This paper considers what is the best way to teach the English language through movies and TV dramas. For this, the strong points of these screen media should be considered. These are conversational routines and a variety of scenes. If routines can be properly memorized, language development and conversational confidence can be expected (Myles, et. al., 1999). The role of the teacher in teaching English through movies and TV dramas will also be discussed. Very often teachers hesitate to use screen media because they do not know what to teach or how to use it effectively. For the past ten years, research findings have shown that movie materials are appropriate for developing listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar skills, and for understanding culture. Other non-movie materials are also appropriate for developing these skills. However, it is believed that they do not offer the primary strong point of movies and TV dramas, that is, conversational routines. This paper therefore, shows how to teach these routines and how to help learners memorize them. It suggests three stages of memorization: pre-memorization, during-memorization, and post-memorization. Two subjects are invited to memorize routines and hand in reports at each stage. The findings described in the paper offer solutions to help teachers overcome their embarrassment and lack of confidence in using movies and TV dramas for teaching English. |