Job Discussion Forums

roaming kiwi · Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2003 5:31 am Post subject:

This is all good stuff.

I played a silent block of "The Pink Panther". You know, the gorilla car-chase scene. And the ones facing the movie had to explain what was happening to the ones facing away. The ones who had been told the description, then had to stand, move one seat over and be questioned by a new partner. "How many gorilla's are there?"... They then swapped and the movie continued etc. Finally we watched the total 4min extract with sound and much laughter. Excellent for pre-Int...

Did I mention that they each had handouts with the questions on them?

But I must ask with blatant ignorance - are you guys able to lay your hands on the English speaking DVD's/videos in the local shops, or did you bring them from home? Or are they only subtitled in English?

kiwi (Beijing bound in less than 3 weeks... Twisted Evil

)

aaronschwartz · Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 145 Location: Beijing

We get the English version here in China before you do in the States!

roaming kiwi · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2003 7:29 am Post subject:

dractalks · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 136 Location: Boston/Shanghai

Yeah, it's a great idea but I've always felt like I was cheating. I think if you're going to call watching movies teaching you should go back to Uni. and get a Phd in teaching film. At my uni. I took introduction to film and was introduced to Chinatown, Battleship Photemkhin, etc.
Showing them Bowling for Columbine to enrich their vocabulary is absurd. I have it and Michael Moore is a bloated, biased, overated cow even though I am against guns. His conclusions are preposterous and as much fear of dying is propoted in the Chinese culuture at least here in Shanghai with no major gun problems. Here they worry about health first...noone wants to die...but MM's (mickey mouse or michael moore's) message was that we (in America) have been brainwashed into violence based on all the media hyping our fears.
BS.
Wink

Chairman Roberto · Joined: 04 Mar 2003 Posts: 150 Location: Taibei, Taiwan

Great thread.

I'm still undecided about how movies are impacting my classes. In theory, I would absolutely love to have a oral class discussion of a movie, but it's been like pulling teeth. The students sit back and wait for me to tell them what the movie was about and if it was any good. Giving opinions about a film, Siskel and Ebert style, is still rocket science over here. Norinashe's activities involving the Matrix blows me away...I don't know if I could pull that off with my class, but what the hell, I'll give it try! (not sure where I can score those leather jackets Smile

)

I am always watching my audience reaction to the movies I show. My classes are really got into "Glory," "The Bachelor" (yeah, yeah, I know), and "Treasure Island." (lots of ooohs and aaahs and nobody yawning). But getting them to discuss these films, as I said before, was pulling teeth.

Still, I'm a big believer in "Glory" to help my students understand an important aspect of American culture, the Civil War. The action is exciting and its jingoistic, simplistic story seems to appeal to audiences here. Of course, I give a background lecture before showing this film.

I put on English subtitles for my higher level classes, Chinese subtitles for my lower level. (oddly enough, my higher level classes are students...lower level are the English teachers. Go figure).

I'm considering using "Changing Lanes" and "Star Wars" this semester.

Roberto

khmerhit · Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2003 7:08 pm Post subject:

I saw michael moore on TV last nite. He was in toronto to promote his movie on a local talk show. He brought two hookers into the audience and talked about them and the host asked how much he spent on one: 560 dollars! The clip went by in a blur ( it had been prerecorded) and Im still not sure if it was the real thing or a joke, but it looke dreal enough. Thats latenite TV for you. Even th host couldnt believe it.

Personally i like th guy. hes full of it but he knows that to get a political point across in the us you have to go wide and outrageous, even at the expense of the truth sometimes. Would republican strategists deny this as an acceptable working method?

inwanzhou · Joined: 20 Mar 2003 Posts: 136

I've used a movie in class~I used "Forest Gump" cause I figure they could follow the simplified English. I've also used "Shrek" and "Blue Crush" which they all enjoyed but like Roberto said trying to get them to have a discussion was like pulling teeth. The do however like to read scripts that I've made up and do it often even though it's suppose to be a "listening comprehension" class.

I would love to show them "American Pie" but I know that so would not go over. I don't think the 17 year olds can handle it. They ohhed and awwed when Forest and Jenny kissed and when Surfer girl and Football player kissed in Blue Crush so I know they'd over ohhh and awww with American Pie!

Steiner · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 573 Location: Hunan China

My high schoolers love Monsters, Inc. I've used the short cartoon from the same disc, "For the Birds," for some activities. It doesn't have any dialogue, so you can do like Roaming Kiwi did with the Pink Panther bit.

Also used "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" around Christmastime. It went over better than I thought it would. In asking comprehension questions, I found that a lot of them could quote some of it after having watched it just once with English subtitles.