"Reading books" (Basic 1) and "Cinema" (Intermediate 1) are two of our main topics in class. Thus, here you are a selection of videos to watch in English.
1. INTERVIEWS and SPEECHES
*PAUL AUSTER. The first minutes of the video are in Spanish, because it is part of a South-American program. However, the writer and the interviewer eventually switch to English. If you don't know Paul Auster, I recommend you have a look at some of his books. For examle, The New York Trilogy(picture below).
* DAVID FOSTER WALLACE. He is simply one of the best authors of the 20th and the 21st centuries. Unfortunately, he died very young. His works are works of art. Masterpieces. They are a bit difficult to read (much more than Paul Auster's) but, if you feel curious, I strongly recommend Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (See picture below). Next to the picture, you can see a video based on a text Foster Wallace read at the university of Kenyon (USA) in 2005. It is a very inspiring video.
2. POEMS.
There are many poems you can find in English on the Internet. One of my favourite poets of all times is CHARLES BUKOWSKI. He is the author of one of the most beautiful poems ever written: BLUEBIRD. You can listen to Bukowski reading his poem on the following video (I think it is a good idea to read the lines at the same time, just click HERE) :
3. FILMS BASED ON WRITERS' BIOGRAPHIES AND WORKS
* THE HOURS: This is a great film directed by Stephen Daldry and starring Nicole Kidman, Diane Moore and Meryl Streep. It is based on one of Virginia Woolf's most famous novels, Mrs. Dalloway, but it is set in different times and locations. I enjoyed watching it very much.
* ANONYMOUS: A film based on Mark Twain's idea that William Shakespeare didn't write William Shakespeare's works. The film develops this crazy idea in a very entertaining way. I enjoyed watching this film full of drama and strange passions.
* DETACHMENT: It is a 2011 American drama film about the high school education system directed byTony Kaye, starring Adrien Brody. This film is extremely moving and great. I recommend it a lot.
Dear students, these are the films I have selected for your this week. As you can see, there are different options: 1.TITUS by Julie Taymor. She is the director of Across the Universe, the film many of you enjoyed so much some weeks ago. This film is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play Titus Andronicus, so the dialogues might be a bit difficult. Nevertheless, I think you will be able to understand the plot and most of the words because the images are very powerful.
2. NOTHING SPECIAL: a short film that was awarded in many festival last year. CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT. A young boy is tormented by his mother's conviction that he is the new Messiah, and after leaving home, he tries to limit all human contact and adopt a completely boring, normal lifestyle....
3. THIS IS VANITY. This is a brilliant and shocking short fillm. This Is Vanity is the dark and tragic tale of a tiring mother who struggles to protect both herself and her disabled teenage daughter from the continual attacks of local adolescents. (There aren't subtitles available but I think you can understand most of it.)
4. PROTOPARTÍCULAS. This is a short film by my friend Chema García Ibarra. He has been awarded in many festivals too. The film is in Spanish but with English subtitles. Try to watch it and read the subtitles (READING EXERCISE). It will be good to learn vocabulary in English.
I have found an amazin web. It's full of interesting books for all levels, so I have selected some books for you and paste their links below, as you can see. You are welcome to browse the web and search for anything you like. Remember that having a good library (of books in English, of course!) is important to improve your reading and all your skills in general. I hope you enjoy!!!
please have a look at the new resources available in the column on the right of this blog. I am sure you will find interesting webs. Some of them focus on listening; others deal with pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.. You will also find lots of interesting podcasts, videos and films to study and learn at home.
