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Predicting What Will Happen Next

Activities Discussion Screen English
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Looking for a way to use video to teach English? This is a great activity that mixes a little drama and suspense, a whole lot of ESL fun, and also enables students to creatively predict what might happen next. This has two parts. First, the students will start to watch a clip from a TV show. For today’s purposes, I have included a clip from the Dave Chappelle show (Clean) and a partial script to save you the time of having to prepare this class.

English as a second Language Activity

Click on the picture to watch the clip.

Second, you will stop the clip right before there is a change of scene or it looks like something will happen. For this episode, I chose Dave Chapelle’s idea of what the ‘Real’ Matrix would be like. It’s a hilarious clip, but depending on your students, they can come up with something almost as good.

I’ve had students say the guys were delivery men. They were IRS agents. They just were clients, and they needed his help. Unfortunately the clip I found online has the first part removed. I like for them to listen to Dave since he speaks so fast and it’s not exactly clear what he says. I’ve left that part in just in case you can find another longer version. I had the whole show recorded and just played this bit from the show. (A word of warning, if you get a hold of the full show be careful. Not sure about this one but Dave’s humor is not always the cleanest.)

When you do this, you might have to show the beginning action a few times, depending on the students, but it is a very short clip. Make sure you give students time to go over what they think will happen first in small groups or pairs before they present their ideas to the class. They might even want to roleplay what they think will happen!


The Real Matrix (Dave Chapelle)

Dave: And now folks it is time for a _____ that I like to call real movies. Where you show the _____ ________ of what would happen in some of our favorite movies.  You know a lot of these movies get to be a little fake and ______ like you see “Home Alone.”  Macauley Caulklin is tricking these bad guys when you know any real ________ would have shot the little dude in the first 5 minutes, ____ ______, the end. So we like to show what would really happen in some of our favorite movies, starting tonight with “The Matrix.”

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Neo:  Hello

Morpheus:  Hello, Neo.  Do you know who this is?

Neo: Morpheus?

Morph:  Yes.  I’ve been looking for you Neo.  I don’t know if you are ready to see what I want to show you, but unfortunately, you and I have run out of time.  They’re coming for you Neo, and I don’t know what they are going to do.

Neo:  Who’s coming for me?

Morph: Stand up and see for yourself.

Neo: Shoot.

Morph:  I can guide you out of there, but you must do exactly as I say.

Neo:  Okay.

Morph:  The cubicle across from you is empty. Go. Now!  Stay there…

What do you think will happen next?

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What really happens? _____________________________________

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Use This for Any Clip Where There is a Break in the Action

I used this same idea using Johnny Depp’s movie, Don Juan Demarco. There is a part where he is holding a sword to Marlon Brando’s throat. I stopped it there and had students try to predict what would happen next. Old movies that students may not have seen work great for this activity.

Find a Movie or Show of Your Own

I’d love to hear your ideas on what shows and movies you used and how it went over. Please leave a comment down below in the comment section to share your success.

Until next time have fun and teach English, because Teaching English is Fun!

Jim

 

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