Why not take a whole new approach to learning English?
Learning English is hard work. The vocabulary is huge, the grammar is confusing and the whole way of thinking can seem strange. But learning doesn’t have to be a struggle all the time. It can even be fun. Two very talented presenters have joined forces to help learners enjoy English through the magic of the movies.
Every weekend since November, MONO29 has aired its special new English language-learning programme, Scene Ded Pasa Nung (Movie Language). The show teaches you how to speak the language by using lines from your favourite films. Movie Language is hosted by English teacher Christopher Wright (Chris) and news anchor Suphajon Klinsuwan (Tae) who teamed up to make learning English easier and more fun.
S Weekly recently caught up with the guys to talk about the new show.
How did you team up?
Tae: Chris and I have known each other for a long time. We first met years ago when we were both working at Channel 3. I do a show called English Breakfast for Thai PBS. So I was contacted by the team from MONO29 to do the new show with Chris.
Chris: I’ve been wanting to do this kind of show for a long time now. I get asked so often whether learning English through movies really works. That gave me the idea for the programme.
How many episodes of Movie Language have there been so far?
Chris: It’s been more than a month already, so I guess it’s been around 12 episodes. For now, the show is only being aired on Saturdays and Sundays. But we’re talking about doing more shows during the week in the future. There are new movies on MONO29 every day, so we want to try and keep up with that.
In what ways is Movie Language different from the typical ways that English is taught?
Tae: The programme is aimed at everyday English conversation. We also show that movies can provide us with much more than just entertainment. They can be a great way of developing your language skills in an enjoyable way, on your own or with friends.
Chris: Learning a foreign language is already hard. And the culture is different from your own. Sometimes you might have trouble understanding what the actors are saying or what they’re doing on screen. So we take some important scenes from each movie and help viewers to digest them.
Are there any other interesting features of Movie Language?
Chris: One very cool aspect of the show is the special effects that we use. We don’t just show scenes from popular Hollywood movies. We use effects to make it look like Tae and I are a part of the movie. Recently, we did Men in Black and the effects team were able to edit it and put us in there, standing alongside Will Smith. It’s pretty cool.
Tae: Yes, we have to thank the talented production crew at MONO29.
Do you have specific types of movies that you like to use?
Tae: They’re mostly the big-budget Hollywood films that are shown on MONO29. These movies tend to be well-known. We want to make sure that people will enjoy watching them.
Chris: Some of the movies we’ve featured so far are Stealth, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ironman and Fast & Furious 7. They’re all awesome films.
What are your favourite types of films to watch?
Tae: Lately, I’ve been mostly into animation. I guess it’s because I have to watch them with my kids at home. They’ve grown on me. I also enjoy watching horror films.
Chris: I’m an avid DVD collector. I have some in almost every corner of my house. I can enjoy all kinds of films actually, but romantic comedies are my favourite. I used to be a fan of action, but I guess I’m a bit too old for that now. [Laughs.]
Can you name some of your favourite movies?
Tae: I love the Toy Story trilogy and The Lion King.
Chris: I love the Jim Carrey comedy Yes Man and the Matt Damon sci-fi thriller The Adjustment Bureau.
