Watching movies is a great way to learn English, as it builds listening and reading fluency, and also provides a window into different cultural practices and norms. With this is mind, the ELC hosted the first of two Movie Nights this semester last Thursday, November 28. The film shown for this first event was Moonrise Kingdom, directed by Wes Anderson (also known for films such as The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic, and Rushmore). The film, which was an Academy Award nominee in 2012, is a coming-of-age love story that includes plenty of comedy, as well action and drama.

The event began with some questions about students’ movie preferences in terms of film genres, as well as some questions about the American films that students have seen in the past. The hosts also described some of the defining characteristics of Wes Anderson’s films, including the unique visual and narrative style that are typical of many of his works.

While watching a film in English (with English subtitles) was definitely a challenge for many of the attendees, all managed to follow the story and seemed to genuinely enjoy the film. Afterwards, there was a brief follow-up discussion where attendees discussed their reactions to the film.