Hotel Transylvania

Hotel Transylvania is a 2012 American 3D computer animated fantasy comedy film.

It tells the story of count Dracula, the owner of the Hotel Transylvania where only monsters can go. 

On the occasion of the 118^th birthday of his daughter Mavis, Dracula invites some monsters for a party, but the hotel is unexpectedly visited by a “human” young boy, Jonathan. Dracula must protect Mavis from falling in love with him.

Hotel Transylvania 2 was released in 2015 and the story takes place seven years later. The hotel is now open to human guests, too. In the meanwhile, count Dracula had a grandson who is not a pure-blood vampire…

     Hotel Transylvania - Trailer

"The Zing" song

Hotel Transylvania soundtrack 

Let' s meet the main characters

I made this Piktochart poster for you

STUDENTS' TASK

Answer the following questions after watching the film

1. Did you enjoy the film? Why/why not?
2. Which is your favourite character? Why?
3. What is your favourite scene? Why?
4. Would you like to be Jonathan? Would you like to have an experience like his own?
5. What would you do if you were Mavis, would you always obey your overprotective father or would you try to win more freedom?

Answer the questions related to the clip

Thanksgiving Day... at the movies! Let's watch some videos!

WHAT IS THANKSGIVING?

Click on the following link to read my post about Thanksgiving origins, then watch the videos.

http://thetravellingteachers.blogspot.it/2013/11/travelling-into-foreing-cultures.html

American holidays - Thanksgiving Day

The American Thanksgiving story

THANKSGIVING ...AT THE MOVIES!

How many times have we seen Thanksgiving dinners in American movies or telefilms? 

"Dear Lord, we realize that lately, everything's been changing too damn fast. And all sorts of things are always the same, even if we hate it — like shoveling the turkey and stuffing the snow."

from the movie "Home for the holidays", 1996

"Once, there was this day. . . this one day when. . . everyone realized they needed each other."

from the movie "Pisces of April", 2003

"You have taken the land which is rightfully ours. Years from now my people will be forced to live in mobile homes on reservations. Your people will wear cardigans, and drink highballs. 

We will sell our bracelets by the road sides, and you will play golf. 

My people will have pain and degradation. Your people will have stick shifts. The gods of my tribe have spoken. They said do not trust the pilgrims. And especially do not trust Sarah Miller.

 For all these reasons I have decided to scalp you and burn your village to the ground."

from the movie "Addams Family Values", 1993

SOME FAMOUS SCENES

"You cut the turkey without me!" from "Avalon" 2001

"The turkey" - from "Home for the holidays", 1996

"The prayer" - from "Blind Side", 2009

"The toast" - from "Funny people", 2009

April explains Thanksgiving to a Chineese family - from "Pisces of April", 2003

Addams family Thanksgiving - from "Addams Family Values", 1993

STUDENTS' TASK
Answer the following questions:

Do you think it's possible to understand some cultural aspects of a foreign country
just watching its movies?
After watching theese scenes, what can you understand about Usa Thanksgiving traditions?
Which movie scene do you like the most? Why?

Cineforum - some movies based on British or American novels for children

If we want to talk about foreign literature in our EFL class, watching some movies could be very useful. I choose six films based on some British and American novels for children. Three of them (Alice in Wonderland, A Christmas Carol and Peter Pan) allow us to talk about the 19th century literature. The others (The Polar Express, The Golden Compass and Harry Potter) can be used to talk about modern or contemporary literature.

In the following Blendspace lesson that I prepared students can learn some information about some authors of books for kids. You can see the trailers of the six movies. Then you can read a list of some movies taken from children novels if you want to go on watching other films and reading other books. Finally there is a presentation of mine with some information about the novels' authors and the major themes of their books. You can also do some quiz.

Click on the link below and have fun!

An English Cineforum: some movies based on novels for children.

Below teachers can find some interesting links about using movies, videos and  novels in their classroom.

Movies and novels in EFL classes: some links for teachers.

I made the above poster with Piktochart

Click on the following image if you want to view my presentation outside the context of the Blendspace lesson. 

Enjoy your

Avatar - do we respect our world?

In this blog I have several times had occasion to say that I like using movies in my classes. Last week we saw Avatar. My students really loved it. I chose this film because it allows to discuss and study in deep many themes, as the respect for nature and for others.

