Some reasons why using movies in a ESL/EFL classroom is a great idea

Working with feature films

• Is intrinsically motivating
• Exposes students to different native speaker voices, slang, reduced speeches, stress, accent, dialects
• Provides contextualized linguistic, paralinguistic and authentic cross-cultural information

You can use them to

• Practise listening strategies and fluency
• Illustrate grammar and pronunciation points
• Learn new vocabulary, idioms and context-bound expressions
• Present cultural background
• Encourage theme-based discussion
• Provide enjoyable language learning opportunities

“Using authentic sources from the native speech community helps to engage students in authentic cultural experiences” (Peterson & Coltrane, 2003).

References
King, J. 2002. “Using DVD feature films in the EFL classroom.” The weekly column.
Marcikiewicz, A. “How to Teach Through Culture and Culture Through Popular Movies?”
Peterson, E. & Coltrane, B. 2003. “Culture in Second Language Teaching”, Centre for Applied Linguistics Website.
Picture by Siggito http://www.flickr.com/photos/siggito/2218711219/