Life as a movie extra
Elementary, A2 level
Materials
Main Aims
-
To develop students’ listening skills for specific information and reading skills for gist and detail in the context of movies and movie extras.
Subsidiary Aims
-
To encourage speaking for fluency in a conversation about film and extra actors and to expand vocabulary related to movie genres.
Procedure (67-90 minutes)
At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher shows two pictures: one with a main actor and the other with extras. The teacher asks students some simple questions such as “What do you see in this picture?” and “Who is the most important person here?” After students look at both pictures, the teacher asks them to compare the two. The teacher also asks further comparison questions, such as “Which picture shows the main actor?” and “Which picture shows people who are just in the background?” Then, the teacher explains the difference between main actor and extra by giving simple definitions based on the pictures.
The teacher instructs students to read a set of statements about movie actors and movie extras. Students work individually to decide whether each statement is true or false based on what they already know. After writing down their answers, students compare them with a partner and discuss any differences.
The teacher tells students they have 2 minutes to skim the reading text about movie actors in order to check the True/False statements they wrote during the pre-reading stage. Students quickly read the text individually. After 2 minutes, the teacher elicits students’ answers one by one. For any incorrect answers, the teacher asks, “Why is it false?” and encourages students to locate the correct information in the text to support their answer.
Students take turns reading the text aloud, one paragraph each. The teacher monitors the reading, offering pronunciation support and helping with any difficult or unfamiliar words as needed.
After finishing the text, students complete a multiple-choice comprehension exercise. They take turns reading the questions aloud and selecting the incorrect option from the choices provided. For each incorrect answer they choose, they explain why it is wrong by referring back to the text. Next, in the vocabulary study task, the teacher instructs students to use the target words or expressions in their own example sentences. Then, they take turns reading the gap-fill sentences aloud and complete them using the correct vocabulary items; the teacher monitors and corrects errors as necessary. Finally, the teacher gives the third task, Thinking Beyond the Text, as a pairwork activity. She sets a 2-minute timer during which students read a series of sentences and decide together which paragraph of the text each sentence would best fit into. After the time is up, students share their answers with the teacher.
The teacher assigns students to work in pairs to discuss three personalised questions related to the topic of movie actors. Each student writes down their partner’s responses. After the discussion, the teacher asks students about their partner’s answers. For example, “What did your partner say for question 2?” or “What was Student B’s answer to question 3?”. The teacher gives immediate feedback based on their answers.
The teacher writes some types of movies on the board, such as musicals, documentaries, and rom-coms. She asks students which of these words they already know and what they think they mean. For the unfamiliar items, the teacher gives clear, simple definitions and uses each word in a sentence to support understanding. Then, she asks a few personalised questions like “What’s your favourite type of movie?” or “Have you ever watched a documentary?” to engage students and activate their interest in the topic.
The teacher plays the audio track Talking About Films twice in a row. While listening, students answer seven multiple-choice questions based on the recording. The teacher monitors closely, providing support if needed. After students finish, the teacher checks the answers with the whole class using an answer key and gives immediate feedback based on their responses.
The teacher asks students to read the transcript of the listening text individually. While reading, students identify the parts where they made mistakes in the listening task. They locate the correct answers in the transcript to understand their errors. If students have difficulty finding or understanding the correct answers, the teacher provides guidance by highlighting or pointing out the correct parts in the transcript.
The teacher asks the whole class some interesting questions related to movies, such as “Tell me about the last movie you watched,” or “Who was the main actor?” and “What is your favourite type of movie and why?” Students are encouraged to interact with each other and share their opinions. The teacher monitors the discussion and provides delayed feedback based on their language use.
At the end of the lesson, the teacher writes some common mistakes students made during speaking or writing activities on the board. She writes the incorrect forms and asks students to identify and correct the errors collaboratively. The teacher clarifies any doubts and praises students for correct answers or good language use.
