Read and Watch: Three Non-English Films for ESL

The three film guides included in this photocopiable book were designed for and used in ESL reading classes for high-intermediate and advanced learners. ESL learners watch three non-English films in their original languages of French, Italian, and Cantonese. Because the learners cannot understand the languages that they hear, learners instead must read the film’s English subtitles and answer questions about the storyline, the characters, and the themes in the text. All three film guide include reading comprehension questions and subjective discussion questions. (For these materials to be effective in an ESL reading classroom, the ESL learners must not be fluent speakers of French, Italian, or Cantonese.)

The film guides in this book will take approximately nine hours of class time to complete.

Materials in this book will help the learners:
--Improve reading comprehension
--Increase reading speed
--Gain experience reading within a time limit in a low-stakes setting
--Develop ability to think subjectively in a second language
--Express opinions on subjective content
--Recognize and consider different opinions
--Learn about and discuss various aspects of human behavior
--Exercise critical thinking skills
--Refine inference skills
--Identify and discuss themes