Lights, camera, ENGLISH! Movies work in adult ESL classes. Or rather, movie clips do.
They give students authentic language input. They’re engaging. Students hear vocabulary in context and pick up cultural knowledge. Their listening comprehension improves.
And here’s the thing: you don’t need to make your students sit through a three-hour epic. Short trailers or a few key scenes work just fine. Your students will thank you for not subjecting them to a movie marathon.
So let’s talk about practical ways to use movies in your classroom without turning class into a film studies seminar because let’s face it. They’re showing up for English, not movies.
Why Movies Make Sense for Language Learning
Before we get into the activities, here’s why movies are worth using (in case your supervisor has questions):
They’re engaging. Movies tap into students’ interests and motivation. Real-world, authentic materials beat artificial exercises every time.
They provide authentic language input. Movies show students how language gets used real-world contexts. Students see natural, appropriate language use instead of textbook dialogue.
They build vocabulary. Movies introduce and use vocabulary in meaningful contexts. When students hear vocabulary used in a story or plot, they understand meanings and uses much better than when they just memorize lists.
They teach cultural knowledge. Movies provide insight into the customs and values of people who speak the language. Students get a deeper understanding and appreciation of the cultures and societies where English is spoken.
They develop listening comprehension. Movies are great for students who struggle with audio-only listening practice. Students watch, pay attention to dialogue and audio elements, and improve their understanding of spoken language.
Movies can be a standalone activity or part of a larger language-learning program. Either way, they create dynamic learning experiences.
Now let’s get to the activities.
Activity #1: Movie Trailers for Listening Comprehension
Trailers are perfect for ESL classes. They’re short, high-energy, and packed with language. They’re never made up of any of the somewhat boring parts of a movie.
You’ll probably want to start with discussion. Ask students about their favorite movies and genres. This gives you insight into their interests and gets them engaged before you even press play.
Then play the trailer. Pause at key moments and have students predict what’s coming next. Encourage them to describe what they saw and heard. Sometimes pause right before a major reveal or action sequence and ask, “What do you think happens next?” The predictions they come up with can be quite entertaining!
After the trailer, check comprehension. Ask questions to solidify understanding and boost listening skills. Nothing fancy…just straightforward questions about what they watched.
Then practice vocabulary. Have students get into pairs or small groups to define or give examples of new or challenging words they heard. They can help each other figure out meanings based on context, and you’ll be there to clarify when they get stuck.
Wrap up with discussion. Now is when students share their thoughts and reactions to the trailer. Push them to use the vocabulary and structures they’ve learned to express opinions and make predictions about the movie. “Would you watch this? Why or why not?” Simple questions can get them talking.
Here’s a student-led option that I love: encourage students to bring their own movie trailers to share with the class. This gives them more listening practice and exposes everyone to new movies. Plus, you get a break from hunting down trailers yourself.
Activity #2: Movie Posters for Vocabulary and Creative Writing
Movie posters are visual, accessible, and full of language opportunities. They’re also easy to find online, which makes prep a breeze.
Vocabulary practice: Show students a movie poster and challenge them to guess the meanings of unfamiliar words or phrases. This introduces new vocabulary in a memorable, interactive way. Have students share words that come to mind when looking at the poster. You’d be surprised how much language discussion comes from a single image.
Creative writing: Show students a movie poster and have them create a story based on what they see.
Here’s how you can set this up. Show the poster and give students a few minutes to figure out characters, setting, and other details. Then divide students into small groups to brainstorm story ideas based on the poster. Groups decide on a basic outline: main characters, setting, plot points. Each student writes a paragraph or two based on the outline. Then students share their writing with the class and receive feedback.
Guide their writing with questions. Who are the main characters? What are their personalities and motivations? What’s the setting and how does it impact the plot? What’s the central conflict? How do characters try to solve it? How do characters change over the course of the story? What’s the theme or message?
Remember (and be sure to tell them) that the object is NOT to get all the “right” answers. It’s to practice English in a non-worksheet way.
As a discussion starter: Show a movie poster and ask questions about the film’s plot, characters, and themes. This encourages critical thinking and practices speaking skills.
For description practice: Have students get into pairs or small groups to describe the movie depicted on the poster to each other. This builds description skills and improves vocabulary use. One student describes while the other asks clarifying questions. Then they switch.
As a warm-up activity: Use movie posters to get students thinking and talking before watching a movie trailer in class. Have them make predictions about plot, characters, and themes based on the poster. Then see how their predictions match the trailer. Students love finding out if they guessed correctly.
Activity #3: Movie Soundtracks for Listening and Writing
Movie soundtracks give you another angle for language practice. And students respond to music differently than they respond to dialogue.
For listening comprehension, you can play a song from a movie soundtrack and challenge students to write down as many details as they can based on what they hear. Then discuss as a class to practice speaking and comprehension skills. What mood does the music create? What do they think is happening in the scene?
To introduce vocabulary play a song and have students guess the meanings of unfamiliar words or phrases. Songs introduce vocabulary in a memorable way. They’ll remember vocabulary from lyrics long after they’ve forgotten worksheet exercises.
If you want them to work on creative writing, play a song from a movie soundtrack and have students write their own lyrics based on the theme. This gets students thinking about emotions and themes in movies. They don’t have to be professional songwriters. They just need to engage with the language.
Music makes great discussion starters! Play a song from a film’s soundtrack and ask questions about the film’s plot, characters, and themes without telling them anything about the movie. This encourages critical thinking and practices speaking skills. And remember, it’s not about “right” answers. It’s about using English.
You can work on descriptions by having students work in pairs or small groups to describe the movie or scene depicted in the song to each other. This builds description skills and improves vocabulary use.
Your students will be humming these tunes long after class ends.
Activity #4: Student-Led Movie Trivia Game
Want to take movie appreciation to the next level? Create a trivia game with your students.
Start by brainstorming movies together. Get your students to create a list of movies they know and love. Encourage them to suggest favorites or films they think would be fun to use in a game. This always reveals interesting things about their backgrounds and tastes.
Then have students divide into categories. Break them into small groups and have them divide movies into categories. They could go by genre (action, comedy, drama) or decade (1980s movies, 1990s movies). Sometimes they come up with their own creative categories.
Next, create trivia questions. Switch up the groups and have students write trivia questions based on the movies. They can focus on plot points, character development, themes, or any other aspect they think would be interesting. Remind them to make questions challenging but not impossible.
Finally, play the game. Divide students into teams and have them take turns answering questions. Or have students play individually and see who gets the most right. Either way, the competition gets them engaged and using English.
By involving your students in creating the trivia game, you tailor it to their interests and language level. This makes the game more engaging and relevant. Your students will be more motivated to participate because they built it themselves.
The Bottom Line
From watching trailers and discussing films to creating stories based on posters and tackling trivia questions, there are plenty of ways to make movies a part of your lesson plans.
Movies engage students and provide authentic language practice. They build vocabulary and cultural knowledge. They develop listening skills.
Pick one of these activities and try it in your next class. Your students will appreciate the chance to engage with films while practicing their English in a new way.
And you might discover a few film buffs in your class.
That’s it from me. See you in the next post!
Want some ready-to-go movie-themed resources you can use with your students today?
These are available in my TpT store:
role play pack . . . | | | . . . discussion topic cards
