I'd planned to use The Princess Bride in class this coming week (the last week I'll teach, possibly EVER), but when the ex gave me the DVD, I realized that there are no French subtitles*.
Crap crap crap crap.
Fortunately he brought some other DVDs. Unfortunately, it's stuff like Shrek, Atlantis, Monsters, Inc., and you get the picture. (They're my kids' DVDs, natch).
He gave me back my VHS copy of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but of course, there aren't any French subtitles on that, because it's a fucking TAPE.
I could show them Say Anything (80s cheese, but oh, John Cusack!), Lost In Translation (beware the strip bar scene and its "suckin' on my titty..." soundtrack), The Secret Garden (too "sweet" for 7th and 8th graders?), or Harry Potter and the Teenagers from Hell.
Or I could take a deck of cards and teach them how to play 5-card draw.
Point is, they're in no mind to work, and neither am I. I know you're not supposed to show an entire film to a class, just "extracts" based on work you've done with the students. However, I'm feeling about as far from pedagogy as a teacher can get.
11 classroom hours to go.
*(Note to self: when buying from Amazon UK, verify presence of French subtitles in films. don't worry about possible use in the classroom from here on out).
PUH-LEASE! of course you will show them the whole film during the last week of school. there is no other way to control 14-year olds during this awful time.
i chose bend it like beckham- pg-13, so not allowed, but i found 'west side story' did not keep their attention enough.
Posted by: nicole | June 19, 2005 at 15:01
I have Bend It Like Beckham, bought via Amazon UK, and no French subtitles.
:::sigh:::
Posted by: Alison | June 19, 2005 at 17:06
Screw it. They were supposed to be learning English, right? Show it to them WITHOUT subtitles. :lol:
Posted by: newwavegurly | June 19, 2005 at 18:46
My Humanities teacher showed us The Adventures of Baron Munchusen on the last coupla days of school. We loved it.
Dang, Princess Bride woulda been good. But why do they need the subtitles, isn't this an English class?
Posted by: barb | June 19, 2005 at 20:17
It's an English class, but they are V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W learners.
Posted by: Allan | June 19, 2005 at 20:24
Don't feel bad---the last couple of classes this year, I showed my students Bob Esponja, AKA SpongeBob. Hee!
Posted by: Denise | June 19, 2005 at 21:17
Shrek. There's enough sophomoric humor to keep them more than entertained.
And wear something low cut for the others.
Posted by: Thomas | June 20, 2005 at 09:58
I have several DVDs with French subtitles; I wish I could send them to you. Courage!
Posted by: Margaret | June 20, 2005 at 17:23