Designing an EFL Curriculum for use in the Korean University: A

Communicative Language Teaching Approach

by Ben Nesbit
University of Colorado
Abstract

This document is a curriculum made up of three parts. The first describes the general

context of the curriculum the course will be used in and, gives an abbreviated

literature review on Communicative Language Teaching. (CLT) The second part is a

syllabus and course schedule for a university freshman level EFL class for use in

Korea and, is designed around the principles of CLT. The third and final part of this

document contains a series of five lesson plans that culminate in a mid-term project. It

is the aim of this paper to discuss with and persuade readers of the value and need for

CLT in the present and future classrooms of Korea.

Teaching Context

EFL

Teaching English to non-native speakers is something that requires the consideration

of many things. One such consideration is whether or not the students are studying

English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

Simply put, ESL is taught in countries where English is the primary language spoken

while EFL is taught in countries where English is not spoken as the primary

language. (Celce-Murcia) Teaching English to EFL students is therefore a

combination of both theory and practicality. It should be noted that it should be the

aim of every EFL teacher to have his/her students make practical use of the English

skills acquired over the course of the semester. However, due to the fact that there

really is no immediate need for students to use English in their everyday lives, much

of what students acquire in class is theoretical, only to be used in hypothetical

situations. To this effect, it is important continue to search for ways of making

 English as pragmatic as possible but at the same time, understanding the somewhat

limited potential for English use in Korean society.

While there are surely a great number of challenges that come up in teaching ESL, the

focus of this paper will be to create a curriculum that will work for EFL students

attending universities in Korea. Teaching English as a Foreign Language presents a

set of challenges that need to be addressed by instructors. Some of these challenges

include providing activities that are engaging for both low-level students and those

who are more advanced, creating activities that are culturally sensitive, attending to

the wide variety of learning styles students have, keeping students motivated to pay

attention during class, and providing students with learning activities that are relevant

to their daily lives.

Expectations

Expectations of Native English speakers teaching in Korea vary from institution to

institution. Some institutions expect instructors to improve standardized test scores

taken by students attending the school. Others are expecting instructors to help

students develop speaking or writing proficiency in English. Yet still others only

expect instructors to demonstrate to the students that it is fun to learn English.

Because there is so much variance as to what expectations are in Korea, it is more

appropriate to focus on the expectations the EFL field holds for its instructors.

EFL teachers are expected to demonstrate patience, sympathy and empathy for their

students, organization, punctuality, awareness of needs, flexibility, imagination,

approachability, professionalism, confidence, an open mind, cultural awareness,

preparation, and more. (BridgeTEFL)

Universities Expected Learning Outcomes

For better or worse, the expected learning outcomes of students attending this course

are left up entirely to the teacher who delivers it. The university does not currently

seek any specific learning outcomes from the English courses taught by native

English speakers. Rather, there are specific attendance and grading outcomes that

must be adhered to. There are however some specific behavioral outcomes that the

university expects of the students.

Expected Behavioral Outcomes

Behavior:

• Turn off cellular phone

• Pay attention to the teacher
• Do not talk when teacher or classmates are talking

Textbook/Materials:

• Buy a textbook
• Bring textbook, pen, and paper to every class

Attendance:

• Must attend at least 3/4 of the classes or can't take the final exam (University
policy)
• Present documentation for absence to be excused
• If absent, students are still responsible for missed assignments, homework,
quizzes and exams.

Arriving Late:

• Late if arrive after attendance is taken at the beginning of class

• Three late arrivals equal one absence
 • Extremely late arrivals are marked as absences at the discretion of the
instructor

Participation:

• Participate in class, try to answer questions posed by the teacher

• Be actively involved in all conversations and class activities

Final Grade:

• Consists of attendance, participation, midterm and final exam (University

policy)
• Detail percentages of each category toward final grade

In regards to attendance students must attend at least 3/4 of the classes. Otherwise they are

not permitted to take the final exam. If students miss a class, they must provide

documentation in order for the absence to be excused. If absent, students are responsible for

any missed assignments, homework, quizzes, or exams.

Audience

English Use in Korea

The ongoing debate on how much money the government should spend, and whether or not

to name English as the official language of Korea continues on. (Oh) And, while a great

number of Koreans wish to have English become the dominant language, there are also a

great number of others who feel that Korean language will suffer if too much English is

adopted by the people. Regardless of which stance people take on the issue, this debate is

something that should be considered when the topic of acquiring English as a Foreign

Language in Korea comes up.

Intertwined is the relationship between learning EFL in Korea and English use in Korean

Society. Koreans spend a great deal of money and place a high degree of importance on

English education. From the time students are in kindergarten, they are learning the English

alphabet, memorizing simple songs like, "Twinkle Little Star," and even working in

immersion type situations where they have native English speakers as their sole instructors,

working on vocabulary and simple commands. This English education continues as students

grow into elementary, middle and high school students, as they will typically have native

English teachers both at their public schools and then again when they attend their choice of

one of thousands of private, after-school academies, known in Korean as "hag-wons."

One important aspect worth noting here is one of the most practical uses of English in Korea.

While students may not be required to speak English anywhere outside of a classroom in

Korea, all students who are competing for entrance into any of the top high schools or

universities nationwide are required to take standardized tests. One such test is the TOEFL

test, in which students must demonstrate their English abilities in regards to reading,

listening, speaking and writing. However, even though this and other standardized tests offer

a great deal of relevance to English study in Korea, overall use of English in Korean society

certainly is not something that permeates the country.

Conversely, one thing that does permeate Korean society is the high regard that is placed on

English speaking ability. Students who become fluent or even proficient in their ability to

speak English are typically seen as successful and those who find ways of doing well on

standardized testing, typically find their way into top schools, and end up getting higher level

positions when it comes time to find employment. This creates a high demand for students to

learn English and it also provides for no shortage of stress to students motivated toward

successful acquisition of the language. As such, students often see English as an obstacle,
something they need to do in order to be successful, rather than something they want to do for

fun. English is often seen as a means to an end, rather than a subject to be enjoyed or a way

to interact with people from other countries.

Additionally, students must acquire a high level of English proficiency in order to attend the

top schools in Korea. However, other universities require little if any English proficiency of

its students. Many of the students who have already decided that learning English is not

something they aim to do in their lives end up attending such universities. However, students

are not able to avoid studying English all together. Even universities that may not appear to

place a high emphasis on English ability for acceptance into its school, still require students

to be enrolled in immersion English classes taught by native English speakers. Joongbu

University is one such school.

