Job Discussion Forums

[choudoufu]

i've got a small class of mixed-ability university students. we meet twice
per week - 2 hours oral, 2 hours listening comprehension. we have a
listenin' lab -- individual stations, with screen and headphones.

the text selected by the college is one of those "comprehensive" books.
you know the kind.......each chapter/unit has a section covering each of
the basic skills. poorly.

instead of the school's text, i'm currently using new concept synchronized
listening (book 1). skill level is appropriate for half the class. one quarter
bored out of their skulls, one quarter ting-bu-dong.

i'm looking for some video 'stuff' that would be suitable. maybe some
youtube downloads, or some clips from movies or teevee programs.
video would keep them interested, would have better story lines, and
would give context to the foreign noises.

any suggestions? i want some human faces doing the speaking - no
cartoons or muppets. not too much slang, no heavy accents. nice,
clear speech.

movie clips? i'm thinking black&white hollywood classics. too boring
maybe? wizard of oz? casablanca? true grit? gone with the wind?

what about tvland? download some clips from the classics.......batman?
bewitched? i dream of jeannie? gilligan's island? andy griffith? father
knows best?

not the entire program, just some short clips - 15 seconds to 1 minute.

maybe some longer clips, 2-3 minutes, could be used in the oral classes.

[GreatApe]

I'll tell you one thing that my Form 6, A-Level students (who range in age from 17 to 23) absolutely LOVE! ... John Stewart and the Daily Show!

They showed me some clips near the end of class yesterday and we were all howling with laughter by the time it was over.

Get your hands on the clip where John Stewart talks about the air quality in Beijing ("Air you can chew!") and see what kind of sense of humor your students have. He also mentions a fire in Beijing that burned for three hours before anyone noticed.

My students showed me the clip because we had spent a few weeks writing and talking about different kinds of pollution and the environment. I also told them about the website where you can check the air quality in various cities around China.

You can use it for comprehension practice, obviously, but it's also good in terms of entertainment, culture, comedy and the idioms that Stewart uses. Funny stuff!

--GA

[SledgeCleaver]

If you really want to check their humor, try out some of the Onion stuff, they do fake newscasts and some of them are pretty hilarious. It's all "newscaster-voice" so very crisp and intelligible, plus there are often graphics and words on the screen.

Philosophy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJkWS4t4l0k
National Finance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JPcimrnXGA
American Lifestyles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f6N0ypfJoU

Or if you feel like getting reported to the authorities:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SBxuHTlw98
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPQH60bhFdA

and so on - they have their own channel or just keep linking to new ones on the sidebar.

[SledgeCleaver]

Also, you mentioned True Grit; your students might enjoy this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDDOd8kGBXo

[choudoufu]

thanks guys. i'll check those out. more for me than for the students....

english level (theirs, not mine) is poor. they won't get cerebral comedy.
chinese seem to like slapstick.....three stooges would be perfect.

i'd love to get 'em doing a chinese version of "who's on first" with
HU and XI.

who's the president? she is? the president is a lady? no he isn't.
who isn't? she isn't. she's no lady...........she's my wife.

the movie clips would be for the better students. the regulars would
be more receptive of gilligans' island.

[SledgeCleaver]

"So you're Jack Wilson."
"What's that mean to you, Shane?"
"I've heard about you."
"What have you heard, Shane?"
"I've heard that you're a low-down Yankee liar."
"Prove it."
/COMMENCE_GUNFIGHT

I'm thinking even a pre-intermediate student could understand that after a few listens, if you explain his name is "Shane" and what "low-down" means. And if your students can't understand this conversation, well, you're going to have to go down to Sesame Street-level. I suppose almost every movie has a few simple exchanges of pleasantries or physical facts.

As to the Onion stuff, yeah, that's a bit intellectual. The first one has people trying to speak to Gorillas though, so they'd probably understand that part. Also there are some graphics and simple subtitles of the Gorilla's sign language. Check it out, you might be surprised. The students that got it, even if just a few, would probably think it was funny, and maybe that would motivate some of the less advanced students.

[choudoufu]

alright, i'll try it. i downloaded a clip from shane "let me buy you a drink"
along with a transcript:

Well, now lookie here what we got.

That's one of the new ones.
They call him �Sody-Pop.�

Deal me out.
What's the matter, Pete?
Just say I'm superstitious, that's all.

Well, I guess you don't hear very well, sodbuster.
I thought I told you, if you wanted to keep healthy, to stay out of here.

Now, git goin�.

Look, pig-farmer. You�d better get back inside with the women and kids, where it's safe.

Don't push it, Calloway.

Did you hear me? I said git goin�!

Did you think you were gonna come in here and drink with the men?

Set 'em up, bartender. Two whiskies.

You bought me a drink the last time I was in here.
Now I�ll buy you one.

You ain't gonna drink that in here.

You guessed it.

[choudoufu]

and the winner is:

twasn't shane. he came in third. not too much interest until the fight scene
at the end of the clip.

second place went to monty python's holy grail; the scene at the bridge
of death. maybe because i warned them this would be format for the final
exam:

KEEPER: Stop! Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, 'ere the other side he see.
LAUNCELOT: Ask me the questions, bridge-keeper. I'm not afraid.
KEEPER: What is your name?
LAUNCELOT: My name is Sir Launcelot of Camelot.
KEEPER: What is your quest?
LAUNCELOT: To seek the Holy Grail.
KEEPER: What is your favorite color?
LAUNCELOT: Blue.
KEEPER: Right. Off you go.
LAUNCELOT: Oh, thank you. Thank you very much.
ROBIN: That's easy!


they LOVED the classic jack benny "si-sy-sue" skit with mel blanc!

A skit heard numerous times on radio, and seen many times on television, had Mel Blanc as a Mexican in a sombrero and serape sitting on a bench. Jack Benny sits down and begins a conversation. To each question asked by Benny, Blanc replies Si. When Benny asks his name, Blanc replies Sy, which would prompt the exchange, Sy?, Si. And when Benny asks where Blanc is going, Blanc replies, "to see his sister", Sue (Sue?, Si.), who of course sews for a living (Sew?, Si.).

[doogsville]

I've just recently started using some of the videos from TED www.ted.com which are downloadable. I teach a listening class, and also an audio visual class, so I'm always looking for material. The TED stuff is good, because not only is a lot of it useful and inspirational, but when you download it you have the choice to embed subtitles. You can have simplified Chinese and English. What I do is download three times. Once with the Chinese subs, once with the English, and once with no subs. Some of the speakers speak very quickly, so I'll play the clip once with the Chinese subs, so even the lowest level students can understand what's going on, then once with the English, and then finally with no subs. Then I'll ask questions, start a discussion or give them a prepared handout with a gap fill exercise of something on it. |They seem to be enjoying it and getting something out of it.