Building a lesson around a sitcom Submitted by Katherine Bilsb... on 28 January, 2009 - 12: 0 !

i"e any #iece o$ authentic material the #ossibilities $or using a sitcom in the classroom are boundless. %e#ending on your style o$ teaching you might li"e acti&ities that are more - or less controlled. 'n$ormal discussions, structured language analysis, role-#lays, re&ie( (riting .... '$ it (or"s $or you and your students, it)s &alid. *hoosing a sitcom +here are thousands o$ British sitcoms. ,nless you "no( (here to start the tas" could turn out to be tedious and time consuming. -or teachers (ho are $amiliar (ith British +. the best #lace to start is #robably (ith a sitcom that you "no(. -or non-nati&e /nglish teachers (ho ha&e less o$ an idea or teachers (ho are 0ust 1out o$ touch1 (ith British +. - don)t (orry2 3el# is at hand. 4t htt#:55(((.sitcom.co.u"5list6to#.shtml you (ill $ind a list o$ the to# 0 ,K sitcoms o$ all time - com#iled a$ter a BB* #oll in 2007. +he list is not necessarily com#lete and some might disagree (ith the content, but it is a good #lace to start because the list includes brie$ syno#ses o$ each sitcom (hich are use$ul in choosing a #articular theme. *hoosing a scene 8nce you ha&e selected a sitcom the ne9t ste# is to choose an a##ro#riate scene. '$ you are using a %.% or &ideo you can (atch a (hole e#isode and ta"e note o$ an interesting bit that you thin" your students (ould en0oy. +his de#ends on (hat the $ocus o$ the lesson is going to be. :ou might li"e to select a cli# (ith some interesting &ocabulary, collo;uial e9#ressions or a sim#le dialogue that students can $ollo(. 8r you might be more interested in sho(ing your students some as#ect o$ British li$e< an o$$ice, a school canteen, a corner sho# ... 't)s easy to s#end a lot o$ time loo"ing $or the #er$ect cli#. '$ you)&e got time to s#are then that)s $ine. But $or most teachers time is the last thing they)&e got. 4s long as the section you choose has interesting language, is a##ro#riate $or the le&el o$ your students and meets the other criteria you ha&e set, then loo" no $urther. /9tracting use$ul language =hat ma"es language use$ul> 4gain, this de#ends &ery much on your students and their learning conte9t. 4 grou# o$ (or"ers $rom a #articular sector might be "een to learn s#ecialist &ocabulary related to their area o$ (or". Students (ith a high le&el o$ /nglish ?and not so high@ are usually interested in collo;uial language that real #eo#le use in e&eryday situations. Sometimes you can rein$orce a grammatical structure through the &ideo cli# o$ a sitcom. Scri#ts are use$ul $or $inding s#eci$ic language easily. ,se$ul (eb resources Some o$ the most #o#ular sitcoms ha&e the scri#ts $or some or all o$ the e#isodes a&ailable on the 'nternet. 8thers li"e 1:es Ainister1 ha&e selected (hat they consider to be the $unniest e9tracts $rom each e#isode and ha&e #osted the scri#ts $or those #arts on htt#:55(((.yes-minister.com5e#isodes.htm :ou can read the scri#t and you can also (atch the scenes in BCeal &ideo) (ith audio. +he 4b -ab lin" on the BB* #age at htt#:55(((.bbc.co.u"5comedy5ab$ab5 has also #ic"ed out the $unniest

moments $rom each o$ the series and you can $ind &ideo cli#s and inter&ie(s (ith the actresses. 4t htt#:55(((.bbc.co.u"5comedy5sho(s5 there is an inde9 o$ all the BB* sitcoms and, de#ending on your choice, you (ill $ind re&ie(s, &ideo cli#s, scri#ts, inter&ie(s and all sorts o$ other in$ormation. -inally the database at htt#:55(((.comedy.org.u"5guide5>sitcomsDyes has a list o$ around 1, 00 British +. and radio sitcoms and includes lin"s to the current series that are being sho(n today. (((.youtube.com is the best #lace to $ind &ideos o$ British sitcoms. =rite the title in the search bo9 and in some cases you)ll get cli#s o$ e&ery e#isode that (as made. /#isodes are usually bro"en do(n into shorter cli#s and numbered so that $ans can (atch all their old $a&ourites in the right order. 'n the classroom +here are lots o$ di$$erent (ays that you can e9#loit sitcoms in the classroom $rom sim#ly #re-teaching any rele&ant &ocabulary, (atching a cli# and then ha&ing a $ollo(-u# discussion - to using #re#ared (or"sheets $or consolidating grammar structures or le9is. 3ere are a $e( suggestions that re;uire little or no #re#aration. -or some generic sitcom ideas (ith #hotoco#iable handouts go to sitcom acti&ities.

%i&ide the class into #airs o$ 4s and Bs. Send 4s out o$ the room, sho( Bs the cli# and then get Bs to e9#lain to 4s (hat has ha##ened. +hen sho( another cli# and get 4s and Bs to re&erse roles. Elay the cli# (ith no sound. Fet students in #airs or small grou#s to (or" out (hat is ha##ening 0ust $rom (atching. Stronger grou#s could try to guess (hat is being said. %i&ide the class into #airs o$ 4s and Bs. Eosition 4s (ith their bac"s to the +. and Bs $acing the +.. Elay the cli# (ith no sound and get Bs to gi&e a 1running commentary1 to their #artners. Elay the cli# and "ee# #ausing at rele&ant moments. 'n small grou#s or #airs students #redict ?a@ (hat is going to ha##en ne9t or ?B@ (hat somebody (ill say.

3ome(or" 5 tas" ideas Fi&e students a list o$ British sitcoms ?$rom one o$ the lin"s abo&e@. Fet students to choose a sitcom, (atch a cli# on :outube and ...

=rite a re&ie( $or your class. =rite do(n $i&e ne( e9#ressions they heard ?then $ind out (hat they mean@. =rite a #aragra#h entitled 1=hat ?a#art $rom the language@ indicates that this cli# is 1British1. Ere#are a #resentation about the sitcom. 'nclude title, dates, setting, main character?s@, your o#inion, etc.

*onclusion 4s (ith any other authentic material, using sitcoms (ill be a ;uestion o$ trial and error. '$ your $irst e9#erience isn)t as #ositi&e as you had ho#ed - don)t gi&e u# change something2 *hoose a di$$erent sitcom or a di$$erent cli#. +ry a di$$erent acti&ity or use the same idea (ith a di$$erent grou#.