University Students attending Joongbu University

As is the case of other universities worldwide Joongbu University students enter the

university classroom typically at the age of 18-20. They are required to take an English

course each semester regardless of their major. The university has a contract with Oxford

University Press to use the book Person to Person as part of the English curriculum. The

students I will be teaching next semester are using the level one book. They are in their

second semester and are expected to have completed Person to Person, starter level. They

have varying levels of proficiency in the four main categories of English, reading, listening,

speaking and writing. They are students majoring in a variety of fields, from computer

programming and police work to cosmetology and tourism. Typically each class consists of

students that are all studying the same major. This means that if I have 24 students, all of
them will have the same major. Inevitably however, there are always a few students that had

to be added into the class from outside the major.

The purpose of the course

The purpose of the course is to help students learn basic English conversation skills while

also developing the other 3 major skills of reading, listening and writing. I am interested in

paying close attention to some of the affective factors in student personality while also

attending to student learning styles and strategies students are using when working.

Goals and objectives

My goal for my students is to get them using English both inside and outside of the

classroom as stated in the theoretical foundations section of this paper. The individual

objectives for students upon completion of the course include, but are not limited to the

following. Please note that some objectives have possible activities listed in parentheses.

• Meeting someone (activity: record yourself having a conversation with a foreigner:

gather the following information: name, occupation, address, telephone number and
email)
• Gathering important demographic information (See above)
• Describing your family
• Describing what people look like (activity: bring a picture of someone in your family
and describe that person in front of the class)
• Asking where things are
• Describing things and uses of things
• Explaining dates and times of events (activity: students work together to make a list
of events that will be happening for sports week)
• Giving Directions (activity: scavenger hunt: students must follow directions in order
to take pictures of a list of things)
• Talking about likes and dislikes
• Stating preferences (restaurant review: students provide a write up of their favorite
restaurant)
• Accepting/Declining Invitations
 • Making/Changing Plans
• Getting/Giving Help
• Comparing Things
• Understanding/Ordering from a Menu (activity: watch video Mr. Bean, make
something to eat)
• Describing Food (activity: making play dough)
• Making Requests/Borrowing and Lending Things (activity: students must go to a
foreign teacher and borrow something from his/her class)
• Complaining Politely (activity: writing a formal request for change to university)
• Giving/Getting Personal Information
• Discussing Length of Time
• Asking about Past Experiences
• Comparing Places
• Discussing Future Plans
• Discussing Goals/Hopes
• Students will learn to respond to basic English questions
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in carrying on conversations in a variety of
settings
• Students will demonstrate use of vocabulary that is meaningful to them in
conversational settings

Needs analysis

Koreans rank at the bottom among readers, listeners, speakers and writers of English as a

foreign language. This can be seen, according to ETS, (2006) in the extremely low scores

reported on the TOEFL iBT, a standardized English test that assesses Reading, Listening,

Speaking and Writing abilities. Korean students rank in the bottom 35th percentile among all

test takers worldwide. A big part of why students have such low scores on the TOEFL test is

because students tend to have very low speaking ability. This is no surprise since the

predominant form of teaching in Korea is done through lectures. This type of teaching starts

at an early age. While the effectiveness of this type of teaching is certainly questionable at

best, it undoubtedly creates a distinct classroom culture. One aspect of this classroom

environment that is detrimental to student language learning is that students do not interact

with each other. They do not interact with one another but rather speak only to their teacher.

Perhaps more detrimental to language learning is that when students attempt to step outside
of their listening role as may be the case in a conversation class taught by a native English

speaker, it may come off as being disrespectful or overconfident to their peers. Additionally,

Korean teachers tend to be openly critical of students who ask questions since it can be

interpreted as a direct challenge to a teacher's authority. (Eng 2000)

Interestingly, it appears as though Korean students studying English are limited by this

cultural attribute when it comes to learning English. As such, it is important to look at what

can be done to get students talking in an English class taught by a native English speaker. I

would like to propose the idea of using a communicative language approach through the use

of task-based learning activities. This will generate more dialogue amongst students, and

between students and teachers.

Theoretical Foundation: Communicative Language Teaching

Communicative language teaching (CLT) is an approach that puts emphasis on students using

the language productively and in a way that is not just rehearsed. It allows for students to be

more spontaneous in the classroom as well. (Brown) CLT puts the focus of learning on the

learner. (Communicative language teaching provides an environment in which interaction

between students and teacher is part of the focus. As such it places emphasis on the social

aspect of learning. Students are asked to interpret, express and negotiate meaning with each

other and with their teacher. A communicative based curriculum is made up of essentially

five components: language arts, language for a purpose, personal English language use,

beyond the classroom, and theater arts. (Savignon)

Language Arts
The component of language arts involves incorporating the different forms of English into the

classroom. For example, when a teacher is teaching about syntax, morphology, phonology,

spelling, or grammar, he/she is teaching language arts.(Savignon) This component doesn't

necessarily involve any social interaction between students and teachers nor does it

necessarily incorporate relevance into language learning. Rather, this component is designed

to teach the rules of language and as such is a vital component to second language

acquisition, albeit a somewhat dry one. As such it can often be made more fun by

incorporating games and other activities into lessons to bring about a component of social

interaction and potential relevance.

Personal English Language Use

This component accounts for the psychological and learning differences in language learners.

Providing a wide range of activities works toward involving all types of learners and, aids in

accounting for these learning differences. Teachers must be respectful of their students

learning styles and unlike the language arts component, this component requires a teacher to

pay particular attention to a students' affective and cognitive disposition. (Savignon) One

branch of teaching that has come about that deals directly with this component is Strategies-

Based Instruction (SBI). In essence, this type of teaching involves helping students to

identify their learning styles and then offering them strategies that allow students to

comfortably work within their best learning style. To effectively implement this type of

learning, teachers should first identify student learning styles. One way to do this is to use the

widely popular Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) which was created by

Oxford in 1990. This is basically a questionnaire that has 50 different items on it, each set up

as a likert-type ranking system. It has 6 subscales of questions which are memory, cognitive,

compensation, metacognitive, affective, and social in nature. (Ganjooei & Rahimi) Upon
review of this instrument, teachers should then find ways of incorporating strategies into the

classroom that coincide with what the students chose as their learning styles. The last part of

effectively implementing SBI into a classroom coincides with the next part of effective

communicative language teaching as a whole, working beyond the classroom. (Brown)

Beyond the Classroom

To really make an impact on the students, teachers should help prepare students for the world

beyond the classroom. While there are vast amounts of opportunities to use English outside

of an ESL classroom, there is a different set of challenges in incorporating using English

outside of an EFL setting. (Savignon) Since this paper is directed at teaching EFL, it is worth

noting once again the importance of using a variety of activities during class, again to engage

all kinds of learners, but also to expose students to English beyond the classroom. Examples

of this exposure are introducing them to popular radio and TV programs, showing them

videos and even full length movies, bringing in English newspapers and magazines, bringing

in native English speakers to speak in your class. (Savignon) Another possibility would be to

use a telephone with intercom or the Internet to call a native speaker during class. The goal

here is to provide students with enough exposure to English that comes from outside the

classroom that it will provide them with a sense of autonomy for their own learning after the

course has finished. (Brown)

