Using films in the EFL classroom is now easier than ever before. The wide range of the internet, DVD players, whiteboards and digital video projectors offer various possibilities for teachers to use films in lessons at school. This medium is rather quick and relatively straightforward to handle and control. Especially the DVD provides a great variety of options that can valuably be included into teaching lessons, e.g. subtitles, comments by directors, authors or actors, trailers, sound tracks and dozens of extra features. Thus, films may be useful in different ways to enhance motivated learning. This depends, on the one hand, on the qualities of the film that is to be dealt with. Is the topic interesting for the students? Is it possible for the viewers to identify with certain characters or with the happenings? Does the film have any educational potential? How vivid does the film convey its message and how is this emphasised through film language?.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Teaching Films in General
3. Angela’s Ashes in the EFL classroom
3.1. Summary of the Plot
3.2. Important Topics
4. Didactic Analysis
4.1. Pre-Viewing Activities
4.2. While-Viewing Activities
4.3. Post-Viewing Activities
5. Résumé
6. Bibliography
Objectives & Core Themes
The primary objective of this seminar paper is to evaluate the educational potential of using the film "Angela's Ashes" within an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. It explores how the film's narrative, socio-cultural context, and linguistic features can be leveraged to foster intercultural learning, language skills, and student motivation.
- The didactic benefits of using feature films in the EFL classroom.
- Intercultural learning through the analysis of Irish history and socio-cultural settings.
- Methods for integrating pre-, while-, and post-viewing activities.
- Comparative analysis between literary source material and film adaptation.
- Fostering critical thinking through film language interpretation.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Summary of the Plot
The drama Angela’s Ashes, directed by Alan Parker, is, as already stated above, based on a true story. Thus, it is an adaptation of the memoirs of the same title by the Irish-American author Frank McCourt. It tells the story of an Irish family who lives in the United States of America in the early 1930s, where they fail due to poverty and unemployment during the Great Depression in that time. The family already consists of Malachy, who, originally from Northern Ireland, is the father and head of the family, Angela, the mother, who always tries to hold the family together, Frank, the oldest son, Malachy jr. and the twins Eugene and Oliver. Moreover, Margaret Mary is born to Angela but dies only some days after her birth and this is where the plot begins.
As described above, the McCourts are forced to leave the USA and return to Ireland, because Malachy is unemployed and they do not even have anything to eat and live in great poverty. At the time they arrive in Limerick, Angela’s hometown, Frank is just five years of age. Ireland is still not officially independent from the British Empire and governed by the victors of the civil war.
Back in Limerick, the family’s conditions have not changed a lot in comparison to their life in America: Malachy still does not find a job and, hence, they depend on Angela’s mother and cousins, first, and live in a flat that is paid by the grandmother. The only income they have is the father’s dole which he regularly drinks in pubs. As a consequence, the McCourts usually have to suffer from poverty and hunger. Malachy’s obvious alcohol addiction and uselessness, as his wife calls it, becomes the issue of several conflicts between him and Angela later on in the film.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the educational value of films in the EFL classroom and provides a brief overview of the plot and themes of "Angela's Ashes".
2. Teaching Films in General: Discusses the didactic advantages of using film in education, including its motivational appeal and potential for language development.
3. Angela’s Ashes in the EFL classroom: Provides a detailed summary of the film's plot and identifies key topics for classroom discussion, such as poverty and immigration.
4. Didactic Analysis: Offers practical methods and lesson activities for pre-, while-, and post-viewing stages to engage students with the film.
5. Résumé: Concludes the paper by summarizing the suitability of the film for EFL teaching based on its dramatic quality and thematic depth.
6. Bibliography: Lists the primary and secondary sources used for the compilation of the seminar paper.
Keywords
EFL Classroom, Film Didactics, Angela's Ashes, Intercultural Learning, Frank McCourt, Media Literacy, Irish History, Language Acquisition, Classroom Activities, Didactic Analysis, Immigration, Poverty, Film Language, Teaching Methods, Great Depression.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper examines the pedagogical possibilities of using the film "Angela's Ashes" as a teaching tool in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom.
What are the central themes discussed in relation to the film?
Key thematic areas include immigration, poverty, unemployment, Irish history, religion, and the complex familial relationship between Frank and his father.
What is the target audience for these didactic suggestions?
The suggested activities are primarily aimed at students in higher grades, specifically 9th grade and above, due to the film's dramatic content and linguistic complexity.
Which teaching methods are recommended?
The author advocates for process-oriented and action-oriented activities, including freeze-frame analysis, comparative studies, and creative writing tasks.
What is the core research question?
The research explores how feature films like "Angela's Ashes" can enhance student motivation and contribute to specific intercultural learning goals in school.
What specific skills are supported by this film?
Besides traditional language skills like listening and speaking, the film supports the development of visual literacy and intercultural communicative competence.
Why is the film's "mood" considered important?
The mood, created through cinematographic techniques like color and music, serves as a crucial element for students to interpret the emotional and social reality of the protagonists.
How is the "intertextual analysis" performed?
The author suggests comparing the film's scenes and perspectives with the original autobiography by Frank McCourt to analyze plot adjustments and narrative shifts.
What is the role of the film's poster in the classroom?
The poster acts as a motivating pre-viewing tool, prompting students to speculate about the genre, setting, and mood of the movie before watching.
How does the film address "varieties of English"?
The teacher can use the film's dialogue to compare Irish English with British English, utilizing specific monologues for phonetic and vocabulary-based comparisons.
- Arbeit zitieren
- David Stehling (Autor:in), 2010, Teaching "Angela's Ashes" - "Die Asche meiner Mutter" im Englischunterricht, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/205520
