I have been using films in both composition and literature classes for a number of years, most often with success. Since so many young students are media-savvy and often visual learners as well, films can provide a significant addition to the ordinary text, paper, etc. Even YouTube videos are very helpful in this respect. My university has Blackboard Learn that allows me to store any number of films in streaming videos, so I use them even more often.

For instance, one assignment that combines film and research involves taking a film like Joan of Arc, Elizabeth I (with Cate Blanchett or Helen Mirrow) and watch it with tyhe students. I usually prepare a study guide in advance, asking students to track specific events and persons in the story. Then, they are assigned to do research related to the film's presentation of the main line events; how true is the film to the actual historical accounts? Did the film shift significant events or violate the historical accuracy? Students enjoy building a body of research based on a real person depicted in a filmed account. That is just one example for litlerature-based classes. It has the advantage of combining the skills of the visual learners with the skills of print or verbal learners, who are often more skilled with the writing down of the research. The learning is much more active because students are watching carefully while responding to specific questions in the study guide. I may provide some lead questions for research especially when dealing with less familiar individuals or situations.

I use a wealth of documentaries in my composition classes and students are always responsive, even to documentaries. For instance, my academic research class is working on an ethical evaluation paper whose subject matter is American corporate business and globalization. They are studying questions of ethical responsibilities whether to American workers or to foreign workers. There are wonderful documentaries available to provide points of views and real-world situations thta make their paper and research much more real. Students are much more actively involved with film, discussion, and response when they have images and words spoken by real people.

An advantage of films, whether fiction or documentary is that students gain vocabulary and cultural context information that is invaluable for English competency. You might start with a subject that youro students already know well and develop study guides that lead them to good response development in English (based on their skill levels, of course). Of you can show clips of films, discuss the significant portions of the film (vocabulary, cultural view, etc), guiding students to higher levels of vocabulary and comprehension.

Since most of my American students are woefully unprepared for foreign languages and cultures, I also use foreign films with subtitles. English subtitled films can accomplish the same goals as films in English I use for my American students. Students might find it interesting to compare the translations to their own first language--often the translations are terrible, totally inadequate to the task. If you have higher level students who can already comprehend English (in ESL probably an advanced intermediate level), I highly recommend using films on familiar subjects and preparing guide materials to accomplish your particular goals. ONe of the most difficult tasks for students who often attend American universities for graduate study is the lack of acculturation that inhibits their abilities to respond to assignments in academic level English. The Graduate exam is terribly difficult in this respect and the more different a language and culture is from the American "standard," the harder it is for students to master ot only the test but also the academic materials in class. The Arabic rhetorical form is almost diametrically opposite the American one and certainly the cultures also reflect great differences; sometimes films can help bridge these gaps. I hope this helps a bit.

Aysha Bey

Aysha, thanks a lot! Your answer was of a great value for me since I am doing some research regarding using films in teaching ESL based on a previous experience at university levels.

Thanks very much!

Mohammad,

I would love more information about the teaching of English in Saudi since I teach advanced writing and verbal reasoning to a number of Saudi students, who come here for graduate school in the sciences or medicine. Two of my students who just completed the Graduate Record Exam have college degrees from Saudi; despite the tremendous difficulty of the verbal section of the GRE, both students did much better than I expected. In fact, their scores were better than many of my native-English speakers from the US. Writing remains the problem for these students because the differences in rhetorical requirements in argument between Arabic and English are so immense. If you can give more information on the overall teaching of English in Saudi Arabia, I'd really appreciate it. I read as many journal articles as I can find, but to have input from a professor is so much better.

Thanks,

Aysha

Aysha,

Well, the educational system in Saudi Arabia (I mean the public sector) begins English teaching in intermediate levels (7th grade of School), so it's not much time to practice their English. What I do here when teaching (first) writing: Ss. are divided in small groups (3 - 4 maximum) and given texts rich with the targeted lesson. I discuss those aspects, explain new vocab, give them some time to share and discuss what was covered, then substitute the text papers given to them with blank papers in order for me to dictate the same text. Ss. are then asked to exchange papers with each other and check them for mistakes based on the same text shown on the data show. Papers are then returned and everybody is asked to check their mistakes. The same process is repeated for consolidation. The results are always great.

For verbal aspects, I mean reading and speaking, of course they have not been exposed to much English language during school. I always give them rich recorded texts where they can listen to native-speaker readings and pronunciation. Since they are always divided into small groups, every student is responsible for part of the text to read the same way the native speaker did. Groups are in competition with each other that's why each group has to help weaker students to catch up and score high. One group starts reading where another group is responsible for checking their readings (word by word and pronunciation) and say what was wrong and the way the correct reading is said, when not doing this, the student responsible looses one point and of course their group does accordingly. Game results are shown at the end of the lecture. Outcome is always extraordinary.

Movies are also of great values when using some parts in effective and serious role playing the same way reading and listening are done.

I hope this is of benefit for you.

Thanks,

Mohammad