Exploring Cultures through Movies

[[abstract]]Exploring Cultures through Movies is designed to broaden students' awareness, understanding, and appreciation of cultures and movies. The author has chosen representative international films as tools for exposing students to aspects of cultures, including those of Eastern and Western cultures. Speaking, listening, reading and presentation activities will help students explore and critique the cultural point of views portrayed in movies. Throughout various in-class, research and presentation activities students are advised and encouraged to think and express their ideas freely. The main purpose of these activities is to help students have a better understanding of themselves and their own culture as well as other cultures. A wide selection of self evaluation activities will enable students to monitor different reactions and observations among the classmates. In addition to increasing students' knowledge and understanding of cultural differences, Exploring English through Movies will help students develop strong critical thinking and analytical abilities as they learn to recognize and question messages inherent in the media and the movie portrayals of different populations. A unique feature of the textbook is “what do you think” questions that appear throughout the various units. Introduction of several controversial real life ideas aim to provoke student perspectives that might not otherwise be explored. The content and activities in this textbook are designed for both undergraduate and graduate students with low-intermediate to advanced English speaking and reading skills. This textbook is ideal for English Conversation, Movie English, Debate and classes that seek to promote film viewing as well as multicultural awareness