English and Movies

SUGGESTIONS AND THEMES 

Coming up...
Falando Grego / My life in ruins (2009)
Dir. Don Petrie

Awesome motion picture! Very Funny!
Good for...

• discussing stereotypes and prejudice
• Introductions
•  

A casa do lago / The Lake House (2006)
Dir. Alejandro Agresti

Good scenes for all levels for:

•  practicing description (people, clothes, places, seasons)
•  getting the difference between "home" e "house" (cena: os irmãos conversam sobre o pai na casa de vidro)
•  practicing/ role playing short dialogs
•  teaching seasons
•  discussing the writing of letters vs e-mail writing
•  comparing and contrasting verb tenses (e.g. past x future)
•  discuss the importance of patience and family relationships

VIDEO ACTIVITIES

Video Activity: Maid in Manhattan

Movie: Maid in Manhattan

Level: Intermediate

Time: 30 minutes

Aim: Listening comprehension

Before watching
Whole class
01. What do you know about Manhattan?
02. Have you ever stayed at a five-star hotel?
03. What do you find important in a hotel?

Individual work
04. Watch the first movie segment and tick the hotel facilities and occupations you see.
( ) The lobby                   ( ) Housekeepers/maids
( ) The fitness center        ( ) Bellman
( ) The sauna                   ( ) Front desk clerk
( ) The business center     ( ) Telephone operator
( ) The suite                     ( ) Floor butler
( ) A double room           ( ) Concierge
( ) The swimming pool     ( ) Waiter

05. The floor butler has an accident. He _____________.
a. cuts his hand
b. falls down the stairs
c. stumble down the hall

06. The new guest asks Marisa Ventura, the maid, to buy ___ for her.
a. pair of gloves
b. a scarf to match her dress
c. three pairs of pantyhose

07. Circle the correct answer:
a) Marisa goes to the shop but the clerk listens / doesn’t listen to her because Marisa is a low-income customer/ an impolite customer.
b) Marisa meets her sister/mom/friend in front of the hotel.

08. Answer the questions below:
a. Who calls Marisa?
b. What time is he supposed to meet her?
c. Why can’t he go to the meeting?
d. Who do you think he is?

09. Marisa Ventura has a son, Ty. He has a school presentation about __
a. Abraham Lincoln
b. Ronald Regan
c. Richard Nixon
d. John Kennedy

10. Say True or False according to the video.
( ) Chris decides to take Ty for a walk with his dog, Rufus, at the park.
( ) Chris likes Ty.
( ) Marisa’s friend makes Chris believe she is Caroline, the new guest at the hotel.
( ) Ty has been interested in politics since he was five.

11. Why does Chris take Marisa and Ty to his special place in the park?
( ) because it is a papparazi free-area.
( ) because he wants to know Marisa better.
( ) because he wants to help Ty feel better about making speeches.

12. Chris says he holds a ______ before a speech and Ty compares it to a ______.

Video Activity - PART 1

Movie: Mr. Holland (50 min)

Aim: Listening & Comprehension

Level: Intermediate

Note: You don't have to play the entire film. You can use only segments.
1. Before watching

a) What do you like most about school?

b) What is your favorite school subject?

c) Would you like to study somewhere else?

d) What is your favorite teacher like?

2. While watching

a) What time does Glenn Holland wake up?

b) What time is his appointment?

c) Who does he talk to as soon as he arrives?

3. Say True or False

a) ( ) Glenn is glad for his new job.

b) ( ) Glenn is a composer.

c) ( ) Glenn thinks teaching is a fall-back position.

d) ( ) Glenn's students are interested in his classes.

e) ( ) Mrs Jabobs is the English teacher.

4. Answer the questions below

a) Who does Mr. Holland meet at the school cafeteria?

b) Why does Mr. Holland want to be a teacher?

c) What does his wife do?

d) Does he wan to to be a studio musician?

5. Choose the best answer

Miss Lang has been practicing the clarinet for ___

a.( ) a year    
b.( ) two years     
c.( ) three years

Is miss Lang a good clarinet player?

a. ( ) yes
b. ( ) no       
c. ( ) so-so

6. Miss Lang is said because
a) mr. Holland thinks she will never learn to play the clarinet.
b) she is the only one in her family who does not have a special talent.
c) she wants to be the best musician in her family.

7. Mr. Holland cannot quit his job as a teacher because
a) mrs. Jacobs thinks he is the best teacher she has ever met.
b) his students want him to stay because they are improving..
c) Iris, his wife, is pregnant and they will certainly need more money.

8. Answer the questions below
a) How does mr. Holland get to interact with his students?
b) How do students react to his new methods?
c) How does he help miss Lang play the song well?
d) What is the deal between mr. Holland and the P.E. teacher?

VIDEO CLASS

Movie: Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa
Aim: Listening and Comprehension
Level: Basic
Time: 30 min

"We like to Move it! Move it!"




Before watching
I – Speaking
1. Do you know the Zoo of your city?
2. What’s your favorite animal?
3. Do you have a pet? If so, what’s his/her name?
    Is it big or small? What color is it?

While watching
II – Observing Scene 1 and Scene 2

1. Where are the penguins at the beginning of the scene 1? __________
2. How many penguins are there?   [ ] 5        [ ] 3        [ ]4
3. The father lion wants his son to_ [ ] dance [ ]run      [ ] fight .
4. Father lion is ______________ [ ] happy [ ] disappointed. [ ] angry.
5. The lion cub plays with a ____   [ ] giraffe [ ] butterfly [ ] toy lion

6. The lion cub
a. jumps and dances                T ( ) F ( )
b. runs to the road                   T ( ) F ( )
c. gets into the box                  T ( ) F ( )
d. falls into the water               T ( ) F ( )
e. swims across the ocean       T ( ) F ( )

7. The lion cub has a mark on its paw. What is it? _____________

III – Who’s who?

1 Alakay is____            a. the crazy old woman
2 Gloria is____             b. the Alpha Lion
3 Marty is____             c. the Penguin
4 Melman is____          d. the Lemur
5 Nana is____              e. the son lion
6 King Julien is___        f. the Giraffe
7 Kowalski is ___         g. the Hippopotamus
8 Zuba is ____              h. the Zebra