Revisiting Super Size Me

Super Size Me movie poster [Fair use]

Freshly updated video-activity based on a classic fast food exposé

The news of Morgan Spurlock's death at the age of 53 prompted me to revisit this video activity we created some 15 years ago with a former British Council colleague, Charlotte Brander. I thought it was also appropriate to update the activity for the 20th anniversary of one of the most successful documentaries of all time. Additionally, the film has finally been uploaded to YouTube - legally - by the production company. Now, 20 years since its release, has it held up well? 

When we were young

Based on Adele's song from her third album 25, this activity can be used with Intermediate level and up. The main focus is listening to chunks, followed by discussion of the song and reviewing the use of like/as.

UPDATE (23.7.2019): After consulting Adele's official website it does seem that the bridge of the song goes It's hard to admit that... and not "It's had to win me back" as previously believed - thank you to my wonderful teacher trainees for pointing it out. The handout and the teacher's notes have been updated accordingly.

Top 3 web tools of 2013

As the year draws to a close it’s time for various top 10, 20 etc lists. I am going to limit myself to 3 and share the web tools that have undoubtedly been my favourite this year. Three different tools - three different uses.

In response to Hugh Dellar’s Dissing Dogme : In defence of… TBL

In the second installment of his thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable “Dissing Dogme” series (see here), Hugh Dellar addresses the touchy topic of language input in Dogme but this time Task-Based Learning (TBL) is also thrown in the mix. Why has TBL come under attack?

If I were a boy

This activity based on Beyonce's song is suitable for older teens and adults at pre-intermediate level and up. The lesson plan is based on the listening activity template I blogged about earlier (click here). An Interactive WhiteBoard (IWB) is desirable but not essential.




IWB techniques

Two IWB techniques are used here: in the pre- and post-listening stages of the lesson.

Before you listen, here are some words you may not know

Pre-listening activities: what to focus on?

At last year's IATEFL conference in Brighton I was at a presentation on teaching listening where I got into a bit of an argument with the speaker. I don't know if it was my nerves before my own, first presentation at IATEFL but I wasn't on my best behaviour, which I later regretted. The whole situation was rather ridiculous. Even more ridiculous was the fact that in principle I agreed with the presenter who argued that there is little benefit in pre-teaching vocabulary before listening activities - I wouldn't agree though with his claim the word "prowl", one my favourite words in English, is useless :)

There is an interesting piece of research to substantiate the speaker's argument, which he surprisingly did not mention. Chang and Read (2006) administered a listening comprehension test to160 students who were divided into four groups and received a different kind of support:

Would you like it gift-wrapped?

Video dictogloss

A dictogloss is an integrated skills activity in which a teacher dictates a text at normal speed and students note down as much information as they can. Students then work in groups and try to reconstruct the original text.

In the video version of a dictogloss, students follow a particular character in a scene and note down all their lines. Then they work with another student in order to reconstruct the dialogue. For this activity I use a scene from Love Actually (2003). 

Procedure

No more Football!

In this activity students first listen to a conversation in the film (the technique known as Vision Off) and then check their understanding while watching with the Vision On. The activity is suitable for ages 14 and up.

Procedure

Preparation

You will need a DVD of the film Bend It Like Beckham. The scene starts at 20:18 (Mother shouting "Chi, chi, chi!") and ends at 22:06 (after father says "You must start behaving like a proper woman"). Or, if you have a computer in the room, use this clip

No More Football
Bend It Like Beckham — MOVIECLIPS.com

Click here to download WORKSHEET

What do you mean it's not in the computer?!

In this activity students watch a short clip from the movie “Red Eye” and then discuss problems people may encounter when staying in hotels. The activity is suitable for both adult and young learners at pre-intermediate level and up.

Procedure
Preparation
You will need a DVD of the film or, alternatively, you can show the clip on Youtube (click here). If you're using the DVD, the scene starts at 2.12 and ends with the receptionist saying on the phone “they were such a**holes”. If you find it inappropriate, stop the playback right after the customers say “We won’t!”

Before you watch

“If We Ever Meet Again”

An activity for adult learners based on the song by Timbaland featuring Katy Perry focusing on chat-up lines, the future conditional and adjectives ending with -ed.