Purpose: To practice writing sentences for follow up grammar and vocabulary review

Preparation Time:  15-20 minutes to pre-view and choose a film segment; cue up the film 

Materials:  Any 2-3 minute segment of a film with everyday life scenes, walking into a room, eating, cooking.

Preparation: Use a film that has scenes that would lend themselves well to follow up practice for vocabulary and verb tenses you are practicing with your learners. 

            For example: the film “Spanglish” shows a Mexican woman, named Flor, working as a housekeeper. Choose a 2-3 minute section where she’s walking through the house cleaning and have students write sentences. 

Procedure: 

1. After practicing house vocabulary and the present progressive tense (-ing form) use the video for a half-hour follow-up writing practice.
2. Introduce the general story line, i.e. Flor is a housekeeper. Today she is cleaning the house. Tell me what she is doing.
3. Play video segment: Have students orally describe what is happening. Pause the video at key actions, every 15-30 seconds so students can describe a scene. Then continue through the 2 minute segment. Write key words on the board, if necessary, or have them ready on a handout.
4. Play the segment a second time.  Now pause and have students write sentences. After students complete their sentences, have them compare them with another student.

For example:

She is going into the kitchen. or Flor is going into the kitchen.

She is washing the dishes.

She is putting clothes into the washing machine.

She is washing the clothes.

She is cooking dinner. 

      5.  Play the segment a third time. Have students write sentences about other activities they see.

Variations:  For intermediate or advanced level learners, play a segment of the film which shows conflict. For example: Flor has a fight with her daughter about personal space issues. Have students describe what takes place in the past tense. Check their sentences for accuracy of the past tense, correct for other spelling problems as well.  Have students share summaries. Then have students discuss the conflict. Do they agree or disagree with Flor or the daughter? 

Write the phrases:

If I were Flor, I would ....

Flor should …...

Flor’s daughter should …

Have them use the modals, “would” and “should” to discuss this problem.