Watch the trailer

Avatar is a 2009 American science-fiction action movie written and directed by James Cameron. We are in the 22nd century and humans are mining a precious mineral on a habitable moon, Pandora. The expansion of the mining colony threatens the existence of the local tribe of Na'vi. "Avatars" are genetically engineered Na'vi bodies with the minds of remotely located humans, and are used to interact with the natives of Pandora.

There are many themes in this film that we could think over.

Nature  

The world on Pandora demonstrates the healing power of Mother Nature. One of the more amazing themes in Avatar is the "neural connection fibers" of each living creature on the planet. Animals, humanoids, trees and flowers have these neural connection fibers, allowing all living creatures to "plug in" to each other's neural networks. Once connected, they can feel each other's emotions and thoughts. Also in our real world plants talk to each other through their roots and other sensory systems.
The way the Na'vi live in harmony with the rest of the universe is one of the most beautiful elements of the film. We should remember the universal oneness that is at the core of our spiritual essence. As we should remember to honor the sacredness of our land. The Na'vi honour their Hometree (where they live) and their Tree of Souls (where they worship). 

How interconnected do you feel toward other people, living creatures, planet and universe?

How do you honor your own space?  

Colonialism

Western nations use their military force to invade lesser developed countries, terrorize their people and plunder their lands for natural resources.

It happens every day, for example much of what takes place in Avatar could be compared with the struggle between petroleum companies and the indigenous populations of the Amazon rainforest.

 
Do you think it's right to colinize a country?

 

Now try the following amazing official Avatar's site. You will find any kind of information about the film, images and videos:

http://www.avatarmovie.com/index.html

The link below is really incredible! Click on Pandorapedia and learn everything about Pandora's fauna and flora and the Na'vi's life. You can even learn the Na'vi language!
http://www.pandorapedia.com/

YOUR TASK

Surf on the Pandorapedia (link above). 

You are a Na'vi and live on Pandora. 

Describe your typical day, tell what you eat, what you do, where you go, etc.

 

Eywa ngahu! (Goodbye in Na'vi language)

Cineforum: movies taken from British or American novels for children

 

I've always used movies to improve students' listening comprehension, but I've always preferred movies taken from novels. So I have the chance to talk about literature, as well. 

This is a poster about my cineforum I created with Piktochart. You can save you poster as an image, as the following, or you can make it interactive, as you can see clicking on the next link.

Below you can find the above poster, but now it's interactive...

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1237601-create-your-own

Below you can have some more information. This time I used Blendspace.

There are links to the movies' trailers, to some information about the novels they are taken from, to sites about movies or books for EFL students. 

          http://blnds.co/1gXfZtP

 "I think cinema, movies, and magic have always been closely associated. The very earliest people who made film were magicians".
Francis Ford Coppola

 

Holocaust Memorial Day - January, 27th

“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.”

 Elie Wiesel

January, 27th is the Holocaust Memorial Day. First of all let's have a look at some interactive presentations about World War 2nd .

Why did it start? From the Children's British History Encyclopedia, a very simple summary:
http://history.parkfieldict.co.uk/world-war-ii/why-did-world-war-ii-start

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/socialstudies/btt/holocaust/flash/index.html

Here you can find some videos, images, comments and information.  There are interactive maps and a timeline. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/animations/auschwitz_map/index.shtml

This is a BBC interactive animation with historical information, images and a virtual tour of Aushwitz camp.

Some activities in the UK:
http://www.hmd.org.uk/event/find

We watched "The king's speech" in class. It is not about holocaust but it talks about the famous speech King George VI made to his people on September, 3rd 1939 marking the beginning of WW2.

This is a webquest for you.

To the link below you can find the film trailer, a George VI biography, the recording of the real speech with the script and some activities based on the movie. Answer the following questions:

• How did George VI become king?
• Who was his wife?
• Why did he become popular and loved by his people?
• Who helped him to amend his stammer?
• Where can you find the original transcript of his famous speech?
• Which part of the speech did you like most?
• What does the king mean when he says that he speaks to his "peoples"?
• Which is the principle he wants to fight against?
• What are the "motivational posters"?
• How many copies of "keep calm" posters were printed?

Surf the sites I choose for you and find the answers:
https://www.blendspace.com/lessons/fMT10AzSX4vCLQ/the-king-s-speech

“If we bear all this suffering and if there are still Jews left, 

when it is over, then Jews, instead of being doomed, 

will be held up as an example.”

Anne Frank