Week 4 Individual Session: Introduction to Television
Week 4 Individual Session: Introduction to Television
Session Goals
- Discuss different aspects of television
- Have the learner justify their position in an argument
Pre-Session Instructions for Learner
- What are your three favorite TV shows? Make a 2-3 minute presentation about them. What happens in them? Why are they good TV shows? You do not need to make slides - just take notes so you are ready to discuss at the session!
Pre-Session Instructions for Volunteer
- Make a 2-3 minute oral presentation about your favorite TV shows.
During the Session:
- [5 min] Here are some words and phrases that relate to this week's activities. Go through them with your buddy and challenge them to use each word/phrase at least once in the session!
- to binge-watch (verb) = to watch several episodes (or separate parts) of a television series or program, one after another
- We binge-watched an entire season of "Breaking Bad" on Sunday.
- TV/movie-junkee (noun) = someone who spends hours watching movies and possibly has seen almost every movie in a particular genre
- He is a real TV-junkee as he watches this program every weekend.
- to zap (verb) = to use an electronic device to change television channels quickly, sometimes to avoid watching advertisements
- She was really irritated with ads, so she started zapping.
- [5 min] Ask a few introductory questions to share your experiences with television. Encourage the learner to ask you questions as well. For example:
- When did you start watching TV?
- How many hours in a day do you watch TV?
- Do you like TV or films better? Why?
- [15 min] Present and discuss your favorite TV shows.
- Choose who goes first: you or the learner. This is a good opportunity to introduce them to the word “chance” (i.e., flipping a coin)
- When the learner presents, take notes on their grammar and pronunciation. Focus on more glaring errors as well as things that the learner did well. Think of 2-3 follow-up questions to ask the learner.
- When you present, ask the learner to write 2-3 questions to ask you after the presentation. Focus on being clear and precise. Be a good model for the learner. When you are done, have the learner ask their questions.
- [15 min] Delve into a deeper discussion of television with these questions:
- What are some different types of television (reality TV, comedy, etc.)? Ask the learner to name as many genres of TV as they can, then name two TV shows in each category. BONUS: Ask the learner to describe what these shows are about.
- Would you say that watching the news counts as watching TV? Explain the difference between television (all TV programming) and a TV show or series.
- In your country, do some TV shows have a “cult following” (i.e. a group of fans who follow the show obsessively)? If yes, what shows? Do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing? Why?
- How has TV changed since you were younger? How did you “get” TV when you were younger (cable, satellite, antenna)? How do you get it now? Are there different channels and shows? Has anything stayed the same?
- [10 min] Discuss your opinions on which are better - TV shows or movies. Here are some questions to ask the learner:
- What do movies offer that TV doesn’t and vice versa?
- What are some negative things about TV shows? Movies?
- Do TV shows offer more possibilities because they aren’t constrained by time?
- Are movies more entertaining because they must pack a lot of information into a shorter time span?
- Are there specific types of stories that are better portrayed in movies and others that fit TV shows better? What kinds?
- [10 min] Discuss quiz shows/talent shows broadcast on TV.
- What are the most popular quiz shows and talent shows in your country? Try to discover at least 3 common programs that you both have in your countries.
- Have you or anyone you know ever taken part in such shows? What are the rules?
- Are these programs real contests or just shows? Do they involve real people or actors to make them more entertaining?
- How have these shows changed/evolved in the past 5-10 years?
- If you have time, try to play a game “Who wants to be a millionaire?” You will need to go through the questions together.
- [15 min] Should children watch TV?
- Ask the learner for their initial thoughts on whether children should watch television. Take notes on their initial thoughts to reference later.
- Then ask the learner to create a quick presentation (approx 1 minute) justifying their opinion.
- Give the learner 2-3 minutes to think of justifications for their opinion.
- While the learner drafts their presentation, think of arguments to use against the learner’s points.
- Have the learner give their presentation. Then ask questions challenging the learner’s viewpoint. Ask them to address your challenges and defend their position.
- *For lower-level learners: *This is possible, but you will need to ask a lot of leading questions such as “Do you think that X means Y?”
- If you have time, watch this video on how TV affects children’s behavior. Be ready to share your screen and present this video during the session. Ask your learner:
- What affects children’s behavior? The content of TV shows or the amount of time spent watching TV shows?
- According to Dr. Raizman, how does TV affect children’s behavior? There are two parts to this answer.
- What results did they find for 3-5 year olds who were encouraged to watch less violent TV shows and watch TV with Mom and Dad?
- After watching this video, do you think TV can affect our behavior?
- Do you think this happens to *every *person or *most *people? Would you say that TV has affected your behavior in any way?
- Does watching this video change your opinion about whether children should watch TV?