Theater Arts

The Theater Arts component aims at helping learners take on their new English speaking

roles by acting the part. Even if students are not completely proficient in speaking the

language, by studying the role from which they may be speaking from, students are better

able to interpret new, unknown English that comes there way. Scripted and unscripted role

plays, simulations and pantomime activities aid in delivering this component. (Savignon 23)
Language for a Purpose

Using language to achieve some type of communicative goal is one way to define using

language for a purpose. Unlike the language arts component, this one focuses on meaning

rather than form. Students should be encouraged to get the overall meaning of the English

being taught rather than making sure to understand each and every word being spoken. One

way of helping to students to use English with a purpose is to give them meaningful tasks that

they must complete. (Savignon 20) Creating purpose through task-based learning has

become a hot topic amont language teachers worldwide.

Task-Based Learning

In task-based learning, students work together to complete a task. Communicative Task-

Based Instruction (CTBI) incorporates other language skills when completing the task.

Essentially, since it is expected that students will be negotiating on how to proceed with the

completion of the task they are actually practicing their speaking skills in a manner that is

similar to how a native speaker would speak. The interaction between students is key. And in

CTBI, students concern is on communicating for the purpose of task completion rather than

on language form and correctness. Additionally, CTBI has been shown to bring about more

creativity from the learners. (Bruton 2005) Additionally, students will likely want to interact

more with the instructor as well. This type of learning is also more motivating for students

because it calls on students to use some of their past experiences to complete tasks

effectively. This type of learning is extremely beneficial for the teachers as well since

teachers are expected to respond to student-initiated questions, rather than students being

expected to respond to student initiated responses. As opposed to having teachers feel they
are asking difficult questions because students are not giving them responses, teachers take

on the role of facilitator and are spend more time guiding and individualizing learning, rather

than lecturing and hoping for more student interaction.

Theoretical Justification

Korean students are competitive and speak at a low level in English. They have spent a great

deal of their lives studying English grammar and have had very little emphasis in their

academic careers put on English communication.

Using an approach that is communicative in the Korean university classroom is one that is

much needed. Because the students are taking an English class that is required and not

necessarily something that interests them, a communicative and task-based class is necessary

in order to promote learning. Nothing prevents a learner from learning more than a lack of

motivation. Because of the diversity offered in a communicative approach to teaching,

students will stay motivated to come to class and participate. They will be using the English

that is taught to them, not just forced to memorize English phrases that they will never use

outside of class. Additionally, by helping students understand their individual learning styles,

whether it be through the use of SILL or another assessment tool, students will be better able

to understand why they are being asked to perform the various activities presented in class,

and they will be more cognizant of their own strengths and weaknesses when attempting to

learn new things. This will be a benefit that perhaps they can take with them outside of just

their English class and into some of their other classes and even something they may be able

to take with them after finishing college.

Another reason to use a CTBI approach is that Korean students seem to greatly enjoy the

social dynamic of class. In setting up tasks that have students working together, students are
able to interact with each other. They will also be more likely to ask questions to their

instructor since the questions will be aimed at benefitting the group. This is an important

socio-cultural consideration, as stated earlier, since Koreans are sensitive to doing things that

will benefit the group, not just for the benefit of one's personal gain.

Learning Assessment

Assessment of learners participating in a communicative, task-oriented classroom involves

measuring fluency, comprehensibility, effort and amount of communication in unrehearsed

oral tasks. (Savignon).

In assessing students, I am required to adhere to the university policy that states students are

to be graded on:

• Attendance
• Participation
• Mid-term score
• Final score

While this policy does require accurate, detailed attendance checks, it does leave open to the

instructor a choice of what constitutes participation and where the mid-term and final scores

come from. As such to assess participation, students will simply come to class and complete

the tasks asked of them for the day. If the tasks are completed, they will be given full credit

for participation for that day. It would be easy to say that I can take an all-or-nothing

approach for the participation grade, in reality this is not fair. What about students who try

their best to complete a task but for some reason fail? Should they really be docked points?

My answer is no, and as such, the participation grade is somewhat subjective in that if I see

that students are working hard in class, asking questions and attempting to complete the
required task, they will get full credit. At the same time, for students who complete a task but

are demonstrating inappropriate behavior or any sort, points will be deducted from the

participation score.

The mid-term project will have students performing skits that they have written based on

vernacular they learned from the course. The final will be in the form of a project students

create using 5 different chapters from their book.

To assess students, I will: evaluate their participation in the tasks given in class, give projects

(one for mid-term, one for final), and take attendance.

To assess myself as an instructor the university distributes a course evaluation form that

students are required to fill out. Afterwards, instructors are able to review student’s comments

and assessments of the course.

Available resources:

Typically all students in Korea have their own personal computer at home or in the dormitory

and, some even have laptops they bring to school with them. If not, there is a computer lab

with internet access available in the same building that classes are taught Additionally, most

students have cell phones that they bring to school with them every day. These phones are

equipped with the latest in technology, some of which is beneficial to language learning. One

such tool is a built-in, English-Korean and Korean-English dictionary. This is an invaluable

tool for students working in a communicative style learning environment as will be the case

for this course. Also, the phones typically encase a digital camera and digital camera,

microphone for recording, and built in mp3 player. In addition to the aforementioned

resources, the following are also available to the students and/or me:
 • Person to Person book
• Corresponding CD
• Student test booklet (For quizzes)
• CD player
• White board with eraser and markers
• ESL card/board games (Apples to Apples, Word Up)
• Computer with Internet acess
• Video camera
• Digital camera
• A white board with markers and erasers

Setting ---

Each classroom is set up with two long rows of tables (each row has two tables). A typical

class has 20-24 students in it. Each student sits on a rotating chair with wheels. Most tables

seat 5-6 students and students tend to sit in the same seat, and next to the same people, every

day. Being that the seats have wheels, and the tables are easily moved, the classrooms can be

rearranged to compliment a variety of activities.

 Joongbu University Freshman English

Term: Fall 2009 Professor: Ben Nesbit

Course dates/times: TBD Office location: C2-306
Course location: Joongbu University Office Hours: TBD
Email address: ben.joongbu@gmail.com

Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to English as a Foreign Language within
the context of a communicative language teaching approach. The subject matter to be
introduced includes a wide range of conversational English dialogue, including but not
limited to: talking about family and friends, giving directions, discussing a menu, and talking
about personal experiences. This is a required course for all Joongbu University students and
follows all applicable policies in adherence to the English department and the university as a
whole.

