Improving Listening Comprehension and logical reasoning

Hello Friends and Courtney

Today I am sharing an exercise that I developed earlier. Technology had an important role to play in this.

It is from the film "Scent of Woman" starring Al Pacino.

Requirement: An LCD projector or a big TV.

The pre-task preparation:  Buy an original DVD of the film "Scent of a Woman".

Make the students watch the film till the time the speech Al Pacino is about to give in the Baird hall.

Task: Pause the Video when the Principal says that  Charlie will be sorry or from where the scene where this speech starts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPSzV4IbwSg

Now ask the students to defend Charlie. They are asked to form groups of 3-5 and write their speech in defence of Charlie.

After this they read out their speeches getting feedback from the teacher as well as their peers.

Then I suggest that you make them listen to the speech of Al Pacino to complete the film.

There would be students with poor listening comprehension skills. Though the video link that I have sent you has subtitles, but if you wish to play some other clip, then you can get the complete transcript of Pacino's speech from here

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/specialengagements/moviespeechscentofawoman.html

Then you ask them to comment on the use of rhetoric

Note: You could use the edited version where the four lettered words are muted. Also, you could delete the words in the transcript if you feel it is not suitable for your students (especially if they are of an impressionable age group)

It is a very helpful exercise.

I also made an addition later. In the exam I gave them the question: Refute the speech of Al Pacino (Lt. Col. Frank Slade) and compose a speech in favour of the Principal Mr. Trask.

I hope you and your students will enjoy it as much as my students and I did.

Regards

Aashish