easy and entertaining ideas to electrify grammar instruction

Julia MacRae and Hilary WangPortland State University

Intensive English Language Program

Explain why we use movies to teach grammar

Demonstrate how we use movies

Show specific examples from our classes

Share student feedback

David Nunan states “In textbooks, grammar is very often presented out of context. Learners are given isolated sentences, which they are expected to internalize through exercises involving repetition, manipulation, and grammatical transformation.”

BUT….

“unless they provide opportunities for learners to explore grammatical structures in context, they make the task of developing procedural skill – being able to use the language for communication – more difficult than it needs to be”

ELT Journal Volume 52/2 April 1998

Shared context

High interest

Visual

Very motivating

Introduce new grammar structure

Show 10-min. clip once a week

Practice grammar with controlled exercises and noticing activities

Turn on closed captioning/English subtitles

Skip scenes when necessary

Use relevant content for discussion and writing prompts

Make use of short passages from screenplay if available

Basic Criteria:

No sex, nudity, embarrassing adult situations

Fast-moving plot (can break into ~10 min clips)

High interest

Plot and language are easy to understand

Not overly popular or current film

Incorporates American culture themes (to spark discussion)

Silent movie (can be used with low level listeners)

Appeals to people across cultures

Scenes are easy to understand and comical

Introduces something new to the students (silent, classic, b/w film)

chaplin.avi

Choose from the following list to complete the sentences below:

embarrassed/embarrassing

interested/interesting

surprised/surprising

confused/confusing

disappointed/disappointing

amused/amusing

excited/exciting

amazed/amazing

It was _______________ for the tramp when the boys made fun of him.The flower shop girl found it ____________.

It ____________ her when she touched his hand.She might have felt __________________ that he wasn’t a rich man.

He felt ______________ because _________________

She felt ______________because

__________________

I felt ____________________________ at the end of

this movie because

________________________________.

The movie was

_______________________________ because

______________________________________

Write 5-8 questions about the characters and actions in the movie:

Use who, what, where, when, why, how. You can also use Yes/No questions.

Example:Why doesn’t the tramp have a job?

Student responses:Will the girl get the operation?Where does the tramp sleep each night?Why doesn’t the rich man remember him?What is the tramp’s name?How will the tramp help the girl?Why is this a silent movie?

Use the questions you wrote about the movie and change them into noun clauses: who, what, where, when, why, how and yes/no questions (use if):

Example: I wonder why the tramp doesn’t have a job.

1. I wonder if the girl will get the operation.

2. Do you know where the tramp sleeps each night?

3. I don’t know why the rich man does not remember him.

4. I want to know why this is a silent movie.

Work in pairs. Have a conversation about the movie.Use sentences with noun clauses to discuss the film.

Classic American story from a novel that is required reading in U.S. high schools

Incorporates history into the class (1930s Depression era/Segregation, 1960s Civil Rights)

Each 10-15 minutes segment contains various moods: humorous, touching, mysterious. High interest

mocking.avi

Atticus Finch

Jem Finch

Scout

Boo Radley

Calpurnia

Walter Cunningham

Mr. Radley

1. The person who fights Walter is __________.

2. The person who works in the Finch home is _________.

3. The person who is helping Tom Robinson is ____________.

4. The person who eats squirrel and rabbit at home is ______.

5. The person who takes his pants off because they get stuck on the fence is _______.

1. The person who fights Walter is Scout.2. The person who works in the Finch home

is Calpurnia.

3. The person who is helping Tom Robinson is Atticus.

4. The person who eats squirrel and rabbit at home is Walter.

5. The person who takes his pants off because they get stuck on the fence isJem.

1. There are people in the town who ________

2. The man who was Mr. Ewell.

3. Atticus is the kind of man who____________

4. Scout is a girl who _____________________

5. Jem is a boy who _____________________

6. Boo Radley is someone who ______________

1. There are people in the town who are poor.

2. The man who accused Tom was Mr. Ewell.

3. Atticus is the kind of man who is honest.

4. Scout is a girl who looks like a boy.

5. Jem is a boy who likes adventure.

6. Boo Radley is someone who scares little children.

Choose the correct preposition: to, in, for, from, of, about

Verbs

complain about

look forward to believe ______

prevent someone _______

prohibit someone _______

forgive someone _______

excited _______

apologize _________

Adjective/Passive forms

responsible _____

guilty ________

accused ______

accustomed _______

capable ______

Atticus won’t let Jem have a gun. He also said that people should never kill a mockingbird. Atticus is a good father. He takes care of his children and teaches them to try to understand other people’s feelings. Atticus is a fair man, and he thinks justice is important. Atticus is a lawyer. He has to defend a man named Tom Robinson. Mr. Ewell says that Tom attacked his daughter.