Organization

This course is designed to provide students with practical, relevant and social English skills
that can be used both inside the classroom and in the real world. Students will be given a
wide variety of communicative learning assignments each week that will pose adequate
challenges to students in a safe and often fun classroom environment. Communicative
language teaching is a well researched and documented instructional style, and one that
focuses on student to student and student to teacher interaction while placing less focus on
rehearsed and memorized English rules or patterns.

Course Objectives

• Assess individual learning style and preferences in regards to learning strategies

• Evaluate movies, food, people, clothes, and jobs using common English phrases
• Apply appropriate verbal and written directions to completing assigned English
speaking and writing tasks, activities, and games
• Understand their own language learning preferences and apply appropriate strategies
that promote learning
• Analyze a popular English song and create additional lyrics based on their analysis
• Recall popular English language learning sources outside of the classroom

Requirements

• Person to Person (student book 1), by Bycina, Richards & Wisniewska

• Pen and a notebook to write in
Assignments

Classroom Assignments
Students are expected to complete classroom throughout the semester. These assignments
can only be completed if a student attends class and cannot be made up afterwards. Thus
classroom assignments and participation are closely related. The assignments during class
will often be task-based and will be scored mostly on whether or not the task was completed,
but also takes into account the amount of effort and behavior each student demonstrates
during class.

Homework Assignments
Homework will be given as deemed necessary throughout the semester. Homework
assignments will not be accepted late. Homework may consist of research, writing, speaking
and other English related tasks.

Note
All assignments are designed to aid students in achieving the course objectives listed above.

Grading

Students will be graded on the following four criteria:

Attendance

• Attendance will be kept daily by the instructor in the form of a role

call
• Must attend at least 3/4 of the classes or can't take the final exam
(University policy)
• Present documentation for absence to be excused
• If absent, students are still responsible for missed assignments,
homework, projects

Participation

• Participate in class, try to answer questions posed by the teacher

• Be actively involved in all conversations and class activities

• Be respectful at all times to instructor(s) and students in class

Mid-Term Project: Movie Time

• Students will design and create a project that demonstrates their

understanding of the movie seen in class. See Mid-Term Project
Outline for more information

Final Project: Synthesis

 • Students will design a project based on any five chapters from their
book, demonstrating proficiency in utilizing the information from
those chapters.

Note:

• Final grades are weighted so that each of the four categories are
worth 25% of each student’s final grade. The final grades for each
class are required to follow a Bell Curve as stated by the Korean
Education Department. Consequently, a maximum of 30% of all
students in a class will receive an A+ or A, a maximum of 40% of all
students will receive a B+ or B, and a minimum of 30% of all
students will receive a C+ or C, D+, or F.

Letter Grade Points Letter Grade Points % of class

A+ 100-95 A 94-90 < 30%

B+ 89-85 B 84-80 <40% _

C+ 79-75 C 74-70

D+ 69-65 D 64-60 > 30%

F 59-0

Class Schedule (subject to change)

Date Topic Required Assignments

Reading
TBD Learning Styles Answer a
Assessment survey
TBD Learning Strategies Determine
your favorite
learning
strategies
TBD Meeting someone 1-9
TBD Gathering important
demographic
information
TBD Describing your family 10-17 Bring a
family
picture to
class and be
prepared to
 talk about
your family
TBD Describing what people
look like
TBD Asking where things are 18-27
TBD Describing things and Show and
uses of things tell. Students
must bring in
one item
from home
and talk
about it to
the class.
TBD Explaining dates and 28-35 students
times of events work
together to
make a list of
events that
will be
happening
for sports
week
TBD Giving Directions scavenger
hunt:
students
must follow
directions in
order to take
pictures of a
list of things
TBD Talking about likes and 36-43
dislikes
TBD Stating preferences Mid-term:
Movie
Project
TBD Accepting/Declining 44-53
Invitations
TBD Making/Changing Plans
TBD Getting/Giving Help 54-61
TBD Comparing Things
TBD Understanding/Ordering 62-69 restaurant
from a Menu review:
students
provide a
write up of
their favorite
restaurant
TBD Describing Food activity:
watch video
 Mr. Bean,
make
something to
eat
TBD Making 70-79 students
Requests/Borrowing and must go to a
Lending Things foreign
teacher and
borrow
something
from his/her
class
TBD Complaining Politely writing a
formal
request for
change to
university
TBD Giving/Getting Personal 80-87
Information
TBD Discussing Length of
Time
TBD Asking about Past 88-95
Experiences
TBD Comparing Places Compare two
cities in
Korea
TBD Discussing Future Plans 96-104
TBD Discussing Goals/Hopes

Student success
“I truly understand that learning a 2nd language is difficult. I also understand that many of my
students are beginners. As such, I’d like to express my deepest appreciation for your
anticipated efforts in this course. I will do my best to try and keep the work in this course
achievable, practical, and interesting. To that end, I do expect a certain degree of effort and
maturity from all students. If at any time you have any questions please don’t hesitate to
contact me, either in my office or by e-mail.”
 Movie Lesson Series and Mid-term Project-Scenerio

Introduction

The following is a series of lesson plans that aim at introduce movies into the EFL classroom

in Korea using communicative based instruction. There are five lesson plans in total with

worksheets and a rubric attached as an appendix.

Theoretical Relevance

As part of any well rounded communicative language based curriculum would have, students

should be given ample opportunities to work on each of the five components that constitute

such a curriculum. The following five lessons help provide these opportunities. The idea of

introducing movies into the classroom is one that helps students in using the English they

learn in class beyond the confines of the classroom. These lessons culminate in the students

delivering their mid-term project in the form of a role-play skit. This allows students to

identify with their own personal English language use. Additionally, By becoming more

aware of the different genres of movies available, forming descriptions about famous actors

and actresses, working with commonly used vocabulary and vernacular used by native

English speakers, reflect on what their own personal movie preferences are, and ultimately,

being able to use newly acquired language in a role play, students start to use English in a

communicative way. And that is the goal of these lessons.

Lesson 1: Talking about Movies

Time
 • Approximately 90 minutes

Objectives

• To be able to identify the various movie genres when shown a movie trailer

• To be able to discuss and use commonly used movie jargon

• To give students the chance to talk about preferred movie genres.

Activities

• Introduction/Lecture: 10-15 min.

• Movie Trailer Presentation/Identifying Genre/Discussion: 60 min.

• Game: Movie Charades 15-20 min.

