Movie Club: A Community For Film-Loving English Learners
Watch iconic movies. Master conversational English. Discuss films together. Join the clubTired of watching movies alone and not understanding them?
There’s a better way.
“Movie Club” is a community where you watch, understand and discuss movies with other advanced, film-loving English learners to build confidence in your listening, speaking and pronunciation skills.
Even better, you’ll get a chance to really connect – with the cultures behind the films, with the language, with other movie-lovers like you.
I really enjoy connecting with other people while discussing movies. I can learn a lot from their views and opinions. I especially like it when people from other countries share with me things I don’t know about (their customs, habits, cinema and tv in their country).
What Is Movie Club And Who Is It For?
Each month in the club, you watch and discuss a new movie with your fellow club members in our community space and in live sessions.
To help you understand the movies and get ready to discuss them you’ll find discussion questions, behind-the-scenes resources, plus listening and speaking tasks.
You’ll also have opportunities to meet with fellow club members for 30-minute movie chats.
In Movie Club you’ll also find movie clips, plus resources and tasks to go with them for the 30+ films we’ve already watched.
So, if this month’s movie choice doesn’t interest you, no worries – you can go into the archive and pick another movie to help you improve your English.
The club is hosted by Cara Leopold, a film fan, listening skills and movie-learning specialist and expat in France.
You’re the perfect movie club member if you:
✅ love watching movies
✅ have an upper intermediate to advanced level of English (B2 – C2 on the CEFR)
✅ want to understand native speakers in the films we watch without subtitles
✅ don’t have time for traditional English classes
✅ can devote 1-2 hours a week to movie-related tasks and participating in the chat
✅ want to connect with other film-lovers and have great conversations about movies and what they have to teach us about life
I decided to join “Movie Club” because I wanted to learn more vocabulary, slang and phrases as well as continue improving my listening comprehension as a non-native English teacher. “Movie Club” is a worthwhile and entertaining way to improve your listening comprehension and speaking. It’s not a traditional course – you can choose the topics, so you are really a part of it. You’re not a passive member.
Here Are Some Of The Movies We’ve Watched So Far
The Results You’ll Get Thanks To “Movie Club”
After connecting with other movie lovers, immersing yourself in films and having lively discussions in English you’ll:
- understand each movie we watch so well that you won’t need subtitles
- understand how native speakers really talk and in a variety of accents
- connect with the cultures behind the films because you pick up on cultural references you would have otherwise missed
- feel confident using new, authentic expressions that you’ve learned
- feel more natural and confident talking more about movies, and life in general
- have the strategies you need to keep watching, understanding and discussing films in the future
- know that you can go beyond ‘small talk’ and have meaningful, authentic conversations in English
- feel the connection and fun that comes with having a club of movie fans with you meet with, laugh with and talk about films…and life
Cara’s “Movie Club” has helped me to get in touch with the real language, the one used in everyday conversations, which is what I needed to make progress in English. In a movie, it is often difficult to understand the spoken language of some characters, and this leads you to stop watching the film before the end, especially when watching it alone. Watching a movie in a study group like “Movie Club” is an incentive to watch to the end. So, you make time to learn something new and alongside people who share your interests. The WhatsApp discussions and exercises (listening, speaking) helped me understand what I missed while watching the whole movie. But it was by repeating the experience in several editions of the club that I achieved continuous improvement.
What’s Inside “Movie Club”
Each month you watch and discuss a movie and you’ll find all the tools and resources you’ll need to build your confidence in understanding the native speakers in the films…and discussing them too.
Tools To Help You Watch, Understand And Discuss The Movie
🍿watch the movie using reflection questions to get you thinking about the film and ready for some great conversations
🍿connect with other film lovers and share your opinions of the movie in our forum for fascinating discussions
🍿check out the extra resources I’ll curate just for you so you can truly connect with the film and the culture behind it: articles, videos, interviews, etc
Understand Movie Dialogue And Improve Your Pronunciation
📽 build your confidence in understanding movie dialogue with training exercises I’ll create for you based on clips from the movie
📽 learn authentic new expressions and catch all those cultural references with selected lines of dialogue to listen to and write out
📽keep on practising with the listening tasks from the archive of over 30 iconic movies!
