The Reader

Language level: Intermediate (B1) –

Upper Intermediate (B2)
Learner type: All ages
Time: 90 minutes
Activity: Writing a short story,
watching a short film, and speaking
Topic: Reading and literacy
Language: Narrative structures
Materials: Six screenshots and a short
film
Overview

This EFL lesson plan is designed around a moving

short film directed by Greg Gray and commissioned
by Bells. In the lesson students write a
narrative, watch a short film and discuss literacy
strategies.

Step 1

Put your students into small groups. Tell them

they are going to write a story titled The Reader.

Step 2

Give them the document with the six screenshots

from a short film. Tell them the screenshots are
taken from a short film and are in chronological
order. In their groups invite them to imagine what
story the film tells, and to write a naarative
based on the title of the film and the six
screenshots. Walk around the class and provide
help with language as necessary.

The Reader

www.film-english.com by Kieran Donaghy 2

 The Reader

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Step 3

When they have finished writing their narrative,

each student explains their story to a member of a
different group.

Step 4
The Reader

Ask one person from each group to read out their

narrative to the rest of the class and invite
comments.

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Step 5

Now show the film. The students compare their

narratives with the story told in the film.

Link: https://vimeo.com/85710858

Step 6

Discuss the film and ask your students to

speculate on the relationship between the father
and his son.

Step 7

Tell your students they are going to watch the

film again. This time their task is to try to
notice what strategies the old man uses to improve
his speaking. Show the film again.

Step 8

Get feedback from the class and go through the

strategies they noticed. The strategies they
mention will probably include:

• attending adult literacy classes

• learning the sound of each letter
• playing scrabble
• having a literacy tutorial
• using flash cards
•
The Reader

reading words on a menu

• reading picture book
• writing the name of objects on posits notes
and putting them on the objects
• reading words on a food packet

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 • reading comics
• going to a library
• borrowing library book
• spelling words with a magnetic alphabet
• spelling words with alphabet soup

Step 9

Ask your students the following questions:

Have you used any of the strategies to help you
learn a language?

Would you use any of the strategies to learn a

language?

I hope you enjoy the lesson.

Film English is a labour of love, it takes

hundreds of hours and thousands of euros a year to
sustain and provide free English language lesson
plans. Keeping it a free, clean, ad-free
experience — which is important to me and, I hope,
to you — means it’s subsidised by the generous
support of readers like you through donations. So
if you find any inspiration, joy and stimulation
in these English language lessons or if they help
you teaching English, please consider a modest
donation — however much you can afford.
The Reader

www.film-english.com by Kieran Donaghy 6