using short films in the language classroom
TRANSCRIPT
NSW Department of Education
Inspire your students to learn and use
language authentically
Using short films in the language classroom
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Welcome!Please add your name and school into the chat, while
you’re waiting. If you’re watching as a group, please add all names and schools.
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Acknowledgement of Country
Image of Lincoln’s Rock, Blue Mountains with permission from R Ostrzycki
NSW Department of Education
Supporting language teachers 7-12 in
NSW public schools
Languages and Culture team
(Image: NSW Department of Education)
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AgendaWhat are we watching?
Why use short films?
Techniques for using short films to teach language
The Present
Smoke Seller
Japan – a short travel film
Love Symptoms
Versus
Mind Games. Your turn!
Summary and questions
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Benefits to students
Why use short films in languages?
Create a more engaging sensory
experience
Increase knowledge retention
Increase literacy skills
"Light Bulb" by Richard Scott 33 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Develop intercultural
awareness in an authentic way
Aligned with [language] syllabus
outcomes
Increase proficiency in digital literacy and
communication –important 21st century skillsAccessible
resources that can be watched from multiple devices
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Benefits to teachers
Why use short films to teach language?
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Increase student engagement
Flexible and authentic resource
Flipped classroom or
blended learning
Facilitates remote learning
Effective way to teach
vocabulary and expressions
"* Vintage Blackboard *" by pareeerica is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Short, teachable and
dynamic
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Techniques for using short films to teach language
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Cross-media comparisons
Attracting the audience
Top and tailFreeze frame
Sound and image
Generic translations
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Freeze frame technique
The Present
Themes – acceptance, inclusivity, self-love
Learning objectives
• Develop listening skills and the ability to relate moving image to the interpretation of the whole text.
• Develop skills in close analysis of a moving image text and the ability to compare texts across cultures.
• Develop awareness of how language and visual images combine to produce meaning in a moving image text.
• Learn different verb tenses by enhancing awareness of past, present and future in a text.
• Learn vocabulary related to emotions, characteristics and mise-en-scene.
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Sample activitiesFreeze frame technique activities/tasks
Students use visual clues from each ‘freeze frame’ to establish genre and distinguish characters’ roles. Students recount, predict or narrate, using the correct verb tense.
Use the pause button and
freeze frame a shot to teach
vocabulary such as personal
traits, emotions and physical
appearance.
Describe this scene in [language].
Rewrite this scene with new dialogue in [language].
Convert frozen frames from colour to black and white, and ask students to recall and name the colours of selected objects within the frame.
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(Screenshots from The Gift, by Jacob Frey)
Possible scripted outcomes – 1C, 2C, 3C, 4C, 5U, 6U, 7U
Possible non-scripted outcomes – 1C, 2C, 3C, 4C, 5U, 6U, 7U, 8U
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Sound and image technique
Smoke Seller
Learning objectives• Integrate students’ language skills with the
moving image using contextual sound to help them place and understand the language.
• Use visuals and film stylistic clues to construct dialogue.
Activities • Show the clip with sound only. Students guess
the visual content. Ask them in [language]: What/who do they hear? Where is the action taking place? Describe the music being played. Pre-teach required expressions.
• Show a clip with visuals only. Working as a class or in small groups, using a scaffold, students reconstruct or add the dialogue in one of the scenes. Students construct dialogue in written form and orally.
Theme – life isn’t always what it seems Possible outcomes – 2C, 4C, 5U
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Attracting audience
Japan – a short travel film
11 Themes – travel, intercultural understanding
Learning objectives• Develop understanding of cultural differences through
moving texts. For example religion, way of life, city and nature.
• Integrate knowledge of film techniques to create meaning for the target audience.
• Build intercultural competencies through understanding culturally acceptable practices and behaviours.
Activities/tasks• Students learn vocabulary and expressions that have
cultural significance and meaning.• Students study different promotional materials of
Japan and identify differences and similarities between the way Japan is promoted overseas and how Australians promote Japan and explore the reasons for these.
• Students have a scaffolded debate around the themes that arise in the film such as city life versus country life and Japanese versus Australian perspectives.
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Activity and task
• Students find other promotional media about Japan and compare it with the short film.
• Students create their own promotional media of [country] with commentary –written or verbal in [language]. Include one cultural aspect of interest and provide reasons for its inclusion.
Cross-media comparisons
Japan – a short travel film
12(Screenshots from Japan – a short travel film, Charlie Johnston)
Possible scripted outcomes – 2C, 3C, 4C, 5U, 6U
Possible non-scripted outcomes – 2C, 3C, 4C, 5U, 6U, 7U
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Top and tail
Love Symptoms – Symptômes d'amour
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Learning objectives• Develop close listening skills linked to careful
analysis of moving image and techniques.• Learn vocabulary relating to moving images.• Predict events in the film using expressions such as
‘I think..’ and the future tense.
Activities• Show the title sequence and opening credits of the
film. Students identify its genre and intended audience, and predict content or ‘message.’ Pre-teach expressions such as ‘I think,’ and the future tense. Alternatively, provide multiple choice questions with possible answers.
• Provide students with a list of phrases, some of which appear in the clip and some do not. Play word bingo and tick those they hear.
• Teach students how to describe health symptoms in French.
Themes – love, romance, poetryPossible scripted outcomes –2C, 3C, 5U, 6U
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Generic translations
Versus
Learning objectives
• Understand that language forms can change when information is presented in different forms or transposed to another text type.
• Learn vocabulary, expression and writing conventions for different text types.
Theme – sports, competition, games, war
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Activities and tasks
Versus
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• Students learn vocabulary related to sports and other disciplines.
• Students discuss the idea of competition and design an interactive game using expressions in [language]. For example, using Minecraft.
• Students adapt the movie as a comic strip with dialogue in [language].
• Students transpose a scene from the film and create a poster about the Olympics.
• Students assume one of the characters in the film and write an email to the opposing team outlining their conditions to end the war in [language.] Pre-teach structures such as ‘you must, you should, we will.’
(Screenshots from Versus, by François Caffiaux)
Possible scripted outcomes – 3C, 4C, 5U, 6U, 7UPossible non-scripted outcomes – 3C, 4C, 5U, 6U, 7U, 8U
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Your turn!!
Mind Games
In your breakout rooms, design a [language] task based on this short film.You have 10 minutes to discuss and then we will hear your exciting ideas. Use any of the techniques you have learned so far or come up with one that has inspired you!
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Key pointsWhy short films?
It is language and culture in its living
and breathing form.
Appeals to all types of
language learners
It puts language into an authentic context.
Short films have inspiring characters, concise stories that
are excellent for scaffolding language
learning.
Short films inspire curiosity and
creativity. Students want to discuss, think and talk.
Give it a go!
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In summary
I want to know more.
I have something I would like to share.
Join the Languagesstatewide staffroom (DoE)