Part 3 These Film Genres Can Turn Your Most Reluctant EFL Learners into Language Learning Stars

More on the Use of Film Clusters
In this third and final installment of this article series we continue with the concept that not only are clusters of movies, films, videos and documentary clips stimulating, interesting and enjoyable for your English as a foreign language learners, but the broad selection of available genres and types offers a substantial range of English language teaching and learning didactic aids. We previously identified a film cluster as simply a group or series of related movies, clips or videos. First though let’s continue the last part of our brief overview of the genres in which most films are classified.

Popular Film Genres
Let’s take an additional, final look at a few of the more commonly available film genres, what they are and exactly how we might use them in our English as a foreign language classroom settings.

The final group of the more widely known movie and film types includes:

Science-Fiction (also known as Sci-Fi) or Fantasy – If your imagination and tastes are truly vivid then likely this genre is one of your favorites too. Combining the real with future possibilities, this genre of films provides fuel for almost any range of imagination. Special effects are often the key here as many characters, settings and conditions are purely imaginary. You know these film series examples, don’t you? “Star Wars”, “Matrix”, “Lord of the Rings”, “Harry Potter”

Animated – Actually not just for children, this genre does frequently feature films and stories for the young (or the young at heart). A number of Disney and children’s movies that portray classic stories from ”Peter Pan” to “Toy Story”, “The Simpsons” and the “Shrek” series comprise good examples of this genre. Films which are produced by the relatively new “Pixar – graphic pixels generation process” are generally also included in this genre. Can you say, "Bibbity, Bobbity, Boo"?

Comedy – Designed to get you, and keep you laughing, this pleasant, for-all-ages genre is one of the most enduring. Humor can be culture-specific or broad and general enough to appeal to viewers of many different cultures and languages. This genre includes many of your favorite movies starring Jim Carey, Eddie Murphy and England’s hilariously soft-spoken Mr. Bean who has captured smiles worldwide. Classic comedies have value too. The Marx brothers, Groucho, Harpo and Zeppo starred in a number of comedy films as did Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, the Three Stooges (Larry, Moe and Curly), the late Don Knotts and several other classic comedians of note.

War and Military – Another on again, off again genre in popularity there are occasional films which are of merit. Some notable recent examples are the films, “Saving Private Ryan” with Tom Hanks, “Black Hawk Down”, “The Hunt for Red October” with Sean Connery and “They Were Heroes” starring Mel Gibson.

Improvement of multiple English language skills and competencies
These genres in which most film clusters are classified, feature a character or story series (usually in the same genre) like the Star Wars saga, the Matrix sequels, the Indiana Jones series of adventures, James Bond, Harry Potter, the Die Hard series of films, King Kong remakes, Tarzan, Batman, Spiderman and numerous others also have sequels, trilogies or multiple parts. For the improvement of multiple English language skills and competencies such as listening comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, in-context use of idioms and expressions or applied use of connected speech elements in English language learners, such film and video clusters or related series can be invaluable.

Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on the lucrative, fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign Language, get your copy of his no-cost, full multi-media, hypertext-linked pdf ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know” by sending an e-mail to lynchlarrym@gmail.com with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. Need professional, original content for your blog, newsletter, e-zine or website? Want more information, have a comment or special request? Contact the author using the e-mail address above.

Part 2 These Popular Film Cluster Genres Can Turn Your Most Reluctant EFL Learners into Language Learning Stars

On the Use of Film Clusters

As we noted in part one of this three-installment article series, not only are clusters of movies, films, videos and documentary clips stimulating, interesting and enjoyable for your English as a foreign language learners, but the broad selection of available genres and types offers a substantial range of English language teaching and learning didactic aids. We previously identified a film cluster as simply a group or series of related movies, clips or videos. Here in part two, we’ll continue to get a brief over view of the genres in which most films are classified.

Photo: Idi Amin, subject of the film documentary-drama, “The Last King of Scotland”

More Popular Film Genres

Let’s look at a few more of the commonly available film genres, what they are and exactly how we might use them in our English as a foreign language classroom settings.

Here are some additional listings of the most widely known movie and film genres or types:

• Documentary – Informative, realistic and notoriously difficult to film, this genre is, and should be, a popular one with not only teachers, but with parents and learners alike. A good recent example is the film, “March of the Penguins”. What are some of your other recent or classic favorites?

• Police / Detective / Crime – Oh man, this one is one of my personal favorites too. The ole “cops and robbers” theme has been around since the days of old time radio and very likely is here to stay for years to come. “Dirty Harry” starring Clint Eastwood and the “Bad Boys” series with Will Smith and Malcolm Lawrence the vigilante series of films with Charles Bronson are examples you probably already know and love.

• Thrillers / Suspense – “Fargo”, the “Alien” series of films, the “Jason Bourne” trilogy of films head up examples of this genre which strives, from one scene to the next, to keep you breathless on the edge of your seat for as much of the film as possible. Special effects are the order of the day here too. Say, do you know what a stunt man is? Do your EFL learners?