Example: Atticus prohibited Jem from having a gun.

On Scout’s first day of school, she was nervous and was not happy to wear a dress. Also, at school she started off on the wrong foot. She tried to help the teacher understand something about Walter, but it caused a problem. Scout got into a fight with Walter. The family invited Walter to have dinner with them. Walter was surprised to have beef for dinner. His family wasn’t used to that. Scout yelled at Walter because he put syrup on his food.

1. Atticus is capable of shooting gun.

2. Atticus wants to prevent people from killing mockingbirds.

3. Atticus believes in treating people well.

4. Scout apologized for hurting the boy’s feelings.

5. Walter wasn’t accustomed to eating beef.

6. Tom Robinson was accused of attacking Mr. Ewell’s daughter.

7. Scout was not looking forward to wearing her dress to school.

Contains many interesting topics: homelessness, single parenting, domestic violence, alcoholism, gang violence

Despite weighty themes -- very uplifting and altruistic message

Not overly popular or current movie

Fast moving plot with many different characters and situations

Pay It Forward 02.mov

At the beginning of this scene, Arlene McKinney finished (work) ______________________ and called her son on the phone. When she called him, Trevor was getting some cereal in the kitchen. He had invited a homeless stranger (eat) ______________ dinner with him.

When his mother arrived home, Trevor was in his room. She really wanted (drink) _______________ something, but she didn’t want Trevor (know) __________________. She had hidden some vodka and she decided (have) ___________________ some of it. She drank the whole bottle and fell asleep on her bed. The next morning she regretted (drink) ________________ the alcohol. She had already stopped (drink) _______________ many times, but she was an alcoholic and she couldn’t help (drink) ____________________ sometimes.

At the beginning of this scene, Arlene McKinney finished (work) ____working_____ and called her son on the phone. When she called him, Trevor was getting some cereal in the kitchen. He had invited a homeless stranger (eat) __to eat___ dinner with him.

When his mother arrived home, Trevor was in his room. She really wanted (drink) ___to drink ___ something, but she didn’t want Trevor (know) _____to know___. She had hidden some vodka and she decided (have) ___to have_____ some of it. She drank the whole bottle and fell asleep on her bed. The next morning she regretted (drink) __drinking____ the alcohol. She had already stopped (drink) ___drinking___ many times, but she was an alcoholic and she couldn’t help (drink) ___drinking___ sometimes.

At the beginning of this scene, Arlene McKinney finished (work) ____working_____ and called her son on the phone. When she called him, Trevor was getting some cereal in the kitchen. He had invited a homeless stranger (eat) __to eat___ dinner with him.

When his mother arrived home, Trevor was in his room. She really wanted (drink) ___to drink ___ something, but she didn’t want Trevor (know) _____to know___. She had hidden some vodka and she decided (have) ___to have_____ some of it. She drank the whole bottle and fell asleep on her bed. The next morning she regretted (drink) __drinking____ the alcohol. She had already stopped (drink) ___drinking___ many times, but she was an alcoholic and she couldn’t help (drink) ___drinking___ sometimes.

What do you think is going to happen next?

Trevor

Mr. Simonet

Trevor’s mom

Jerry

Trevor’s classmates

The reporter

The lawyer

What do you think is going to happen next?Trevor is going to help two more people.Mr. Simonet will give his students more homework.

Trevor’s mom will fall in love with the homeless man.

Jerry is going to get a job.Trevor’s classmates will start paying it forward too.

The reporter is going to interview Jerry.The lawyer will do two more favors for other people.

Trevor celebrate his birthday, when the reporter was arriving at his house.

The reporter was surprising that Trevor have started “pay it forward”.

Trevor interviewed by the reporter in his classroom. Mr. Simonet and Trevor’s mom are there too.

Mr. Simonet who was watching the interview was touching by Trevor’s words.

Mr. Simonet apologized to Arlene he kissed her and said he missed her very much.

Iconic rags-to-riches, American dream story

Extremely engaging plot -- lots of drama

Motivational story with good role model

Popular and sympathetic actors

Pursuit clip.mov

The police officer released Chris from jail.

