ESL Film Quiz — A2/B1: The Holiday
Films offer a wide range of benefits to students: even if they've already seen a film in their first language, watching it in another language teaches them to listen out for, and catch, first individual words, then phrases, and eventually complete sentences. Subtitles help with vocabulary and pronunciation patterns, though they inevitably turn the exercise into more of a reading task. With an ESL film quiz, all of this can even be done in self-study mode. This time, it's a Christmas romantic comedy at A2/B1 level: The Holiday.
Try this set of tasks in your lesson, or assign it as homework: students answer different types of questions while watching the romantic comedy The Holiday. The film is an excellent example of both British and American English accents.
The quiz has six sections. Students should first read the questions for each section, then watch the film in English (with English subtitles if necessary) and stop at the times given at the top of each section. They can review their answers before moving on to the next one.
After submitting the quiz, they receive immediate feedback on their score, which you can follow up with some engaging class discussion.
It works nicely as a change of pace for your last lesson before the Christmas holidays. The film is available on various streaming platforms.
FILM QUIZ (A2-B1) - THE HOLIDAY
ESL Film Quiz — B1+/B2: The Perfect Date
Films offer entertainment, listening practice, exposure to different varieties of English, and a genuine expansion of up-to-date vocabulary. Furthermore, they inspire ideas, sparkle opinions and intrigue debates. Here's an ESL film quiz for your teenage students, at around B1+/B2 level, to get them thinking and talking about issues such as university, apps, dating and love in the modern age.
This is a quiz to complete while watching the film The Perfect Date.
The quiz is divided into five sections. Students should read the questions for each section, then watch the film — in English, and preferably without subtitles at this level — up to the marked minutes or scenes. They can answer the questions (for example, on their mobile phones) as they watch. At the end, they get immediate feedback on their answers by clicking Submit.
Before watching the film, you might want to open with a class discussion about university, asking your students: Do you think it matters which university you decide to go to? Why, or why not?
After the film, you can expand on these topics in further class, group or pair discussions, or perhaps rewrite some of the film's dialogue together with your students.
As follow-up homework, ask your students to write a first draft of their university application letter, explaining to the reader who they are.
FILM QUIZ (B1+/B2 - THE PERFECT DATE
ESL Film Quiz — B2/C1: Shimmer Lake
Finally, let me invite you to enjoy a great thriller with your students, alongside an ESL film quiz written for B2/C1 level. Besides the obvious benefits — improving listening skills, expanding vocabulary, and so on — this film offers plenty of opportunities to speculate about what might have happened earlier, since the story is told in reverse.
This is a quiz to complete while watching the film Shimmer Lake, a 2017 American neo-noir crime film written and directed by Oren Uziel. It's available on different streaming platforms.
The film is divided into days, marked by different scenes in which someone wakes up with a fright. Students should read the questions before each section and stop at the end of each day (Friday – Thursday – Wednesday – Tuesday) to answer them.
At the end, they get immediate feedback by clicking Submit.
You can use this film quiz in your lesson or assign it as homework. It requires a high level of English, since the plot itself is fairly complex, so the language focus should be more on idioms and set phrases than on the finer plot details.
Before watching, ask your students to consider these questions:
- Do you ever wake up with a fright? If so, why?
- Do you think you know your siblings well enough?
- Is there anything that would make you accept a bribe, or rob a bank?
FILM QUIZ (B2-C1) - SHIMMER LAKE
After the film, you might invite your students to find and present other intriguing stories to the class. Another notable example of a film told in reverse is Memento (2000). Other unforgettable thrillers with a striking twist ending include Dream House (2011), The Invisible Guest (2016) and Shutter Island (2010).
For face-to-face lessons, browse through some learning resources.