All Discussions Tagged 'films' - Classroom 2.02024-03-29T05:45:28Zhttps://www.classroom20.com/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=films&feed=yes&xn_auth=noUsing Foreign Films to Engage Reluctant Readerstag:www.classroom20.com,2013-05-10:649749:Topic:9311532013-05-10T15:07:05.046ZKaren Cameronhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/KarenCameron
<p><img alt="reluctant readers" border="0" class="alignLeft" height="225" id="img-1368129689191" name="img-1368129689191" src="http://info.marygrove.edu/Portals/94958/images/reluctant-readers1.jpg" style="float: left;" width="300"></img> In her book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Engaging-Reluctant-Readers-Through-Foreign/dp/157886206X"><em>Engaging Reluctant Readers Through Foreign Films</em></a>, Kerry P. Holmes recounts a Saturday evening, one where she intended to put all thoughts of school aside and relax with her husband. It was decided that they would finally watch <em>East/West</em>, a French film with English subtitles. At first, she found herself grumbling over the subtitles, but as the film progressed,…</p>
<p><img id="img-1368129689191" src="http://info.marygrove.edu/Portals/94958/images/reluctant-readers1.jpg" alt="reluctant readers" class="alignLeft" style="float: left;" border="0" height="225" width="300" name="img-1368129689191"/>In her book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Engaging-Reluctant-Readers-Through-Foreign/dp/157886206X"><em>Engaging Reluctant Readers Through Foreign Films</em></a>, Kerry P. Holmes recounts a Saturday evening, one where she intended to put all thoughts of school aside and relax with her husband. It was decided that they would finally watch <em>East/West</em>, a French film with English subtitles. At first, she found herself grumbling over the subtitles, but as the film progressed, she became swept up in the plot—so much so in fact, that she forgot she was even reading the subtitles. This experience sparked an epiphany: <b>What if she started using foreign films to engage reluctant readers?</b></p>
<p>As many of us know, finding creative ways to focus reluctant readers on books, the very thing that evokes feelings of frustration, inadequacy and failure, is challenging. But there are several reasons that foreign films can capture students’ interest and <b>stimulate their imagination in ways that books can’t.</b></p>
<p><b>Films are sensory</b><br/> Psychologists have long known that the brain is a “novelty seeker.” We are attracted to movement and stimulated by unexpected events. Films are brimming with moving images and sounds; these create a context for the text in ways that print simply can’t. Let’s explain.</p>
<p>In foreign films, sight and sound are used simultaneously. A man shouts; we see it, hear it <em>and</em> read it. In fact, every action is accompanied by sound, movement and text, which means that your reluctant readers are hearing <em>and</em> seeing the emotion of the words they are reading.</p>
<p><b>Subtitles come in short bursts, not long pages<br/></b> Long paragraphs and twenty-page chapters can be paralyzing for reluctant readers. The text in subtitles, however, appears in short bursts that are never more than one or two sentences at a time. There’s something else to consider: The text we find in a typical book is limited to small black words on a page. Sure, there may be accompanying pictures or graphics, but they don’t move, speak, or make sound. Films do all three.</p>
<p><b>Foreign films come in a variety of genres <br/></b> How often do your reluctant readers complain that there aren’t any books that suit their interests? By adding foreign films to your classroom library, students will have even less of a reason to say they can’t find “books” that they like. Like books, foreign films come in a variety of genres; there’s bound to be one that will resonate with them. </p>
<p><b>Foreign films expose students to cultural differences<br/></b> As with books, foreign films allow students to transcend their own lives for a short time and enter the lives of those from another culture. In films, cultural differences (which are often abstract) can be seen, heard and read, making them much more real and digestible.</p>
<p>If you are looking for a few more ways to engage your reluctant readers, check out two of our recent blogs, <a href="http://info.marygrove.edu/matblog/bid/92901/text-based-games-a-cure-for-the-common-book">Text-Based Games: A cure for the common book?</a> and <a href="http://info.marygrove.edu/MATblog/bid/92460/Engaging-reluctant-readers-with-a-multi-media-reading-experience" title="Engaging reluctant readers with a multi-media reading experience">Engaging reluctant readers with a multi-media reading experience</a>.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"> <span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-0c5e8d70-102a-46bd-b649-5f7b8a0b7463"><span style="visibility: visible;" class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-0c5e8d70-102a-46bd-b649-5f7b8a0b7463" id="hs-cta-0c5e8d70-102a-46bd-b649-5f7b8a0b7463"><a href="http://cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/c/?&cta_guid=2135f4fa-fb1d-47ba-bf50-ab04f1af8a62&placement_guid=0c5e8d70-102a-46bd-b649-5f7b8a0b7463&portal_id=94958&redirect_url=ZuKbi9zag7/QltSx8tnXYt3EK7qzObGHk3F0uIrod/SNdTlCBvib%2B0TtZYQxLdR80buopnDvGgCwlFaE4FtiCMmpHOJxqGTE&iv=tbb%2B1nW5jOQ%3D"><img class="hs-cta-img" id="hs-cta-img-0c5e8d70-102a-46bd-b649-5f7b8a0b7463" style="border-width: 0px; width: 200px; height: 279px;" alt="Guide to Reading Comprehension" src="http://cdn1.hubspot.com/hub/94958/file-24484674.png" name="hs-cta-img-0c5e8d70-102a-46bd-b649-5f7b8a0b7463"/></a></span></span></h3> Science Fiction Film segue for Environmental Science Unit Lessontag:www.classroom20.com,2010-09-28:649749:Topic:5134302010-09-28T06:46:16.929ZPaul J. Cuaresmahttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/PaulJCuaresma
Hi everyone!<br></br><br></br>I'm hoping that some of you may have already heard about futurestates.tv. If you haven't, I would encourage you to visit the website and learn about their powerful indie films that are science fiction but can be geared for use in our Language, Theater or Science classrooms. <br></br><br></br>I am mostly interested in this film:<br></br><a href="http://futurestates.tv/episodes/plastic-bag">http://futurestates.tv/episodes/plastic-bag</a><br></br><br></br>I wanted to get some opinions if this…
Hi everyone!<br/><br/>I'm hoping that some of you may have already heard about futurestates.tv. If you haven't, I would encourage you to visit the website and learn about their powerful indie films that are science fiction but can be geared for use in our Language, Theater or Science classrooms. <br/><br/>I am mostly interested in this film:<br/><a href="http://futurestates.tv/episodes/plastic-bag">http://futurestates.tv/episodes/plastic-bag</a><br/><br/>I wanted to get some opinions if this may be too strong or offensive for a high-school physical science class. Is my target audience too young for this? I am so moved by this film that I am hoping that my students would be too. I'm hoping to tap their affection button then lead them into a unit on environmental science. <br/><br/>What do you think?<br/><br/>I'm hoping to get your feedback before I prepare the legwork on the unit plan.<br/><br/>Thank you everyone! <br/>