Materials

• Video Projector

• Computer with Internet connection or movie trailers saved on the hard drive of the

computer

• Handout

Procedure

1) Students are first introduced to some commonly used vocabulary used when

discussing movies. The vocabulary they will be discussing will be given to them as a

handout (see appendix A) from which they can follow along for an approximately 10-

15 minute lecture. The handout introduces the concepts of genre, characters, plot and
 scene.

2) Next, students will be put into groups and then shown a series of movie trailers

(Miller 2008). As a group, students must decide which genre the movie is. There

should be two of each movie genre presented and the trailers chosen are at the

discretion of the instructor. After all of the trailers have been identified by the teams,

a discussion will be held to make sure groups correctly identified the genres. Then

groups will be asked to work together to determine which film looks the best and

which genre their group prefers. Each member of the group should be encouraged to

contribute to the group’s overall preference choices.

3) Lastly the class is broken down into two teams for the Movie Charades game. (Chung) The

game is simple. One member from each team comes to the front of the class and the

instructor tells them the movie they must get their team to guess. The participants must use

actions, quotes from the movie or other descriptors of the movie to get their team to guess the

correct movie.

Homework

• Students will write a short essay. What is your favorite movie and why? 100-120

words, double spaced.

Lesson 2: Talking about Actors and Actresses

Time

• Approximately 90 minutes

Objectives
 • To become familiar with famous actors and actresses

• To use adjectives to describe famous people

Activities

• Create a list of adjectives to describe actors/actresses (30 min)

• Connect adjectives to famous actors/actresses (45 min)

• Play Last man standing (15 min)

Materials

• Movie Projector

• Computer

• Scrap paper

• Handouts (appendix B)

Procedure

1) Students pair up and are asked to come up with a list of adjectives that describe their

favorite actors and actresses. Students are given a handout (see appendix B) on which

they can write on. They are encouraged to use their electric, Korean-English

dictionaries to help them. Students should be instructed to only fill out the first and

second part of the worksheet (list of descriptive adjectives and favorite actor/actress)

2) Then students are shown a slideshow of many of the world’s famous actors and

actresses. This time they are asked to fill out the last part of the worksheet.

3) Then students play a game called Last Man Standing. The game is once again simple.

On scrap paper, each student writes down on a piece of paper one of the actors they

wrote on their paper. The scrap paper is then taped to the back of a student from

another team. Then each student must walk around the room asking each other for
 adjectives to describe their actor/actress. As soon as a student guesses the name and

tells me, they can sit down. The last person standing loses.

Homework

• Students write a short essay using some of the adjectives they learned in class. Who

is your best friend and why? Describe this person to me. (Write 100-120 words)

LESSON 3: Introducing Dead Poet’s Society

Time

• Approximately 90 minutes

Objectives

• To become familiar with a popular American movie

• To use vernacular from the movie to create a group skit

Activities

• Introduce movie and plot summary (15 min)

• Group work: students create skits/role-plays

Materials

• Movie Vernacular Handout (appendix D)

• Mid-term rubric (appendix E)

Procedure

1) Give a lecture and discussion on the plot summary of the movie. Talk about the

characters in the movie and some of the important scenes.

2) Provide students with a list of vernacular from the movie (see appendix C). This

document is long and is to be edited as needed. Students are then put into groups of 4-
 5 from which they will be using their lists to create a skit/role play. This role play

will be their mid-term project and students should also be given the scoring rubric

(see appendix D) from which they will receive their grade from along with an

explanation of the rubric.

Homework

• Short Essay (100-120 words) Describe the scene in the skit you’ll be doing and

describe the character you’ll be playing.

LESSON 4: Watching Dead Poet’s Society

Time

• Approximately 120 minutes

Objectives

• To watch a good movie and to identify some of the vernacular studied in previous

lesson.

Activities

• Watch the movie

Materials

• Projector

• Dead Poet’s Society Movie

• Snacks (optional)

Procedure

1) Encourage the students to pay attention to the vernacular that was studied in the

previous lesson.
 2) Give students their homework sheet (see appendix F)

Homework

• Answer in writing a list of questions about the movie (appendix F)

LESSON 5: Mid-Term Presentations

Time

Approximately 90 minutes

Objectives

• To perform a previously rehearsed scene using learned vernacular

Activities

• Last minute preparation (15-30 min)

• Group skits (60-75 min)

Materials

• Mid-term rubric (appendix E

• Video camera to record the skits

Procedure

1) Allot time for students to make their final preparations on their skits.

2) Then one at a time, each group will perform their skit for the class.

3) Use the rubric to assess scores to each group and each skit will be video recorded.

4) After students have completed their script, ask questions and give some feedback to

the group.

Homework

N/A
 Future Lesson Ideas: Group discussion about the movie, Watch the
students’ skits and pick out the vernacular used in each one, Vernacular
Bingo

Works Cited

Brown, H. D. (2006). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching (5th Edition). London:
Pearson Esl.

Beare, K., Descriptive Vocabulary for Cinema, Movies, and Stars. Taken on July 10, 2009
from: http://esl.about.com/od/vocabularylessonplans/a/cinema1.htm

BridgeTEFL, The Roles of the Teacher and Learner, Approaches and Methods. Taken on July
11, 2009 from http://www.teflonline.com/

Bruton, A., Process Writing and Communicative-Task-Based Instruction: Many Common

Features, but More Common Limitations? Taken on July 9, 2009 from
http://writing.berkeley.edu/tesl-ej/ej35/a2.pdf

Celcia-Murcia, M (2001). Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Boston, MA:

Heinle & Heinle Publisher

Chung, H., Movie Charades. Dave’s ESL Café. Taken on July 10, 2009 from:
http://www.eslcafe.com/idea/index.cgi?display:944747642-20402.txt

Eng. K.H. (2000, August). Can Asians Do PBL? CDTLBrief 2(2) Retrieved February 28, 2009 from
http://www.cdtl.nus.edu.sg/brief/v3n3/sec2.htm

ESLFlow.com, Vocabulary for Reviewing Films and Movies. Taken on July 9, 2009 from
http://www.eslflow.com/Vocabulary_for_reviewing_films_and_movies.pdf (for appendix A)

ETS. Test and Score-Based Summary for TOEFL Internet-Based Test. Taken on July 13, 2009 from
http://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/TOEFL-SUM-0506-iBT.pdf

Ganjooei, B.A. & Rahimi, A., Language Learning Strategy Use for EFL E-Learners and
Traditional Learners: A Comparative Study. Taken on July 9, 2009 from
http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Dec_08/article01.htm

Miller, K. Movie Trailer ESL Video Lesson. Suite 101.com. Taken on July 10, 2009 from
http://esl-programs-lessons.suite101.com/article.cfm/movie_trailer_esl_video_lesson

Oh, Y.J. Adoption of English as Official Language Proposed. The Korea Times. Taken on
July 8, 2009 from http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/11/123_34000.html

Weschler, R. English Learner Movie Guides. esl notes. Taken on July 10, 2009 from
http://www.eslnotes.com/synopses.html
Appendix A
Appendix B
Describing Actors and Actresses
Descriptive Adjectives: Use this space to write as many descriptive adjectives that you can
find in your dictionary.

