The Language Teacher
04 - 2001
Authentic Video Scenes for Low-level
Students
Peter J. Farrell,
Keio Shonan Fujisawa Junior and Senior
High School, Fujisawa
QUICK GUIDE
Key Words: Video, Debate
Learner English Level:Beginner to Advanced
Learner Maturity Level:High School to Adult
Preparation Time:5-10 minutes to prepare handout and prepare
video
Activity Time:50 minutes; follow-ups could take longer
In 1999 I was assigned to teach our lowest tracked
English debate class of second year high school students. I began
searching for authentic listening materials to introduce debate
topics in an inspiring way, to build vocabulary for debates and
discussions, and to bolster confidence in low-skills listeners.
Finding materials dealing with timely issues without overwhelming
my students was difficult. Many excellent films and programs came
to mind but proved to be too long or lacking in digestible scenes.
During my search for appropriate material, I considered factors
such as scene length, amount of inappropriate language (technical
jargon, street slang, offensive language), pacing of dialog, amount
of background noise, possible listening tasks, and my students'
background knowledge.
The following list contains some of the scenes I have selected
to introduce certain debate topics. The listening activities are
usually followed by preparation for a formal debate related to
the topic. Some scenes involve clear debates between speakers,
while others involve conversations or situations that reveal a
dilemma or social issue. Most of the materials are available at
video stores in Japan and the subtitles on the screen can be covered
with a strip of paper. Also, if available, a close-captioned decoder
might be helpful. Some scenes need to be cut and spliced to make
them more suitable. The timer readings listed refer to time measured
from the start of the film or episode.
Films
Marriage/choosing a mate - Father of the Bride (0:09:30
to 0:15:00) -- A 22-year-old woman announces to her family that
she is engaged to a man she met while travelling abroad. She describes
why she loves him. The mother and father both react differently
and argue about whether the two are old enough, and whether the
man is suitable for her. They also argue about marriage in general.
This scene could be used in a lesson to introduce adjectives describing
people and in a general discussion about marriage issues.
Premarital sex - Boyz 'n the Hood (0:46:14 to
0:49:20) -- A debate between a teenage couple; requires a bit
of splicing as the scene is interrupted briefly by a different
scene. Very clear arguments for and against. Some street slang.
Adoption vs. having your own children - Mighty Aphrodite
-- Second scene of the film in a restaurant. Much of the film
would be inappropriate for a high school class, but the second
scene has a frantic debate around a dinner table about adoption
versus having your own children. The dialog is a bit too fast
paced for some students, but very realistic as everyone seems
to talk at once.
Animal rights/vegetarianism -- Babe (1:08:00 to 1:11:38)
-- The evil cat reveals to Babe what pigs are really for, after
which Babe questions the mother dog about the truth of this information.
A real tearjerker. (See sample lesson below.)
Smoking - Dead Again (1:23:12 to 1:26:17) -- A young
man visits an elderly man dying of lung cancer who speaks and
breathes through a hole in his throat. In this black humor scene
the patient begs for a cigarette, then smokes it through the hole.
A graphic introduction to the health hazards of smoking. Needs
a bit of cutting because of offensive language and irrelevant
dialog. Good for dictation and listening for simple questions
and answers. Listening may be difficult because of the sick man's
electronic talking device.
TV
I also found the TV drama ER especially good for providing
scenes about timely issues.
Gun control - ER, Season 3, videocassette 11, "One More
for the Road" (0:38:00 to 0:40:15) -- Some thugs on the subway
try to rob Dr. Green. He pulls out a gun and scares them off.
This can be spliced with a scene a few minutes later when Dr.
Green throws the gun into a river. This powerful scene provides
an excellent introduction to a gun control debate. Listening for
specific information, simple informal slang, and imitating inflection
can be taught. A reenactment is also a possible activity.
Working with HIV - ER, Season 3, videocassette 1, "Let
the Games Begin" (0:37:35 to 0:39:20) -- Physician's Assistant
Boule has HIV and continues to work in the emergency room. Doctor
Benton knows her secret and pushes her out of the emergency room.
Splice this with a scene a few minutes later when Benton and Boule
argue about her working in the emergency room. Good for listening
to two different opinions. For a third "doctor's opinion,"
there is a quiet scene in a later episode between Boule and her
boss, Dr. Weaver, about her dilemma. (See also Season 3, videocassette
2, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," 0:37:35 to 0:39:20.)
Sample Lesson: Babe (approx. 50 minutes)
Listening: Introduce the following vocabulary to the
students for discussion:
vegetarians
superior
cruel
to be raised
rights
to hunt
farmers
natural
crazy
Have each student use the chart (Fig. 1) to interview
three classmates using Questions 1 and 2. Tell them to write their
classmates' names and answers in the boxes. Students should use
a different vocabulary word in each answer.
Introduce the following vocabulary for the video:
to be upset
I'll be blunt
the boss
forgive me
to realize
noble
to have a purpose
Viewing
Put the following questions on the board and have students
read each question separately. Then watch the video looking for
the answer to it.
1. Is the cat good or bad?
2. What does the cat tell the pig?
3. What does the pig ask the dog?
4. What is the dog's answer?
Watch the video as many times as you think the majority of
students need. Discuss the answers as a class. Ask them to explain
their answers with evidence from the video. If time is limited,
discuss all the answers first before watching the video again.
Figure 1
Classmate
Name
(Before listening)
Q1. What do you think of killing animals for
food?
(Before listening)
Q2. What do you think of vegetarians?
(After listening)
Q3. Has thisvideo changed your opinions? How?
Name:
Answer:
Word used:
Answer:
Word used:
Answer:
Word used:
Name:
Answer:
Word used:
Answer:
Word used:
Answer:
Word used:
Name:
Answer:
Word used:
Answer:
Word used:
Answer:
Word used:
Follow-up activities
1. Have students interview their classmates again, asking the
same three people Question 3. Again, make them use terms from
the vocabulary list.
2. Students write paragraphs about their opinions, using some
of the learned vocabulary.
3. Students write their own version of the dialog using vocabulary
from the second list. They then practice it and perform it without
notes.
4. Students have a formal debate about a related topic such
as vegetarianism, animal rights, or zoos, using some of the learned
vocabulary.
All materials on this site are copyright © by JALT and their respective authors.
For more information on JALT, visit the JALT National Website
Classmate |
Name |
(Before listening) |
Q1. What do you think of killing animals for food? |
(Before listening) |
Q2. What do you think of vegetarians? |
(After listening) |
Q3. Has thisvideo changed your opinions? How? |
Name: |
Answer: |
Word used: |
Answer: |
Word used: |
Answer: |
Word used: |
Name: |
Answer: |
Word used: |
Answer: |
Word used: |
Answer: |
Word used: |
Name: |
Answer: |
Word used: |
Answer: |
Word used: |
Answer: |
Word used: |
For more information on JALT, visit the JALT National Website