Fathoming Cultural Aspects in Writing About English Language Movies for ESL Learners

Abstract

Movie interpretation teachers need to understand and explain cultural differences when assigning writing tasks for ESL students. Students need to be given the proper cultural orientation and representation for a writing assignment. Since language is interrelated with culture, the cultural values and norms are expressed through the language. Therefore, it is imperative that movie interpretation teachers recognize and convey the cultural elements found within a film. Teachers need to be aware of what the cultural aspects and the cultural ideas are that need to be socialized to the students to enable them to fully grasp and immerse themselves within the context of the culture. This paper will reveal hindrances students may face in understanding cultural aspects of a movie and provide teachers with guidelines as to how to overcome these obstacles. Examples of various movie genres will be discussed to give teachers insights into how to act as cultural brokers and facilitators to tackle understanding of the cultural facets found within the films, and how to relay this knowledge to the second language learners.