2.1.3 Listening – Watching Movies

Listening – Watching Movies

(Professional English)

Introduction

Listening is one of the four fundamental language skills and plays a crucial role in developing effective communication. In the context of Professional English, listening to authentic materials such as movies helps learners improve their comprehension, pronunciation, vocabulary, and understanding of real-life communication. Watching movies as a listening activity exposes students to natural language use, different accents, emotions, and professional interactions.

Importance of Watching Movies as a Listening Skill

Watching movies enhances listening skills by presenting language in meaningful and contextual situations. Unlike scripted classroom audio, movies offer realistic conversations that reflect how English is spoken in professional and social environments.

Key benefits include:

• Exposure to natural pronunciation and intonation

• Understanding context-based meaning

• Learning functional and professional vocabulary

• Improving concentration and comprehension skills

• Developing awareness of cultural and professional etiquette

According to English for Science & Technology (Cambridge University Press, 2021), authentic audio-visual materials significantly improve learners’ listening proficiency and communicative competence.

Types of Movies Useful for Listening Practice

Different genres contribute differently to listening development:

• Documentaries – Improve formal and academic listening

• Biographical movies – Enhance narrative comprehension

• Professional/Workplace movies – Build workplace vocabulary

• Short films – Improve focused listening within limited time

• Animated movies – Helpful for beginners due to clear pronunciation

Listening Strategies While Watching Movies

To gain maximum benefit, learners should adopt effective listening strategies:

1. Pre-listening:

   • Read the movie summary

   • Identify key themes and vocabulary

2. While-listening:

   • Focus on main ideas instead of every word

   • Observe facial expressions and body language

   • Note important dialogues or professional terms

3. Post-listening:

   • Summarize the movie or a scene

   • Discuss characters and situations

   • Learn new words and phrases

Using subtitles initially and gradually removing them helps improve listening accuracy.

Role of Movies in Professional Communication

Movies often depict interviews, meetings, presentations, negotiations, and teamwork. Observing such scenes helps students:

• Understand formal and informal speech

• Learn professional expressions

• Improve listening response skills

• Build confidence in real-life communication

Communicative English (Global Publishers, 2017) highlights that audio-visual exposure strengthens learners’ ability to respond appropriately in professional situations.

Advantages of Watching Movies for Listening

• Makes learning interesting and engaging

• Improves attention span

• Enhances pronunciation and accent familiarity

• Builds confidence in understanding spoken English

• Encourages independent learning

Conclusion

Listening to movies is an effective and enjoyable method for improving listening skills in Professional English. It bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world communication. By regularly watching movies with proper strategies, students can develop strong listening comprehension, enrich vocabulary, and enhance overall communicative competence essential for academic and professional success.

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References

1. Veena Selvam, V., Sujatha Priyadarshini, D., Deepa Mary Francis, D., K.N. Shoba, & Lourdes Joevani (2021). English for Science & Technology. Cambridge University Press.

2. Anbazhagan Vijay, J. (2017). Communicative English. Global Publishers, Chennai.

3. Raman, M., & Sharma, S. (2019). Professional English. Oxford University Press, New Delhi.

4. Chellammal, V. (2003). Learning to Communicate. Allied Publishing House, New Delhi.

5. Using English (2017). Orient Blackswan, Chennai.

6. OER – Authentic Open Educational Resources