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1 Warm up
1. How do you access the majority of the TV programmes and films that you watch? Why do you
choose this method?
2. How has the way you watch television and films changed in the last ten to fifteen years?
3. What are your favourite programmes to watch? Why?
4. How much time do you normally spend watching television programmes and films each week?
Why?
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2 Focus on Vocabulary
1. subscribe (v) a. far more of something than you can deal with or
process
2. air (v) b. making you think deeply about a subject
Part B: Put the vocabulary from Part A into the correct gaps in the following sentences. You may have
to change the form of the word to fit the sentence.
1. We watched a brilliant documentary on veganism last night which made a really good case for it.
I found it really and it made me wonder if I should stop eating meat.
2. I’ve been the TV channels for the last fifteen minutes and haven’t found a single
thing I want to watch.
3. Do you remember each week to watch the latest episode of Friends? I must have
seen every episode about four or five times since then.
4. The documentary I watched last night looked at the of Asians in films and how
negative it can be, even in recent films.
5. There’s been so much political discussion on the news lately that it’s hard to know the truth. It can
be quite .
6. I was watching Fawlty Towers the other day and it’s still hilarious. I can’t believe the first time it
was in 1975!
7. Simon’s been talking about Stranger Things for ages, so I spent the weekend all
four of the current seasons and now I’m as hooked as he is.
8. We’ve just started to Disney Plus. The kids love it, but I’m not sure that I’m so
keen, to be honest.
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1. The Irishman
3. Saving Capitalism
5. Squid Game
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4 Listening comprehension
Listen again and decide if the following statements are True (T) or False (F).
5. Selma watches more programmes now than when she watched TV.
Read the following extracts and decide where they should go in the article on page five. Two of them
are not used.
• There’s also the way in which it has changed our viewing habits, which doesn’t sit well with
everyone.
• In 2019, the Netflix film, Roma, won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
• The snowy Norwegian town of Lillehammer was an unlikely place to begin a digital revolution, but
it played its part.
• Netflix has long been a champion of children’s programming, attracting millions of children from
around the world.
• Whatever your view, there’s no doubt that Netflix has come a long way since Frank Tagliano first
entered Lilyhammer and has brought millions of viewers with it.
• Shows such as Never Have I Ever and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before found an audience of
females in the 14 – 34 range that previously just hadn’t been addressed.
• A lot of criticism followed for the amount of violence portrayed in some of the network’s crime
films.
• It’s not just English language content which has been successful either.
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soon. In ten years, it has transformed the cultural viewing landscape entirely. What will happen next? We may
have to click on the Netflix icon to find out.
6 Reading comprehension
Decide if the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG).
2. Netflix started as a company which streamed films and TV programmes on the Internet.
3. According to the article, only one Netflix film has won an Oscar.
4. Netflix attracts more viewers than any other media company has done before.
6. Netflix’s own employees went on strike because of some of the content it aired.
7. According to the article, some people believe Netflix is more anti-social because people are often
watching different things alone.
8. The article questions why people look down on reading when they wouldn’t have a negative
attitude towards people watching TV all day.
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Quickly read the article on page five and find vocabulary which means the same as the following.
1. (v, para. 2): make someone want to do something by making it seem very
desirable
2. (n, para. 3): a type of entertainment
4. (phr. v, para. 3): provide something for a particular person or group of people,
sometimes with special requirements
5. (n, para. 5): a particular task or a project, often that’s difficult or challenging
8 Talking point
1. In your opinion, what are the negative and positive aspects of streaming platforms such as Netflix?
2. Do you agree with the suggestion that watching television is less of a communal activity than it
was before services such as Netflix? Has streaming separated us more? Explain your ideas on this.
3. How do you think the way we watch television and films might develop and change in the future?
4. Do you think Netflix will last as a company, or do you think it might be replaced by another
company in future? Why?
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9 Extended activity/Homework
"Although it has brought us greater access to programming from around the world in greater
quantity than ever before, Netflix and other streaming services have reduced the quality of
programming. Sitting down to watch television used to be a family event and although there
was less to watch, it was of far higher quality. Netflix is to entertainment as McDonalds is to
food. Cheap, questionable quality and quickly forgotten."
You should:
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Transcripts
Selma: Oh hi Rob! I’m doing well, thanks. Just finished that essay that’s due in tomorrow. It was
a tough topic!
Rob: Tell me about it. It took me ages. So, listen, I wanted to ask you about Netflix. You
subscribe to it, don’t you?
Rob: I’m thinking about signing up, but I wanted to get your view on it. Is it worth the money?
Selma: I really think it is, although I don’t know that everyone would agree with me. I’m a huge
fan of crime series, so there’s nothing I love more than binge-watching a whole series in
a day in my pyjamas.
Rob: I keep reading about some really interesting films coming up on there – there was that
Martin Scorsese film recently?
Selma: Oh yes, The Irishman. I haven’t seen it yet, but Jane loved it and said it was some of his best
work. So, it’s on my list. But absolutely everything is covered. There’s Horrors, Thrillers,
Comedy, Cartoons, you name it. I’ve seen some really thought-provoking documentaries
on there recently. There’s Saving Capitalism by Robert Reich which takes a really good
look at the system we live in and its problems and then makes suggestions for how to fix
it. I watched What The Health which looks at the links between the food industry and
healthcare. I’ve had a lot of discussions with other students about that one.
Selma: Loads! Film from concerts, documentaries about Bowie, Oasis, Bob Dylan... you like Hip
Hop, don’t you? There is a great series called Hip Hop Evolution that goes into how it all
started. It’s fascinating. What I really like about Netflix though is because there’s such
a huge audience, there’s a lot of representation of different groups in society. There are
loads of foreign films, there’s LGBTQ themes, Black and Asian directors. Something for
everyone. Did you hear about Squid Game?