Chat To Other Movie Lovers And Express Yourself With Confidence
📺 connect with other movie lovers to discuss our monthly movie choice live on Zoom at the end of each month
📺 use those new expressions you’ve learned with confidence and have a great conversation in English in our discussion forum
📺 express deeper thoughts in English and go beyond small talk by recording yourself talking about clips from the film
And There’s More!
Your “Movie Club” membership includes everything you need to get organised, chat to other film lovers and understand over 30 movies!
Movie Club Workbook
This printable PDF workbook will help you organise your time, plan when you’re going to use the club materials and give you space to take notes both about the movies you watch and your tasks.
30-Minute Movie Chats With Fellow Club Members
You’ll use a tool called Meetsy to set your availability and get matched with other club members for 30-minute video chats. The video calls also happen within Meetsy.
Welcome Party
Meet me and your fellow club members for a welcome party after you join the club. Use this video call to ask me any questions you have about the club and chat to and get to know the other members of the club.
Movie Club Archives: Resources To Understand & Discuss Over 30 Films
Not into this month’s film? Want extra listening practice?
Check out the 3+ years of archives from past editions of “Movie Club”.
You’ll find behind-the-scenes resources plus listening tasks and speaking/writing tasks based on clips from movies such as “Fargo”, “Rear Window”, “Back to the Future”, “Groundhog Day” and many more.
Plus you’ll have space to talk about them in our discussion forum.
Ready to Immerse Yourself in Movies, Boost Your Confidence in Your Listening and Conversation Skills and Connect with Other Movie Lovers?
Enrol in “Movie Club”
Enrolment is open from September 21st to 28th 2023.
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Join on September 21st or 22nd and get a free bonus speaking session with me to discuss our latest movie as well as free access to my Listening comprehension course, Movies on the Run.
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Join for one year and get a bonus speaking session with me each quarter.
Choose how you want to pay: monthly (€90 per month, cancel any time) or 12 months (pay for a year and save 20%)
After you make your payment, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your welcome pack within 24 hours.
Meet Your Teacher
Hi, I’m Cara Leopold, online English listening skills coach, and movie fan. I help expats improve their English listening skills so they can understand and connect with native speakers through their love of films.
My programmes help you learn smart strategies and structured practice that you can use to keep improving your English through films for a lifetime. And they will help you find the confidence to really listen to others, talk about what matters to you and have meaningful conversations in English, wherever you go.
I’ve been living in France since 2007. I love working with people who know what it’s like to travel to and live in new places and helping them feel more comfortable and connected in English. And I believe that movies and cinema are the perfect place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I join "Movie Club"?
Movie Club runs every month, but enrolment opens and closes at specific times of the year, usually once in the autumn and once in the spring. To know when the club is opening, make sure you join the waiting list.
How much time will I need to participate in "Movie Club"?
You’ll need around 1-2 hours a week (maximum), so you can get the most from this club. The good news is that the club is highly flexible, so you can participate whenever and however you want.
Which movies will we watch?
The club members choose both the theme and the film – so as a member, you’ll have the chance to suggest movies you’d like to watch. Past themes have included movies by the Coen Brothers (Fargo, Burn After Reading, The Big Lebowski), movies set in Detroit and movies starring Bill Murray.
Do you provide the movies?
No. Each member has to find a way to watch the movie by streaming it or buying the DVD for example.
I do provide you with links to clips from the movie on YouTube that you’ll use to work on your listening, speaking and pronunciation skills. But I won’t provide you with the full movie – I’m not a cinema!
When are the live discussions?
The live discussion happens in week 4 and we usually organise it on a Saturday. We organise it so that as many people as possible can attend. But it’s 100% optional. Some members always attend, while others have never been to a single one!
Is it a problem if I can't attend the live discussions?
No, not at all! If you can’t attend the live discussion, you’ll get a recording of it (apart from the parts where we split into small groups).
Do I need to be able to understand movies without subtitles before I join?
