Watching Movies Can Be Good LearningWhat better way to learn about a particular country than to pay attention to its entertainment? Watching movies can tell you a surprising lot about the culture and sensibilities of the people. In fact, a lot of English Courses aimed at business encourage students to watch movies and in fact, set certain movies as part of the curriculum. Teachers make use of various techniques to ensure that students get the most out of their entertainment learning aids. Using these techniques can broaden the understanding of the students and improve their ability to make lateral connections, an important asset in learning a language. If a popular TV programme or movie is being used as an aid, students are told a little bit about the piece of entertainment and then asked to predict some words or phrases they expect to hear during the course of the show. For example, if students are watching the American TV show Ugly Betty, they will probably expect to hear words like fashion, integrity, design, dress, limousine etc. Comprehension tasks help students understand the issues and themes addressed by the show. Making a list of questions student expect answered in the show before actually watching is a good way to improve comprehension. A good idea to improve formal writing skills is to ask students what they liked about the movie/show and have them write a letter of appreciation to the writer, director or producer! |