According to Dayanna Volitich, a most under-used resource for learning English is movies. Movies, whether selected clips and scenes or full movies, or a wonderful tool and resource to teach people English. You will be hard to find a learner who does not enjoy watching a video or movie as part of their class. However, teaching people English using films and movies is about more than simply placing them in front of them and hoping for the best. Here, five specific methods that can be used to get the most out of movies for English language learners are revealed.
Dayanna Volitich’s Five Ways to Learn English Through Movies
- Movies can demonstrate the different varieties of English. English in the West Indies is very different from that in India, just as British English is very different from Australian or American English, which in turn is different from Canadian English. You can use films from the different regions across the world to give some more insight into how the different forms of English differ and what brings them together. There are variations in pronunciations comma expressions, idioms, and so on.
- Movies can showcase different cultures. Learning to speak a language means learning to understand the culture behind that language as well. Incorporating culture and language together is a very good way to make sure people master the spoken language above all else. Language is important for things such as celebrations, holidays, funerals, weddings, table manners, and various other social customs. Knowing what to say and what not to say in different gatherings is very important and can be showcased properly using relevant movies.
- With movies, you can showcase how a country has changed throughout history. In fact, you could even use movies that are nearly a century old to give people a true first-hand view of what things were like. Alternatively, you could opt to watch period dramas about different countries. Do make sure these movies are truly representative of the time and culture they are supposed to depict.
- Different people learn in different ways, and one of those ways is through visual and audio elements. Research has shown that an audio visual approach to learning helps to lower Lerner affective filters comma enabling people to better process and acquire the elements of the language they are learning. Regardless of what someone’s personal learning style is, using audio visual materials is a great way for them to improve their knowledge.
- Movies are a whole lot of fun. People learn more when they are enjoying themselves in when they aren’t bored with the material they are being presented with. Watching a movie is entertaining and relaxing.
While it may not be sufficient to simply switch on the television and hope your students come out mastering the English language, it is certainly a resource at your disposal that you should use regularly. You could even use movies for writing and role play exercises, for instance, asking students to write down the dialog they can hear.