No, of course not. Being part of the club will help you improve your listening skills so that you won’t need subtitles. Or will be able to use them less. But there’s no need to be perfect before you join the club! And in fact, I don’t mind if you watch the movies we choose with subtitles. My goal is for you to understand the films we watch and be able to discuss them. If you need subtitles to do that, then that’s fine.
I'm on holiday for part of the club, can I still join?
Yes, why not! The good thing about “Movie Club” is that you can do almost all the work from your phone. And you’ll only need about 1-2 hours maximum per week for it.
Even if you’re away, you can catch up with the discussion in our chat group later. And as I mentioned, you can still have a great “Movie Club” experience without the live elements.
Why should I pay to join the club when I can just watch movies for free?
The question is – do you understand them? Not just the English, but also the cultural references? And is just watching movies helping you improve your English? In many cases, students believe that it helps, but it’s often a waste of time, especially if you can’t catch many of the words and expressions. This is why I created “Movie Club” – foreign language movies are hard to understand. But when you have a guide to help you and others to support you in the process, you can understand them better, enjoy watching them and improve your English with them.
How is the club different to online Skype or Zoom lessons? And is it effective?
The big difference is that the club is mostly asynchronous, not live. There is one live group discussion in the final week of each month as well as 30-minute movie chats between club members. But that doesn’t mean it’s not effective. In fact, the way the community is designed, in “Movie Club” you’ll work on your English almost every day, in small, manageable pieces. If anything, this method is more effective for language learning which is a skill you develop through consistent, regular contact with a language. Instead of lessons, you receive tasks to do where you work on listening, speaking and pronunciation. You also practise skills like speaking and writing in a real world context, by participating in discussions in the chatroom and live on Zoom.
Why Should I Join “Movie Club?
Five reasons: films, fun, friends, fluency and feedback
Films
You not only watch them, but you also understand and discuss them to improve your listening and speaking skills. Instead of struggling to understand movies on your own, you improve your English with them, thanks to the support of the group.
Fun
Instead of doing boring exercises or talking about topics that don’t interest you, you’ll practise your English by immersing yourself in the magic of the movies. Thanks to the rich context of a film, you’ll learn and remember new vocabulary and grammar more easily, without textbooks, or “studying”.
Friends
The pandemic has made us realise how important it is to connect with each other regularly. And thanks to “Movie Club” you make friends with other movie lovers from around the world. Chatting to like-minded people about your passions in English helps you forget you’re a learner and motivates you to participate in the club.
Fluency
When you talk about what you love the words flow more easily. And when you’re motivated to watch movies, you’ll never get bored. Learning English becomes something you look forward to, not something you put off till later.
Feedback
The members make “Movie Club” a special place. But I’m with you 100% of the way to answer your questions, help you understand difficult parts of the movies and give you feedback on your English.
Ready for Films, Fun, Friends, Fluency and Feedback?
Why wait to make your movie watching meaningful, fun and good for your English? Enrolment is open from September 21st to 28th 2023.
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Join on September 21st or 22nd and get a free bonus speaking session with me to discuss our latest movie as well as free access to my Listening comprehension course, Movies on the Run.
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Join for one year and get a bonus speaking session with me each quarter.
Choose how you want to pay: monthly (€90 per month, cancel any time) or 12 months (pay for a year and save 20%)
- Take your passion for movies and use it to find your confidence in English
- Improve your listening and speaking with flexible and fun ways to practice your English when it suits you
- Catch cultural references and learn expressions
- Stop feeling like you’re watching films alone: have fun conversations and connect with other film lovers
After you make your payment, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your welcome pack within 24 hours. Join from as little as a single payment of €90 if you choose the monthly subscription.
Before joining the club, I used to watch movies with captions on. But that was quite taxing as my mind was split between the captions and the real action. I am now more able to enjoy movies with the captions off. I still don’t fully understand everything but that’s already a big improvement. The cohort-based learning is a key element of the club, with other participants following the same schedules. Though I don’t contribute much to the discussion, knowing you’re part of a group is essential to keep the motivation.