Favorite Actor: _________________

Adjectives that describe him/her:1) _________________

2) _________________
3) _________________
4) _________________
5) _________________

Another Actor/Actress: ________________

Adjectives that describe him/her:1) _________________

2) _________________
3) _________________
4) _________________
5) _________________

Another Actor/Actress: ________________

Adjectives that describe him/her:1) _________________

2) _________________
3) _________________
4) _________________
5) _________________

Another Actor/Actress: ________________

Adjectives that describe him/her:1) _________________

2) _________________
3) _________________
4) _________________
5) _________________
Appendix C

Dead Poet's Society

(Drama)(1989)

© 1999 by Raymond Weschler

Major Characters

Mr. John Keating....................Robin Williams

Young professor of English who is both inspiring and a bit eccentric.

Neil Perry.................................Robert Sean Leonard

Student who wants to be an actor although
his very strict father insists that he become a doctor.

Todd Anderson........................Ethan Hawke

Neil's very shy roommate.

Knox Overstreet.........................Josh Charles

Student who falls in love with the daughter
of old friends of his parents.

Charlie..........................................Gale Hansen
A very defiant student.

Mr. Nolan.....................................Norman Lloyd

The conservative and strict head of Welton Academy.

Plot Summary

This is the story of students at the respected "Welton Academy," a preparatory school in Vermont. Such schools
were (and often still are) very conservative institutions that serve as high schools for parents who insist on
sending their children to the best universities. Welton, like many prep schools, admitted only boys. The movie
takes place in 1959.

The plot centers on the influence of Mr. Keating, a young and exciting English and poetry teacher, who is
determined to teach his students to live life with absolute passion. Mr. Keating, using poetry as his vehicle,
teaches his students to challenge the institutions around them.

Inspired by Mr. Keating's philosophy of life, many of his students recreate the "Dead Poet's Society," a secret
club which meets in a cave in order to discuss poetry, philosophy and other topics. The club, which Mr. Keating
had created many years earlier when he was a student at Welton, would be completely unacceptable to the
conservative school, which discourages students from "thinking for themselves." Indeed, Welton students should
be in their rooms, studying only the prescribed materials that their teachers assign.

This movie is about what happens when these students decide to pursue their own desires, and to live life with
the passion that Mr. Keating encouraged. Ultimately, it is about what happens when a few idealistic students
find themselves confronted against conservative forces that resist
all change, including the drive for personal self-determination.

Words and Expressions that You may not Know

Students arrive at Welton Academy

for the beginning of the school year.
OK boys, settle down.
An alternative to calm down.

The four pillars: Tradition, honor, discipline, excellence.

A "pillar" is a physical foundation upon which something is built.

"Welton Academy."
Name of the preparatory school where the movie takes place.

75% went on to the Ivy Leagues.

A term for the most elite American Universities on the East coast,
including Harvard, Yale and Princeton. Ivy is the green plant that grows on many of their
buildings.

Fervent dedication.
An interesting adjective which means passionate or intense.

Preparatory School.
Expensive private high schools that prepare students for college.
They are often called "prep schools," and their students
are often called "preppies."

Thrilling ceremony.
A good adjective which means exciting, or perhaps delightful.

You have some big shoes to fill.

A way of saying that a family member you are being compared to did an excellent job in
something you are going to do yourself.

Vaporizer.
A little device that produces steam to help deal with a cold.

Looks like a stiff.

Slang for a dead body, or in this case, an unappealing person.

Don't mind him. He's born with his foot in his mouth.
"Ignore him....since he's always saying stupid and foolish things."

Travesty.
A mockery or exaggerated imitation.
A common phrase is "a travesty of justice."

Bootlicking.
A crude adjective for a person willing to do anything to please another.

Valedictorian.
The person with the best grades in a high school class, and who
usually presents a speech at the graduation ceremony.

Extra-curricular activities.
Refers to activities like sports, clubs and so on (outside of classes).

You should drop the annual.

"To drop" something is to give it up. "The annual" is the book
that schools produce each year with photos of each student.
Tell him off!
"To tell someone off" is to yell or curse at them ("fuck you").

Oh, that's rich.

When used sarcastically, "rich" shows disgust or disbelief,
though it is rarely used this way.

They're just a bunch of jerks.

A very common term for an idiot, or perhaps an unpleasant person.

I urge you not to test me on this point.

Another way of saying "don't challenge me."

Mr. Keating arrives to teach poetry. The boys find themselves with
a very passionate and rebellious teacher in a very conservative school.

Well, come on!

Here, it means "let's go." It is probably the most widely used phrasal verb in English, and
can mean everything from "be serious" to "go" to "stop it," depending on the context.

"Captain, my captain."
A quote from one of Mr. Keating's favorite poems. A "captain"
is a military leader, and often the person in charge of a ship.

Dispel rumors, so that they won't fester into facts.

"To dispel" is to eliminate. "To fester" is to generate pus, or to rot.

The intellectual equivalent of a 98 pound weakling.

An expression for one who is considered very weak.

They were throwing Byron in my face.

Byron was a great 19th century British poet: This is a way of saying that he was not too smart,
and thus he didn't really understand Byron.

"Carpe Diem!"
The most important words in the movie! Latin for "seize the day," or more generally, "live life to the
fullest." Although a Latin term, this movie popularized it into a relatively uncommon expression used by
English speakers.

We are food for worms, lads.

A poetic way of saying we will all die and our dead bodies
will feed the worms. "Lads" is a more British term for "guys."

Full of hormones.
Body chemicals, often meaning sexual hormones.

The world is their oyster.

Common expression meaning they can do whatever they want
An "oyster" is a shellfish delicacy.

Not one iota of what they are capable of doing.

A funny little word meaning a very tiny amount.
Now they're fertilizing daffodils.
Again, a reference to the fact that all people die and return to the ground. "Fertilizer" is food for
plants, and a "daffodil" is a flower.

Their legacy to you.

A "legacy" is something handed down to future generations.

Spooky, if you ask me.

A nice little word that means scary (as in ghosts).

Don't you get anything?

In this case, "to get" is used to mean understand.

Let's go, hustle up.

An old-fashioned way to say "hurry up."

Knox visits his parents' old friends, and

soon falls in love with their daughter.

"The Danburys"
Family home where Knox meets their daughter, Chris.

I'll second that.

A way of saying "I agree with what was just said."

