Update

2011-08-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

PRONUNCIATION

1- Imitation

Focus on the character and the way s/he says the lines you like.

Improve your listening skills by focusing on content words to get and rephrase main ideas.

WATCH TV SHOWS ONLINE

Here's the link to the Family Guy's Episode "Running Mates" (Season 2 Episode 10)

In addition, you can browse hundreds of shows -and even movies. Of course, this means thousands of episodes at your disposal. Here's TV Links.

Watch Family Guy Episodes online

LINGUANET

This page has changed a little, so it now offers a wide selection of video material that ranges from You Tube to movie excerpts and trailers. You can always click to check the transcript next to the video. Click on the new link.

DRAMA COACH

This is a series of videos that offer short guided practice to improve your overall speaking skills (pronunciation, intonation, body language, conversation keeping, etc). Make sure you use the examples as a reference to create your own later on. Click Here.

Guided Practice Towards Autonomy

2009-09-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

OBJECTIVES

To get familiar with the learning gains that can be achieved by using movies,TV shows, and documentaries as learning tools.

To implement strategies to approach movies and TV shows as learning tools.

To maximize the learning gains out of a variety of web tools.

AREA	FOCUS	DESCRIPTION
VOCABULARY	Idioms	Get familiar with a real street-like use of English because expressions are everywhere.
VOCABULARY	Social Language	Identify the use of strategies and expressions to keep the conversation going.
VOCABULARY	Taboo Language	Access to the language that is not covered in most books, magazines or newspapers.
PRONUNCIATION	Imitation	Focus on the character and the way s/he says the lines you like.
SPEAKING	Talk about the Plot	Take the time to describe in your own words what the movie is about.
CULTURAL CONTEXT	History	Approach the way the culture represented in the movies was shaped.
CULTURAL CONTEXT	Sociology	Get acquainted with the way a society behaves and thinks about the issues addressed in the movies.
CULTURAL CONTEXT	Cross-Cultural References	Expand your cultural literacy as you make connections between movies and what they say about the culture they portray.
WRITING	Write a Review	Structure your insights about a movie making use of the cultural, technical and/or film knowledge you have.
WRITING	Blog Writing	Create your own blog entries where you invite people to read your thoughts about those movies that moved you.
LISTENING	Content Words	Improve your listening skills by focusing on content words to get and rephrase main ideas.
LISTENING	Listening Comprehension	Check your comprehension by listening for details and checking the script to keep track of your performance.

WARM-UP ACTIVITY

Watch the video excerpt from The Matrix.

Jot down the key words.

Compare with a partner.

Watch the segment one more time.

Discuss with a partner the difficulties you experienced.

Click on the link and read the script for the segment.

Check how many words you missed and how relevant they are to understand the message.

If necessary, look them up here.

SUGGESTION: Since writing down lists of terms and expressions on a notebook has proven to be ineffective in terms of memorization, it is a good idea to create a set you can interact with. In order to do so, you can use Quizlet ,which is a free service available on line. If you are not familiar with this tool and want to learn how to use it, click on this link.

STAIRWAY TO INDEPENDENCE

STEP ONE

Just like babies do, it is a advisable to play safe first. Learning just a few lines a week will improve your confidence and will prepare you for more challenging exercises.

A good site to start with is MovieWavs since it provides short audio segments of a great deal of movies. If you want to learn how to download the tracks into your computer to start organizing your own learning-through-movies folder, check the following presentation.

SUGGESTION:

Organize a memory card set you can carry with you everywhere you go. Start with seven cards, practice with them for two days; then, remove two cards and add two more. Each card should have only the specific segment you are memorizing.

STEP TWO

Once you are done with the strategy suggested above, you will be ready for the next step. As the path gets steeper, the learning gains are more rewarding.

If you have a favorite program, you can access different websites that allow you to either watch the episodes online or download them into your computer. Once you have the episode you want, get the script online.

To have a better idea of what you can do when working with a full episode, take a look at the following example:

Family Guy Season 2 Episode Running Mates

Click here to read the script of this episode.

By reading the script and getting familiar with the unknown vocabulary, you will be able to enjoy the show while practicing your English.

SUGGESTIONS:

You can create interactive vocabulary sets using Quizlet. For each episode, create a new set. The name of the set can be the name of the episode.

If you happen to have friends who like the same show, invite them to create their own sets. By doing so, you can exchange sets minimizing the effort.

You can also record some of the lines in the script using Audacity. By doing so, you will be able to imitate the intonation patterns and pronunciation of the aforementioned lines. If you don't know how to use Audacity, check the following tutorial.

If you want to download Audacity, click here.

Resources used for this step:

Family Guy Episodes

Family Guy Scripts

STEP THREE

You already know how to use movie sounds and television series as learning tools. Now, it is time to raise the stakes.

By visiting the website below, you will be able to watch excerpts of different movies and take some quizzes to test your understanding.

The following website will allow you to increase your vocabulary power. You will also be provided with interesting references that will maximize your movie watching experience.

STEP FOUR

After having practiced with the strategies described above, you will be ready to go your own way. However, there are some strategies you might want to follow when working with complete movies.

Suggested Strategies

Choose a movie you would like to see over and over again.

Read different reviews and summaries.

Watch the trailer if available.

Get the script.

Look up the words or expressions you are not familiar with.

Set up an interactive vocabulary set in Quizlet.

Study the set for a week.

If you are not sure about the pronunciation of any word or expression, use this tool.

Sit back and enjoy the movie.

Focus your attention on the body language, intonation patterns, and any other prosodic element used by the actors.

If you feel attracted to any line in particular, write down the minute and seconds when it happened in the movie.

After watching the movie, select a line you want to practice with.

Listen to the line and repeat.

Once you feel confident, record your version of the line using Audacity.

Compare and decide if you should record it again.

Keep your recordings in a folder to keep track of your progress.

After some days, watch the movie again and follow the same process.

Keep a journal of your process in order to design better strategies.

FAR BEYOND DRIVEN

In order to sharpen your critical thinking skills, you might also want to watch some documentaries. They are an excellent source of current social discourses that will broaden your approach to the products of mass media.

Douglas Rushkoff is a prolific writer, media theoretician, and documentarian. He has written and hosted two award-winning documentaries which might be used as excellent entrance points.

SUGGESTION:

In order to maximize your learning gains, organize a movie club where you can discuss the content of the documentaries.

The Persuaders

Read the script.

Watch the documentary.

Do the activities.

The Merchants of Cool

Read the script.

Watch the documentary.

Do the activities.

HAPPY LEARNING

English in Motion

Update

Guided Practice Towards Autonomy