Silent or Talkies, Soaps or Art House?: Using Film and Media for Enhancing your Language Skills in Russian.

For King's/MLC students only.

Everything I learned, I learned from the movies, claimed Audrey Hepburn. And so can you!

There is no denying that films can be very effective as language tools. However, given an overwhelming amount of film and video production available online, how do we decide what to select for language learning? What genres are best suited for your stage? Do we prioritise visual and aesthetic pleasure or the dialogue? Is the language of silent films really an oxymoron?

The workshop will address these questions and will demonstrate hands-on techniques for selecting authentic language material and adapting original Russian films, cartoons and sitcoms for your specific learning goals. While many film-based exercises are traditionally aimed at advanced levels, you can take a plunge much earlier and learn how to gain more from watching your favourite films. You can design your own assignments that can range from learning the alphabet to reviewing verbs of motions and practicing job interviews.

The workshop will present short excerpts from a variety of Soviet and contemporary Russian films, cartoons and TV series and is suitable for all levels.