On the use of movie clusters
As we noted in the first part of this three-part article series, not only are the groups of movies, films, videos, and documentaries stimulating, interesting, and enjoyable for learners of English as a foreign language, but the wide selection of genres and Types Available offers a wide range of teaching aids for teaching and learning the English language. We previously identified a movie group as simply a group or series of related movies, clips, or videos. Here in the second part, we will continue with a brief overview of the genres that most movies fall under.
Most Popular Movie Genres
Let’s take a look at some of the commonly available film genres, what they are, and exactly how we might use them in our EFL classroom.
Here are some additional listings of the most well-known movie and movie genres or types:
o Documentary – Informative, realistic, and notoriously difficult to film, this genre is, and should be, popular not only with teachers, but also with parents and students. A good recent example is the movie “The March of the Penguins.” What are some of your other recent or classic favorites?
o Police/Detective/Crime – Oh man, this is also one of my personal favorites. The old theme of “cops and robbers” has been around since the radio days of yore and is most likely here to stay for years to come. “Dirty Harry” starring Clint Eastwood and the “Bad Boys” series with Will Smith and Malcolm Lawrence, the vigilante film series with Charles Bronson are examples you probably already know and love.
o Thrillers / Suspense – “Fargo”, the “Alien” film series, the “Jason Bourne” film trilogy headline examples of this genre that strives, from one scene to the next, to leave you breathless on the edge of your seat for as much of the movie as possible. Special effects are also the order of the day here. Tell me, do you know what a specialist is? Your students of English as a foreign language?
o Historical: This genre presents the life and biographical stories of famous people. Through this genre, we get a glimpse of what makes a person a notable or historical figure and what his life might have really been like at a given time, based on historical documents, interviews, and other factual data. The films “Frida” about the life of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and “The Motorcycle Diaries” which chronicles Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s travels through South America, the harrowing “Schindler’s List” and Mel’s “Brave Heart” Gibson are just a few of the many excellent examples of this genre.
These are additional genres that most movies fall under. Film groups feature a character or a series of stories, usually in the same genre, such as the Star Wars saga, the Matrix sequels, the Indiana Jones adventure series, James Bond, Harry Potter, the Die Hard film series. , remakes of King Kong, Tarzan , Batman, Spiderman and many others also have sequels, trilogies or multiple parts. Therefore, for the improvement of multiple English language skills and competencies, such as listening comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, contextual use of idioms and expressions or applied use of connected speech elements in English language learners, such groups of related movies and videos or series can be invaluable.
What are some of your favourites?