• Historical – This genre features the lives and biographical stories of famous people. Through this genre we can get a glimpse into what makes a person develop into a notable or historic figure and what their life at one point might have truly been like based on historical documents, interviews and other factual data. The films “Frida” about the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and , “The Motorcycle Diaries” which chronicles the cross South American travels of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the gut-wrenching “Schindler’s List” and Mel Gibson’s “Brave Heart” are only a few of the many excellent examples of this genre.

These are additional genres into which most films are classified. Film clusters feature a character or story series, usually of the same genre, like the Star Wars saga, the Matrix sequels, the Indiana Jones series of adventures, James Bond, Harry Potter, the Die Hard series of films, King Kong remakes, Tarzan, Batman, Spiderman and numerous others also have sequels, trilogies or multiple parts. So, for the improvement of multiple English language skills and competencies such as listening comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, in-context use of idioms and expressions or applied use of connected speech elements in English language learners, such film and video clusters or related series can be invaluable.

What are some of your favorites?

Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on the lucrative, fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign Language, get your copy of his no-cost, full multi-media, hypertext-linked pdf ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know” by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. Need professional, original content for your blog, newsletter, e-zine or website? Want more information, have a comment or special request? Contact the author at: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/

Using Film Clusters to Boost Your EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension Skills

Use of Film Clusters
Who doesn’t like movies? Not only are they stimulating, interesting and enjoyable for your English as a foreign language learners, but the broad selection of available genres and types offers a substantial range of didactic aids for the EFL professional. So just what is a film cluster? It is simply a group or series of related movies, clips or videos. Some films and character series like the Star Wars saga, the Matrix sequels, the Indiana Jones series of adventures, James Bond, Harry Potter, the Die Hard series of films, King Kong remakes, Tarzan, Batman, Spiderman and numerous others also have sequels, trilogies or multiple parts. For the improvement of listening comprehension, vocabulary, idioms and expressions or use of connected speech elements in English language learners, such clusters or related series can be highly effective in several applications.

Image: The visually-impaired Mr. Magoo

Film Genres or Types
The more widely known movie and film genres or types include:

Horror or Terror – “Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Saw”, “Halloween”
Romance – “Titanic”, “Pretty Woman”, “An Officer and a Gentleman”
Drama – “Man on Fire”, “Code Name: Swordfish”
Action / Adventure – “Die Hard”, James Bond
Westerns – many films starring John Wayne, Clint Eastwood or Lee Van Cleef
Sci-Fi or Fantasy – “Star Wars”, “Matrix”, “Lord of the Rings”, “Harry Potter”
Animated – a number of Disney and children’s movies or cartoon characters
Documentary – “March of the Penguins”
Police / Detective / Crime – “Dirty Harry”, “Bad Boys”
Thrillers – “Fargo”, the “Alien” series of films, the “Jason Bourne” trilogy of films
Historical – “Frida”, “The Motorcycle Diaries”
Comedy – many movies starring Jim Carey or Eddie Murphy
War and Military – “Saving Private Ryan”, “Black Hawk Down”, “The Hunt for Red October”

Lesson Stages
While a number of methods can be employed to determine what the learners like or prefer, one way to reduce your background preparation and movie titles search is to use a cluster, or series of related films. For the first film in a cluster or series of related films, some extensive pre-viewing preparation needs to be done. Lessons with a video or movie clip component basis typically have three basic stages:

Pre-viewing activities that activate the schema of the learner and introduce or warm-up the learners to the theme or topic

While-viewing lesson stage aspects that can be applied as the learners watch the film, documentary segment or movie clip

Post-viewing activities such as comprehension questions, discussions, written exercises and presentation preparations

Film Cluster Aspects
There can be a distinct advantage in using clusters or a related group of films or movie clips such as:

The settings, characters and topics become familiar to the viewers
Less pre-viewing and introduction are required
EFL Learners develop an interest in continuing the series
Film trilogies, remakes or sagas may be easier to acquire for the time, resource and cash-strapped English language teacher
Multiple aspects of the film series or cluster can be explored through repeated or multiple viewings in addition to different lessons
The level of vocabulary in English, American and British or other English accents, connected speech elements, register and additional linguistic or cultural elements tend to remain consistent throughout the film series or cluster

Summary
Everyone likes movies of some type. We as English language teaching professionals know that not only are they stimulating, interesting and enjoyable for our English as a foreign language learners, but the broad selection of available genres and types offers a substantial range of didactic aids. If you want a sure way to help lower the Affective Filter (Krashen-Terrell, 1983) you must definitely give the regular use of clusters of films, movies or video clips a try. For some interesting clusters to start off with, consult the other articles in this series or e-mail the author for the full article set.


Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on the lucrative, fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign Language, get your copy of his no-cost, full multi-media, hypertext-linked pdf ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know” by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. Need professional, original content for your blog, newsletter, e-zine or website? Want more information, have a comment or special request? Contact the author at: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/

Cartooning Your Way to English or Foreign Language Learning Success

Cartoons vs. Comics

Who doesn’t love cartoons and comics? Okay, so I’m no fan of the Simpsons, but even I enjoy Felix the Cat, the Pink Panther and a host of other Saturday morning offerings. If the cartoon network came on in English where I live, I’d record it for use in my English as a foreign language (EFL) classes (and a little personal humor and enjoyment). There are two venues which actually can be used in teaching English as a foreign language or in foreign language teaching and learning; cartoons and comics. But what’s the difference?

