ESL resources

films

Films

Films / movies card game

B1-B2

20-30mins

groups: 3-4

cards

Twenty-four cards, each with the title of a well-known Hollywood movie, the date it was released, the genre(s), the director and the leading actor(s). Can be used with a variety of speaking games.

Movies and TV - vocabulary and speaking practice

B1-B2

60 mins

groups: 3-4

Two-page mini-unit with key vocabulary, functional language and speaking practice activities. Includes word list and answers.

Black Mirror - reading and video comprehension

60 mins

Upper intermediate / Advanced lesson using a 120-word reading text, a three-minute YouTube clip from the Black Mirror episode Nosedive and the one-minute Netflix featurette with Charlie Brooker. Includes word list and answers.

Half-minute topics: films

16 strips for personalization on the topic of movies; The first film you remember seeing / a film that made you cry / a film you saw on a plane etc

Famous movies - lists of English and Chinese language most famous films

Forty English Language and 32 Chinese Language (Titles mostly in their English translation). Dates and leading cast members (in English) shown for Chinese films

Lesson plans

Movies and TV
Lead-in speaking: movies and ways of watching. Picture-text matching: genres. Language reference boxes:likes and dislikes / describing movies. Matching exercise: questions.. Guessing game: movies. Individual speaking using prompts and language reference box.

Black Mirror
Reading text on sci-fi drama series Black Mirror (120 words). Reading comprehension task. Discussion on the consequences of new technology. YouTube clip from the Black Mirror episode Nosedive. Netflix featurette with writer Charlie Brooker (1 minute). Follow-up discussion about social media.

Material from other sources

Reading passages

Drew's Script-O-Rama external link icon

Archive of film and TV scripts and transcripts. Browse alphabetical index.

Drew's Script-O-Rama

The Internet Movie Database external link icon

Huge searchable database of movies, actors /actresses, directors etc Reviews, biographies, locations etc

Internet Movie Database

Book references

Inside Out Student's Book Intermediate

Unit 2 Relax Pages 20 - 22
(20) Listening (21) Anecdote - talk about a book or film you have seen or read recently.(22) Reading : Internet film review

Inside Out Student's Book Upper Intermediate

Unit 11 Sell Pages 107 - 108
Reading / listening : The Blair Witch Project. Speaking : an anecdote about watching a film.

Just Listening and Speaking Upper Intermediate

Listening 14 - Gladiator Pages 37 - 38
Extract from the soundtrack of the movie Gladiator (2000. Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe.)

Real Listening & Speaking Three

Unit 5 Is there anything on? Pages 26 - 27
Listening: film review Speaking: talking about a favourite film from prompts (+ Listening: six people describe TV programmes)

Reward Intermediate Resource Pack

21 Film review Page 21
Line drawing pix from imaginary films. Ss complete produce 5 simple sentneces about the imaginary film from prompts.