engaging sensory

experience

Increase knowledge retention

Increase literacy skills

"Light Bulb" by Richard Scott 33 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Develop intercultural

awareness in an authentic way

Aligned with [language] syllabus

outcomes

Increase proficiency in digital literacy and

communication –important 21st century skillsAccessible

resources that can be watched from multiple devices

https://www.flickr.com/photos/50769691@N00/3279172744

https://www.flickr.com/photos/50769691@N00

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/?ref=ccsearch&atype=rich


Benefits to teachers

Why use short films to teach language?

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Increase student engagement

Flexible and authentic resource

Flipped classroom or

blended learning

Facilitates remote learning

Effective way to teach

vocabulary and expressions

"* Vintage Blackboard *" by pareeerica is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Short, teachable and

dynamic

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03

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Techniques for using short films to teach language

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Cross-media comparisons

Attracting the audience

Top and tailFreeze frame

Sound and image

Generic translations


Freeze frame technique

The Present

Themes – acceptance, inclusivity, self-love

Learning objectives

• Develop listening skills and the ability to relate moving image to the interpretation of the whole text.

• Develop skills in close analysis of a moving image text and the ability to compare texts across cultures.

• Develop awareness of how language and visual images combine to produce meaning in a moving image text.

• Learn different verb tenses by enhancing awareness of past, present and future in a text.

• Learn vocabulary related to emotions, characteristics and mise-en-scene.


Sample activitiesFreeze frame technique activities/tasks

Students use visual clues from each ‘freeze frame’ to establish genre and distinguish characters’ roles. Students recount, predict or narrate, using the correct verb tense.

Use the pause button and

freeze frame a shot to teach

vocabulary such as personal

traits, emotions and physical

appearance.

Describe this scene in [language].

Rewrite this scene with new dialogue in [language].

Convert frozen frames from colour to black and white, and ask students to recall and name the colours of selected objects within the frame.

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(Screenshots from The Gift, by Jacob Frey)

Possible scripted outcomes – 1C, 2C, 3C, 4C, 5U, 6U, 7U

Possible non-scripted outcomes – 1C, 2C, 3C, 4C, 5U, 6U, 7U, 8U

https://vimeo.com/152985022


Sound and image technique

Smoke Seller

Learning objectives• Integrate students’ language skills with the

moving image using contextual sound to help them place and understand the language.

• Use visuals and film stylistic clues to construct dialogue.

Activities • Show the clip with sound only. Students guess

the visual content. Ask them in [language]: What/who do they hear? Where is the action taking place? Describe the music being played. Pre-teach required expressions.

• Show a clip with visuals only. Working as a class or in small groups, using a scaffold, students reconstruct or add the dialogue in one of the scenes. Students construct dialogue in written form and orally.

Theme – life isn’t always what it seems Possible outcomes – 2C, 4C, 5U


Attracting audience


11 Themes – travel, intercultural understanding

Learning objectives• Develop understanding of cultural differences through

moving texts. For example religion, way of life, city and nature.

• Integrate knowledge of film techniques to create meaning for the target audience.

• Build intercultural competencies through understanding culturally acceptable practices and behaviours.

Activities/tasks• Students learn vocabulary and expressions that have

cultural significance and meaning.• Students study different promotional materials of

Japan and identify differences and similarities between the way Japan is promoted overseas and how Australians promote Japan and explore the reasons for these.

• Students have a scaffolded debate around the themes that arise in the film such as city life versus country life and Japanese versus Australian perspectives.


Activity and task

• Students find other promotional media about Japan and compare it with the short film.

• Students create their own promotional media of [country] with commentary –written or verbal in [language]. Include one cultural aspect of interest and provide reasons for its inclusion.

Cross-media comparisons


12(Screenshots from Japan – a short travel film, Charlie Johnston)

Possible scripted outcomes – 2C, 3C, 4C, 5U, 6U

Possible non-scripted outcomes – 2C, 3C, 4C, 5U, 6U, 7U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMPJRe2qTlI


Top and tail

Love Symptoms – Symptômes d'amour

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Learning objectives• Develop close listening skills linked to careful

analysis of moving image and techniques.• Learn vocabulary relating to moving images.• Predict events in the film using expressions such as

‘I think..’ and the future tense.

Activities• Show the title sequence and opening credits of the

film. Students identify its genre and intended audience, and predict content or ‘message.’ Pre-teach expressions such as ‘I think,’ and the future tense. Alternatively, provide multiple choice questions with possible answers.

• Provide students with a list of phrases, some of which appear in the clip and some do not. Play word bingo and tick those they hear.

• Teach students how to describe health symptoms in French.

Themes – love, romance, poetryPossible scripted outcomes –2C, 3C, 5U, 6U


Generic translations

Versus

Learning objectives

• Understand that language forms can change when information is presented in different forms or transposed to another text type.

• Learn vocabulary, expression and writing conventions for different text types.

Theme – sports, competition, games, war


Activities and tasks

Versus

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• Students learn vocabulary related to sports and other disciplines.

• Students discuss the idea of competition and design an interactive game using expressions in [language]. For example, using Minecraft.

• Students adapt the movie as a comic strip with dialogue in [language].

• Students transpose a scene from the film and create a poster about the Olympics.

• Students assume one of the characters in the film and write an email to the opposing team outlining their conditions to end the war in [language.] Pre-teach structures such as ‘you must, you should, we will.’

(Screenshots from Versus, by François Caffiaux)

Possible scripted outcomes – 3C, 4C, 5U, 6U, 7UPossible non-scripted outcomes – 3C, 4C, 5U, 6U, 7U, 8U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjhE-C6TdCM


Your turn!!

Mind Games

In your breakout rooms, design a [language] task based on this short film.You have 10 minutes to discuss and then we will hear your exciting ideas. Use any of the techniques you have learned so far or come up with one that has inspired you!


Mind Games

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What activities did you

come up with?


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Key pointsWhy short films?

It is language and culture in its living

and breathing form.

Appeals to all types of

language learners

It puts language into an authentic context.

Short films have inspiring characters, concise stories that

are excellent for scaffolding language

learning.

Short films inspire curiosity and

creativity. Students want to discuss, think and talk.

Give it a go!


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In summary

I want to know more.

I have something I would like to share.

Join the Languagesstatewide staffroom (DoE)


Comments and questions?

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Documents

Using short films in the language classroom