The Differences

What’s the difference between a cartoon and a comic? Simply that a cartoon is an animated visual format with sound and a comic is a written, printed format in black and white or color. Some characters appear in multiple formats, having an animated series on TV, movie or comic strip. Characters from Peanuts, cats Felix and Garfield, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and a host of Walt Disney and Walter Lantz characters are some examples. Other characters may appear in only one format such as in many video games which is yet another venue.

Who Do You Love?

Why don’t you try asking your English or foreign language learners;

“Who’s your favorite cartoon or comic character?”

“Why?”

Learners could then elaborate on their favorite characters in addition to:

• describing the character’s personality
• acting out a scene from a cartoon or comic
• white out dialogue bubbles and write in their own lines of dialogue

Adapting Comics and Cartoons for Classroom Teaching

How can these different formats be adapted for use in an EFL or foreign language learning classroom setting? Well, you’ve hit the jackpot here. Because the language in comics and cartoons is usually very simple, it can be used in a variety of ways, such as:

• to demonstrate high-frequency vocabulary in context
• to illustrate idioms and expressions
• to teach verbs and other parts of speech
• as examples of connected speech
• to simulate dialogues to inject humor into class sessions
• to provide a basis for oral discourse and writing activities
• to illustrate culture and values

Other Related Activity Possibilities

Numerous other related activity possibilities exist, which may be applied with just a bit of imagination. For example, have your English or foreign language learners relate:

• who the author or creator of the comic / cartoon series is
• a biography of the author with photos
• describe the setting and theme of the comic or cartoon series
• show examples of cartoons, comics and characters in class, then compare them

If you’d like even more focus, you could show a cartoon or comic strip series in class to familiarize everyone with the character(s). Then might discuss the character’s personality and other elements and ask,

“Why is this cartoon or comic funny?”

Be sure to let the learners interact about their favorite comic strips and cartoon characters.

Take a Survey

Remember to take a survey of who the most popular cartoon and comic strip characters are among the learners. Better yet, have the learners design and conduct the survey themselves, presenting the results and reasons afterwards. By all means, do let Felix the Cat, the Pink Panther, the Simpsons, Garfield, the Power Puff Girls, Hagar the Horrible, the Wizard of Id, Peanuts and a generous host of English language cartoon and comic strip characters lend fun, flavor, magic and a whole new dimension to your English as a foreign language or foreign language learning classes.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”, by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

Part 2 Cartooning Your Way to English or Foreign Language Learning Success

Not Available in English?

By all means, do let Felix the Cat, the Pink Panther, the Simpsons, Garfield, the Power Puff Girls, Hagar the Horrible, the Wizard of Id, Peanuts gang and a generous host of English language cartoon and comic strip characters lend fun, flavor, magic and a whole new dimension to your English as a foreign language or foreign language learning classes.

But what can you do if cartoons and comics are not available in English where you are? Suggestions and recommendations for further English or foreign language teaching and learning options will be discussed for those who live in countries (like here in Colombia) or regions where NO English language feeds are present.

Braj Kashru’s Circles

Language learning researcher Braj Kashru categorized countries into three circles of English language influence. The “Inner” circle is comprised of those countries and regions which have English as the first or official language. Countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, England and more than a dozen other countries are included in the “Inner” circle.

The “Middle” circle is comprised of those countries and regions where English is a useful second, but highly recognized and accepted language. Countries such as India, Panama, Kenya, and several other countries with a high number of indigenous languages are included in this group.

The “Outer” circle is comprised of those countries and regions where English has no official status, is not widely spoken and is considered a completely foreign language. Many countries in South America, Asia and on the African continent are included in this group. The language status of any country is ultimately, subject to change and these examples are by no means meant to be “concrete”.

When the available cartoons and comics are not in English, you certainly can still use them.

But how?

Who and What’s Available

Many cartoon and comic strip series are either dubbed or translated into the local language of a regional people. In addition though, there are cartoon and comic strip series originally done in a language other than English. Examples I know of include:

· Asterix and Friends done in French
· Mafalda written and produced in Spanish
· Condorito also written in Spanish

There are, very likely, many others in countries around the world similarly produced and written in languages other than English. These may, or may not, be available to English or foreign language learners in their desired language. If you know of any, I’d appreciate an e-mail letting me know about some of them and the language they’re in.

Use these then for activities including those mentioned earlier in addition to:

· Translation exercises
· Creating learner-produced dialogues (written and oral)
· Acting out dramatic scenes and situations

Don’t Forget About …

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for any political caricatures and humor from the editorial pages of newspapers and magazines that you might be able to use in the English or foreign language learning classroom. Also, you can occasionally find collections of comics in local bookstores.

Hopefully you will find some of these ideas and suggestions helpful for allowing the likes of characters such as Superman, Batman, Spiderman, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, and the Flash along with a vast army of super heroes and cartoon or comic strip characters to lend more dynamics and humor to your English as a foreign language classes.

Up, up and away!

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”, by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com