Suit yourself.
An interesting way to say "Do whatever you want." It is often said after a person says they're
going to do something different than what you
think they should do.

He's the spitting image of his father.

"To be the spitting image of" someone is to look just like them.

He just did a great case for GM.

General Motors Company: Here, meaning he worked
as a lawyer for GM, and probably won the case.

It's a tragedy, that she's in love with such a jerk.

Again, a very common word for an idiot or unpleasant person.

Trig.
Short for "trigonometry," which is a type of mathematics.

Mr. Keating explains how to appreciate poetry.

Excrement!
The technical (or medical) term for "shit."

Poetry is not American Bandstand!

A famous TV show in which pop musicians sang their songs.

"J. Evan Pitchart, Ph.D."

The writer of the introduction in the poetry book which
Mr. Keating thinks destroys the true spirit of poetry.
Rip it out!
"To rip out" a page from a book is to remove it by tearing it out.

What the hell is going on here?

Note the addition of "the hell" in various "Wh questions" is colloquial but common. It adds emotion
and emphasis.

The casualty could be your heart and soul.

A "casualty" is an injury or death. Your "soul" is the part of you
that is spiritual, or not physical, and that in theory, lives forever.

You will learn to savor words.

"To savor" is to smell or taste with much pleasure or intensity.

Huddle up.
This means to come together in a tightly packed, small group.

The powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.
A section in a poem. Here, perhaps used
symbolically to mean "the poem of life."

Misguided though it was.

To be "misguided" is to be lead in the wrong direction.
Note the somewhat rare grammatical construction.

Free-thinkers at 17?
A "free-thinker" is simply a term for someone who
thinks for themselves and refuses to be a conformist.

I never pegged you as a cynic.

"To be pegged as" something is to be seen like that by others. A "peg"
is a fastener. A cynic is an important word referring to a person who is skeptical, or does not easily trust
things that she is told.

The boys discover "the dead Poet's Society," founded by Mr. Keating
when he had been a student. They decide to reconvene this club.

Mr. Keating was a hell raiser.

A "hell raiser" is a person who causes a lot of trouble and commotion.

The administration wouldn't look to favorably on that.

This refers to the school administration.

They were dedicated to sucking the marrow out of the bones of life!
Very poetic way of saying that "they wanted to live life to the fullest." The "marrow" is the
middle filling of bones.

We weren't a Greek organization.

This refers here to fraternities and sororities, which are common
clubs on campus that are generally considered very conservative.

Poetry rolled off our tongues like honey.

"We easily created and spoke poetry."
This stroll down amnesia lane.
A "stroll" is a relaxed walk. "Amnesia" is the inability to remember.

Do you know how many demerits were talking?!

A "demerit" is a mark made against one's academic or work record.

No shit, Sherlock!
A crude but truly great sarcastic expression meaning "that should
be obvious" ("Sherlock" refers to the detective Sherlock Holmes).

Women swoon!
"To swoon" is to be overwhelmed by joy, or to faint.

Stop chattering.
"To chatter" is to talk endlessly." Also note that
your teeth will chatter when its very cold.

Cut out that racket!

"Cut out" is very common for "stop," and a "racket" here means noise.

Reconvene the Dead Poet's Society.

"To reconvene" is to begin or open up again.

Todd will keep the minutes.

"The minutes " of a meeting are its official records.

You're always bumming my smokes.

A very colloquial way to say "taking my cigarettes."
("To bum" something off someone is generally more British).

A passion for jigsaw puzzles.

Puzzles cut up into little pieces that one tries to put together.

Trembling hands.
"To tremble" is to shake (usually out of fear or fatigue).

Demented mad men.

"Demented" is a slightly stronger way to say crazy.

The plague of his life.

"A plague" is literally an epidemic of disease.
In this context, it refers to his biggest problem.

He got his goat

"To get someone's goat" is to really irritate them.

Morose.
A strong word meaning very sad or dark.

Language developed for one endeavor: To woo women.

A somewhat old-fashioned word which means
to seek the affection of another person.

You look forward to this...like root canal work.

This refers to the work dentists do on teeth at the root,
which is usually very unpleasant for the patient!

Strive to find your own voice.

 "To strive" is to work hard to accomplish something.

"People lead lives of quiet desperation."

A famous quote by the American writer Thoreau,
implying that people are very unhappy with their lives.

Despite his father's wishes, Neal decides

to follow his heart and become an actor.

A play, dummy.
An almost affectionate way to call someone stupid.

Open try-outs
When anyone can try out for a part in a play or movie.

I have to get the part.

The refers to an acting role in a movie or play.

Jesus, whose side are you on?

"Who are you supporting?" (Note that "Jesus"
is often said to show irritation or other emotion).

Nothing Mr. Keating says means shit to you.

If something "doesn't mean shit," its not considered important.
(Almost always used in a negative sentence).

You're as excited as a cess-pool.

A "cess pool" is a covered hole for receiving sewage.

You can just butt-out!

When you tell someone to "butt out," you are telling them
to stop getting involved in things that shouldn't concern them.

Mr. Pitts, rise above your name!

Mr. Keating's way of implying that Gearld's last name is not particularly pretty since "that's
the pits" means "that's the worst."
A "pit" is the core of a fruit, as well as a hole in the ground.

To meet enemies undaunted.

This is a poetic word that means "not scared."

Let it fill your soul!

A poetic way of saying that you should completely
absorb something in order to feel it inside you.

"Buck"
The name of the character that Neil will play.

We're not laughing at you, but near you!

Normally, one say's "I'm not laughing at you, but with you"
(This is a clever play on words).

Todd discovers that in every shy kid, there is a poet trying to escape.
You're in agony. Let's put you out of your misery.
"To put someone out of their misery" is a useful way of referring to a mercy-killing, which is done to
end their suffering.

You don't get away that easy!

A critical phrasal verb. "To get away with something" is to
do it without being punished or facing negative consequences.

Walt Whitman.
A great 19th century American poet who wrote "Leaves of Grass."

Say it, even if it's gibberish.

A great word that refers to nonsensical words
or sentences that have no real meaning.

Mumbling, like a sweaty-tooth mad man!

"To mumble" is to speak unclearly
(This sentence is almost gibberish itself!).

As you wail and cry and scream.

"To wail" is to cry in a high pitched voice.

That a boy!
A common phrase you might say to a child to show approval.

Knock it off!
In this context, it means "Be quiet!" In other contexts, a truly great
colloquial imperative command which generally means "Stop it!"

You have got to do more, be more!

Note "have got to"----> "gotta" in rapid speech.

The saxophone is more sonorous.

An educated word which means pleasant sounding.

All right, god damn it, carpe diem!

A crude but common expression used for emotional emphasis.