Chris ran all the way to his interview.

The stock brokers intimidated and impressed Chris.

Four partners from Dean Witter interviewed him.

Chris’s appearance really surprised them.

Chris answered their questions very well.

The partners offered the internship to Chris.

The police officer released Chris from jail.Chris was released from jail.Chris ran all the way to his interview.Not possible in passiveThe stock brokers intimidated and impressed Chris.He was intimidated and impressed by the stock brokers.

Four partners from Dean Witter interviewed him.He was interviewed by four partners at Dean Witter.

Chris’s appearance really surprised them. They were really surprised by his appearance.Chris answered their questions very well.Their questions were answered very well by him.The partners offered the internship to Chris.Chris was offered the internship.

The police officer released Chris from jail.Chris was released from jail.Chris ran all the way to his interview.Not possible in passiveThe stock brokers intimidated and impressed Chris.He was intimidated and impressed by the stock brokers.

Four partners from Dean Witter interviewed him.He was interviewed by four partners at Dean Witter.

Chris’s appearance really surprised them. They were really surprised by his appearance.Chris answered their questions very well.Their questions were answered very well by him.The partners offered the internship to Chris.Chris was offered the internship.

While Chris (call) ______________ a doctor to make an appointment, he saw the woman who (stole) ____________ his bone scanner. As he (run) ___________ after her, he thought about how he (become)__________ a salesman. He and Linda (spent) ___________ all their savings to buy those machines. They (believe) _______ they could sell them and make a lot of money.

While Chris (call) _was calling_ a doctor to make an appointment, he saw the woman who (stole) _had stolen_ his bone scanner. As he (run) _was running_ after her, he thought about how he (become)_had become_ a salesman. He and Linda (spent) had spent_ all their savings to buy those machines. They (believe) had believed they could sell them and make a lot of money.

The city is San Francisco. The movie takes place there.

The story took place in the 1980s. Ronald Reagan was president of the USA then.

Chris’s wife left for New York. She lost faith in him.

Chris had a difficult internship and never had enough time. He was always stressed out.

The instructor always demanded favors from Chris. He was a jerk.

The city where the movie takes place is San Francisco.

The story took place in the 1980s when Ronald Reagan was president of the USA.

Chris’s wife who lost faith in him left for New York.

Chris who was always stressed out had a difficult internship and never had enough time.

The instructor who was a jerk always demanded favors from Chris.

The city where the movie takes place is San Francisco.

The story took place in the 1980s, when Ronald Reagan was president of the USA.

Chris’s wife, who lost faith in him, left for New York.

Chris, who was always stressed out, had a difficult internship and never had enough time.

The instructor, who was a jerk, always demanded favors from Chris.

The city where the movie takes place is San Francisco.

The story took place in the 1980s, when Ronald Reagan was president of the USA.

Chris’s wife, losing faith in him, left for New York.

Chris, always stressed out, had a difficult internship and never had enough time.

The instructor, a jerk, always demanded favors from Chris.

Chris Gardner was broke. His bank account had been emptied by the IRS. His friend owed him money.

Chris and Christopher were at the park. They saw the crazy man there. The crazy man had the bone scanner.

Chris took the bone scanner. He tried to sell the bone scanner to a doctor.

The landlord evicted Chris. He was mad at him. He was mad because Chris hadn’t paid the rent.

Chris Gardner, whose bank account had been emptied by the IRS, and whose friend owed him money, was broke.

Chris and Christopher were at the park where they saw the crazy man who had the bone scanner.

Chris took the bone scanner and tried to sell it to a doctor.

The landlord evicted Chris because he was mad at him for not paying the rent.

Weekly writing journal using themes from the movie clip

Students write for 30 minutes

Emphasis on content but opportunity to practice organization and grammar

Underline 2-3 sentences each week for them to rewrite.

When I learn English with funny things such as movies and music, I can learn easily and fast.

After we watched the movie, we practiced. It’s really helpful for me.

It’s easy to understand how to use verb tenses.

We needed to relate the verb with the reality. It’s very helpful.

Very interesting topic and story.

Using an example (like movie) lets me realize how to use grammar

We can learn grammar in an easier way and can learn a little American culture

The movie could train students’ listening and reading

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www.electrifygrammar.pbworks.com

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Instructional Research Development Center

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