The Tonight Show: best videos for your English lessons
Are you looking for ways to show realistic conversations and dialogues to your students? Do you want them to be able to understand native speakers? Contemporary English textbooks do help students in their journey of learning a language. However, they alone are not enough. And here comes TV with its lively shows.
Movies, cartoons, TV series and YouTube videos are one of the first contacts that a person has with a foreign language. TV shows help learners hone their listening and speaking skills, learn about different cultures and enrich their vocabulary.
Here we have prepared the list of the latest and the most fascinating videos from the Tonight Show that you can use with your Intermediate and Upper Intermediate students.
Neal Brennan Compares the Crash of Crypto to Fyre Festival
Neal Brennan talks about how satisfying it is to watch cryptocurrency crash and his comedy special “Neal Brennan: Blocks” on Netflix before trying to take home a stained-glass portrait of Buddy Holly that he gave to Jimmy.
Questions for a discussion before watching the video:
• Do you own any bitcoin?
• Do you know anyone that has made money through investing in bitcoin?
• Why do you think the prices of bitcoin have changed so drastically in the last 10 years?
• Would you consider investing in bitcoin now?
After you watched the video with your students, use these questions about the content of the show to elicit answers.
- Why is Neal Brennan satisfied and glad to watch the crypto crash?
- Does Neal pay attention to what people say about him on social media?
- Who is going to watch his house while he is on tour?
- What does Neal have in his house?
- How is dating life going with Neal?
- What did one of the women make him do?
- Why did Jimmy give the painting back to Neal?
Consult with the answers below to see if they are correct.
2. He says that we have to be very careful on social media. Men on social media start all their posts like clapping and saying “What’s up guys?”
3. His friend Sarah is going to watch the house.
4. He has a small pool and raccoons back in the yard.
5. He says it is not going really great. The women he dated bossed him around a little bit. They usually behave themselves like Neal is looking for a coach and they train him.
6. She made him get rid of a piece of art.
7. He wanted to give it back to Neal, but his girlfriend was there in the show and she didn’t agree to take it back home.
Ask your students if they think celebrities must pay much attention to what people are talking about them on social media. Encourage them to explain their choice.
Dwayne Johnson Describes Black Adam as a Superman Who Kills and Teases Huge Cameo
Dwayne Johnson tells the host about his three daughters and his relationship with them. Later he speaks about the movie “Black Adam” which played a crucial role in his life.
Questions to discuss before watching the video:
• What is your all-time favourite movie?
• Are there any kinds of movies you dislike? If so, what kinds? Why do you dislike them?
• How often do you go to the movies? What are the pros and cons of watching movies in the cinema?
• Who is your favourite actor? Explain your choice.
Check your students’ understanding of the video by asking them these questions:
• What game does Dwayne usually play with his small daughters?
• What does Dwayne say about Black Adam?
• What was challenging about filming Black Adam?
• What kind of suit does Black Adam have?
Answers for self-correction:
2. They usually play “Daddy, close your eyes”. Lately they have drawn a unibrow, a moustache, a goatee.
3. He says that it has been his passion project. He announced this film 15 years ago. He talks about Superman, the Justice League, Batman, Wonder Man. But among these, Black Adam is distinguished by the thing that he kills.
4. He had to have some diet, do some training, and push all the chips in.
5. It is a very thin material. The skin is basically just like a skin-tight.
Ask your students if they would like to see the movie or have already seen it, and if so, what impressed them the most: cast, scenario, music, etc. Get their imagination to work and encourage them to think about the character: how powerful do they think Black Adam is? Remind them there is always a real man behind it: what obstacles do they think an actor may face while starring in these kinds of films?
Martha Stewart Spills on Her Kardashian House Tour and Her Crush on Brad Pitt
Watch these hilarious highlights from the show where American businesswoman Martha Stewart talks about sharing a table with Drake at the CFDA Fashion Awards and wanting to meet Brad Pitt.
After watching the video, ask your students these questions.
• Where were they in the photo?
• What was it like with the Kardashians?
• Is there any celebrity that Martha gets star-struck meeting?
• Is Martha hosting a big party on holidays?
• Is there any side dish at Thanksgiving?
Check your students’ understanding using the answers below.
2. They were at the CFDA Awards. They had sat at the same table. And they were all wearing really fabulous jewellery.
3. It was fabulous. They live sort of in a compound. They have very nice houses, many rooms. She got to go into every closet, every refrigerator, into basements.
4. She says she has been sort of fascinated with a very handsome young boy on Instagram*. She is talking about Brad Pitt.
5. No, she is having just a small one for orphans who have nowhere else to go.
6. She thinks it is string beans. In her opinion they don’t go with Thanksgiving.
You can also ask what your students know about Thanksgiving, food associated with it and the celebrating traditions in their country.
I am certain using these videos in your classes will help your students boost their listening and speaking skills, get to know how native speakers speak and just have fun.
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