That's not the point!

"The point" is the critical or main idea that you want to say.
An important sentence, as is the question "What's the point?"

Their own stride.

This refers to the way or speed of walking.

To illustrate the point of conformity.

"Conformity" is the process of acting like everybody else.

The herd may go.

A "herd" is a group of cattle, but symbolically, the
word may refer to people acting in conformity.

The road diverged, and I took them on the one less traveled.
"To diverge" is to separate. This is a very
well known line from a famous poem.

The funny thing is...

 A common way of commenting on something ironic, or unusual.

Its shape is aerodynamic.

A word popular in advertising cars which
means built to move quickly through air.

How the hell is Mut, anyway?

Note the addition of "the hell" in questions to show emotion.

The Dead Poets Society faces its first crisis as

the school discovers what is occurring.

Are we going to have a meeting, or what?

A common way to end a question, if you're unsure of the answer.

Me and Pitts are working on a hi-fi system.

An old fashioned term for a stereo system.

I might be going to Yale.

A prestigious (very respected) university in the state of Connecticut.

I published an article in the name of the Dead Poet's Society.

If you publish something "in the name of" another author
or group, this means you are giving them credit for writing it.

If they catch me, I'll tell them I made it up.

"To make something up" is to create it yourself, or to
produce a story or explanation that is not really true.

A profane and unauthorized article.

"Profane" is a serious word for obscene.

Expulsion from this school.

This is the act of being expelled, or kicked out of an organization.

Wipe that smirk off your face!

A "smirk" is a smile that is done in an offensive or smug manner.

Were you kicked out?

To be "kicked out" is to be expelled or chased out of an organization.

I'm to turn everybody in, and apologize to the school.

"To turn someone in" is to report them to the authorities.

"Roanda"
The noble warrior name that Charlie uses for himself.

Long before your time.

A common way of saying "before you were born."

It was hard giving it up.

"To give something up" is to no longer do it, or use it.

At their age? Not on your life?!

Here, a colloquial way of saying "its not possible!"

It was a lame stunt.

 "Lame" is disabled or weak, and a "stunt" is an act
of unusual courage, often done for the publicity.

Got it, ace?

"Do you understand, my smart friend?"
An "ace" can be an expert.

Keep your head about you.

"Stay calm, and think clearly"

A phone call from God collect. That would've been daring.

A "collect call" is when the person receiving the call pays for it.
If something is "daring, " it takes courage to do it.

Neil faces his own crisis in deciding

whether to act, or follow his father's wishes.

Don't dare talk back to me!

"Do not challenge or question what I have to say to you!"

This absurd acting business.

"Absurd" is a strong adjective meaning ridiculous, or unreasonable.

How did you expect to get away with it?

"To get away with something" is an important expression meaning
to do something bad or illegal, without being caught or punished.

Who put you up to it?

"To put someone up to" something is to encourage them to do it.

You are through with that play!

"To be through" with something is to be finished or done with it.

You will not let me down!

"You will do as I want, as I say you should."

What's up?
An extremely common way to greet someone when you first see them.
It means approximately "what's new in your life?"

How do you stand it?

Very common for "how can you accept it, or deal with it?"
If you "can't stand something," that means you hate it.

You're playing the part of the dutiful son.

An old-fashioned word for obedient, or very respectful.

You're not an indentured servant.

This is a person who must work a long time to pay off a debt.

Acting is not a whim for you.

An interesting word meaning a sudden idea or desire
that has not been thought out or reflected upon.

He'll let me stay with it if I keep up the school work.

"To keep up" with something is to continue to do it.
You'll drive the girls crazy.
In this case, to "make the girls adore you," although depending
on the context, you could drive someone crazy with irritation.

But it's fine for you to come barging in to my school?

"To barge into a room" is to enter in a frantic & unannounced way, often disturbing others in the
process of doing so.

It just so happens that I could care less about you.

Very blunt way of saying "you mean nothing to me."

Dead poet's honor, my word.

Both "on my word" or "on my honor" mean "I promise."

Neil's father learns a terrible lesson, and

Welton Academy looks for someone to blame.

Why do you insist on defying us?!

"To defy" someone is to oppose or resist them.

Brighton Military School.

An academy known for strict discipline .

He will be missed.
Note the passive construction, often used on solemn occasions.

We intend to conduct a thorough inquiry.

A powerful adverb meaning complete or comprehensive.

That's it. Were all fried.

In this context, used colloquially to mean "in very big trouble."

He's a fink!
This is a very colloquial and pejorative (negative) word for
one who tells the authorities about the misdeeds of others.

You think they'll just let it blow over?!

If something "blows over," it gradually fades away without having any long term consequences.

Schools go down for this.

If an organization "goes down," it means it is destroyed or badly hurt.

They need a scapegoat.

An important word for a person who is unjustly blamed for a situation, often simply because
the accuser's need to blame someone.

He's a rat!
In this case, meaning a person who is a fink (see four lines above).

Who are they after?

"To be after someone" is to chase and/or try and catch someone.

Who else do you think, dumb-ass?

A crude insult for a person thought of as stupid.

Mr. Keating put us up to it.

"To put someone up" to do something
 is to actively encourage them to do it.

Let Keating fry. Why ruin our lives?

"Let Keating take the blame."

You just signed your expulsion papers!

Documents that officially expel a person from an organization.

We put together what's happened here.

In this case, "put together" means to be able to understand.

Mr. Keating's blatant abuse of his position as teacher.

A powerful way to say clear and offensive misuse.

We'll find a permanent teacher during the break.

In academic contexts, "the break" refers to
the week or more when there are no classes.
Appendix E

Mid-Term Scoring Rubric

5 4 3 2 1 Comments
Excellent Good Needs some Needs much N/A
improvement improvement
Introduction:
Students
describe the
scene and
characters
Use of
movie
vernacular

Creativity

Fluency

Teamwork
Appendix F

Dead Poet's Society
© 1999 by Raymond Weschler

Homework Questions

1) Was "Welton" the type of school you would want to attend? 
Why or why not?

2) What was good about the school? What was bad?

3) Do schools like Welton exist in your country?

4) If you were attending Welton, and Mr. Keating was your poetry teacher, how 
would you describe him to your parents?

5) Why did Mr. Keating tell his students to rip out the introduction of the Poetry 
book?

6) Why did the students decide to create a Dead Poet's Society?

7) Why was Neil's father so upset when Neil decided to try and be an actor?

8) Why did Neil decide to commit suicide?

9) Why did Mr. Nolan and the school administration force the boys to sign the paper 
blaming Mr. Keating for Neil's death?

10) Was Mr. Keating an admirable person? Was Mr. Nolan? Neil? 
Neil's father?