Selma: Yes, it was brilliant and completely unlike anything you’d see over here. I also like it
because it’s just there when you want to watch something. You don’t have to worry about
tuning in to your favourite TV show at a particular time each week or having to wait until
the next episode airs. I feel like I spend less time watching shows than when I had TV and
I used to just watch whatever came on.
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Rob: You sound like you’re pretty pro-Netflix. Are there any downsides?
Selma: Well, not all of the films are that great. There’s so many of them that they can’t be. Quite
a few times I’ve started watching something and just ended up switching it off because
it was terrible. You can also spend so long just flicking through the different options.
There’s so much choice that you need to know what you want to watch or it can feel
overwhelming.
Selma: Come over some time and have a look through mine before you make a decision if you
want. If you bring some popcorn, I’ll let you choose what we watch – within reason. I’m
not watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I hate Horror films.
Selma: I’m practising with the orchestra tomorrow night, but Sunday night is good?
Rob: I’ll do better than popcorn, I’ll bring dinner. Is coming over at about 5, OK? I can’t stay too
late as I’ve got to be up early for a run on Monday.
Selma: Sounds good. Another advantage of having Netflix is people bring over dinner! (laughs)
Rob: (laughs)
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Key
1. Warm up
5 mins.
This gets students to think about their viewing habits and discuss their basic thoughts. There will be further
opportunity to discuss Netflix on a deeper level later, so keep discussion light at this point.
2. Focus on Vocabulary
5 mins.
Ensure students can correctly pronounce the target vocabulary. Ask students to do this unaided in the first
instance but check with a reference later if needed.
1. → f. 2. → d. 3. → h. 4. → g.
5. → e. 6. → a. 7. → b. 8. → c.
10 mins.
Ask students to guess which parts of speech can be used in the sentences first before completing the task. When
they have finished, ask them to discuss the questions to practise using the vocabulary. Circulate and help as
needed.
1. thought-provoking 2. flicking though 3. tuning in 4. representation
5. overwhelming 6. aired 7. binge-watching 8. subscribing
5 mins.
This gives an opportunity for the students to listen to the conversation ahead of the main comprehension.
2. ✓ What The Health 3. ✓ Saving Capitalism
4. ✓ Hip Hop Evolution 5. ✓ Squid Game
4. Listening comprehension
5 mins.
Ask students to predict their answers then check them on the second listening.
1. False 2. True 3. True 4. False
5. False 6. False 7. True 8. True
5 mins.
You may want to set a strict time limit to encourage students to skim read rather than read in detail.
A. The snowy Norwegian town of Lillehammer was an unlikely place to begin a digital revolution, but it played its
part.
B. In 2019, the Netflix film, Roma, won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
C. Shows such as Never Have I Ever and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before found an audience of females in the 14 –
34 range that previously just hadn’t been addressed.
D. It’s not just English language content which has been successful either.
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E. There’s also the way in which it has changed our viewing habits, which doesn’t sit well with everyone.
F. Whatever your view, there’s no doubt that Netflix has come a long way since Frank Tagliano first entered
Lilyhammer and has brought millions of viewers with it.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/feb/05/stream-big-how-netflix-changed-the-tv-landscape-in-10-years
https://www.businessinsider.com/how-netflix-is-changing-the-entertainment-industry-2021-8?IR=T
6. Reading comprehension
10 mins.
Ask the students to read in more detail and underline where they find the answer. If they are unable to underline
anything, the answer will be Not Given.
You may need to pre-teach or elicit the following vocabulary:
broadband (n) - a method of connecting to the Internet which allows a large amount of data to be transferred
quickly, enabling activities such as streaming and gaming.
transphobic (adj.) - acting in a discriminating or negative way towards transgender people
sitcom (n) - a situation comedy, a popular genre of television. For example, Friends, Frasier and Seinfeld are all
popular sitcoms.
1. True. ‘In 2012, when Steven Van Zandt played New York gangster Frank Tagliano, Lilyhammer was born. Frank
was forced to flee to the site of the 1994 Winter Olympics for self-protection after giving evidence to the NYPD
against other mobsters.’
2. False. ‘Prior to high-speed broadband, Netflix started out as a mail order DVD service.’
3. Not Given. It does mention one film which won an Oscar (Roma) but doesn’t say if this is the only one.
4. True. ‘For all the enormity of its operation, the success of Netflix has been in telling us stories that appeal to
us as individuals while reaching more of those individuals than any other media network in history.’
5. Not Given. It says that Squid Game was the most popular show on the service to date. But it doesn’t state that
there’s an increased interest in programming from Korea.
6. True. ‘In October 2021, Netflix aired a comedy special by the comedian Dave Chappelle which attracted a lot
of negative criticism and walkouts by Netflix’s own employees due to remarks he made which many viewed as
transphobic.’
7. True. Now, Netflix has brought in the era of binge-watching: individuals greedily consuming whole series of
programmes or films in one sitting.
8. False. ‘...no one would complain if you read a novel in one sitting, or read several poems in one go. Is there a
certain cultural snobbery around doing the same with a film or programme being seen as somehow sinful?’
5 mins.
This provides extra support with the reading activity and can be done before or after the main comprehension.
1. seduce 2. fare 3. unprecedented 4. cater to/for
5. undertaking 6. walkout 7. pit against 8. snobbery
8. Talking point
10 mins.
Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups. Circulate and help as needed.
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9. Extended activity/Homework
45 mins+.
Ask students to plan, write and edit their essays based on the discussions and work done in the lesson. You may
want them to write it at home or you may want them to do it as a timed activity in class. Ensure you give students
feedback on their work.
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