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The Use of Movies in Language Teaching

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Using movies can be an entertaining and

motivating tool also for learners with different

skill level.

Movies provide the learners with real-life

language input, which

may be difficult to receive otherwise in a non-

English-speaking

environment.

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Combining both audio and visuality makes

film a comprehensive tool for language

teaching.

The visuality also supports the students:

it helps learners by supporting the verbal

message and provides a focus of attention

while they listen.

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Films can even to some extent substitute for

the input

that EFL students cannot receive from outside

the classroom. In addition, real spoken

language includes several characteristics that a

textbook cannot present.

These characteristics are for instance false

starts, incomplete sentences and hesitations.

There are also several regional,

gender and ethnic variations and also

differences in the level of

formality.

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Movies in different areas of foreign language teaching

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Teaching Oral Skills

Textbooks usually do not teach for instance

small talk and conversational interaction. Thus,

films can be an effective way to motivate the

learners to develop their oral skills, since movies

usually present the most current and real

language with for instance different types of

fashionable words or expressions.

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Teaching Writing Skills

Movies can bring variety to writing tasks.

Some examples of writing tasks based on a

movie could be for example a movie review, a

review comparing a movie and a book, writing

an alternative ending to the movie or writing a

letter to one of the characters of the movie.

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Teaching Vocabulary

Films can help to learn for instance vocabulary

around a certain theme. It is possible to teach

vocabulary and even ready scripts of a certain

social situation with the help of television. With

sufficient repetition and practising even a

beginner learner may be able to acquire a great

amount of vocabulary despite his or her

previous linguistic experience.

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Teaching Grammar

Using films to teach grammar is worth trying.

Moreover, grammar assignments based on a film

could be for example gap-fill exercise, an

introduction to new grammar topic, a revision of

already learned grammar topic or coming up

with a grammar rule based on a scene of the

film.

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Teaching Cultural Aspects

Films provide an entertaining way to get to know

these somewhat less known English-speaking areas.

A film can work as springboard for culture

discussions, as an introduction to new culture, or as

an informative material. Both written and oral

assignments about cultural topics are possible, and

they can be done both individually and in groups.

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Activities

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☺ Describing a scene

☺ Debate about topic

☺ What will happen next?

☺ Vocabulary list

☺ Dialog role playing

☺ Fill in the blanks

☺ Writing or commenting about movies

☺ Describing adjectives, feelings etc about

the film

☺ Idiomatic expressions related to movie

☺ Showing students the picture, asking

them what they think

the film will be about

☺ What is the message of the film?