The Best Movies To Show ELL Newcomers – Contribute Your Own Suggestions!

 

I have a pretty popular list called The Best Popular Movies/TV Shows For ESL/EFL that contains lots of resources and ideas.

However, I saw a Facebook post sharing specific suggestions for movies accessible to Newcomers, and I thought a post listing some of them would be useful.  Many people there gave me permission to include their ideas.  But then that post disappeared!

So, I’m sort of starting from scratch here, and have been trying to solicit new ideas.  Please share your own!

I’m not generally a big fan of showing full-length movies to any class.  But, sometimes I’ve used one as a change-of-pace by showing it in segments and using the Language Experience Approach with it (see THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING HOW TO USE THE LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE APPROACH).  I’ve also had subs show one when I’m out of class, or on the last day prior to a holiday or near the end of the school year.

You might also be interested in THE BEST RESOURCES TO HELP EDUCATORS TEACH ELL NEWCOMERS.

Here are some recommendations:

My absolute favorite is The Bear.

Of course, Mr. Bean videos are great, too.

Alice Kellogg recommends Cool Runnings.

Flight of the Navigator works well because the plot is easy to follow and the main character speaks slowly and clearly.

— Maria Cruz (@DrCruzerman) July 8, 2022

I love the Pixar clips – they are varying lengths

— Booklover (@Teacherlady_78) July 8, 2022

Here are links and info about Pixar films.

With my HS newcomer students, I used short films (often with little to no dialogue) from Literacy Shed and Pixar’s Sparkshorts. These shorts are very accessible but also cognitively engaging and elicit great discussion about some complex topics.

— Jennifer Yoo-Brannon (@JYooBrannon) July 8, 2022

I love the movie BIG. Lots of culture in it, even if dated. Language is social, not complex. So easy to cut up the scenes. I wrote a whole lesson book for it.

— David Deubelbeiss (@ddeubel) July 8, 2022

We watched Shaun the Sheep.

— H Wheelock (@wheelockh) July 8, 2022

Yes Day

— Roxanne Russell (she/her) (@Online_Edu_Rox) July 8, 2022

Mercy’s Blessing https://t.co/dB2Atcf9qB

— Niaz Khadem (@NiazKhadem) July 8, 2022

Wallace and Grommet are some faves. And Wall -E

— Viraj Ward (@hikenlady) July 8, 2022

The Miniscule short films for Movie Talks, eg Microzilla.

— Tiffany L. Hendrix (@OriginalGeoTrix) July 8, 2022

pic.twitter.com/S7UtHaR5aH

— Mia Young, M.Ed (@WestsidehsTeach) July 9, 2022

Here’s a comment from Molly Fuentealba:

Larry, these are the ones I’ve used with my JH/HS students.
*indicates movies I share with my grad students or my teacher colleagues

Stand & Deliver
Freedom Writers
McFarland, USA
*Child Migrant Stories – Voices Past & Present
*The Other Side of Immigration
*Riding the Beast
*Sin Nombre
*Which Way Home
*Human Flow
*Paper Children
*For Sama
*Midnight Traveler
*Charter to the Stars
A Good Lie
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (used w 5th & 6th graders)
Hidden Figures

We’ve heard Enrique’s Journey will become a movie. Right now there are only YouTube clips

I have had to be really cautious with some of the scenes that foreshadow or hint at any of the experiences our refugee students have experienced, well any of our kids who are survivors whether Big T or Little t traumas

I’m also hearing “WALL-E” might be good.