Instant film scripts
by Jim Scrivener
Most students enjoy watching a good movie - whether at the cinema or on TV. Here is an idea for making use of their interest and knowledge to create an unusual activity.
Ask your class if they can think of any spoken sentences that typically occur again and again in films - things such as "OK everybody. Put your hands up." or "Oh darling. Don't go!".
Give students some thinking time to discuss possible answers in pairs then collect all their sentences on the board until you have a good number, taking the chance to correct mistakes and practise some exaggerated intonation.
Make groups with four or five students in them. Each group must now select some lines from the board and put them in an appropriate order to create a complete mini film scene. They cannot add extra words!
Each group should write down their dialogue, rehearse it and later perform their scene in front of the class.
If you enjoyed this activity, click here to read last month's great tip, Wordline.
