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Half Nelson

Half Nelson

Date: Jul 25 2007

Themes: Pop Culture, Work

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

How much do we really know about the people we see every day? It’s not likely that your boss or professor is secretly addicted to drugs, but it’s possible. You never know.

Half Nelson is a recent film about a teacher with a secret, illicit life. Interestingly enough, he teaches his class about opposites throughout history as he leads a double life. Listen to Marni talk to Kevin about it.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Kevin

Kevin

Marni:  So I just watched Half Nelson...

Kevin:  Josh Gosling.

Marni:  Or Ryan Gosling.

Kevin:  I always forget. I get his name confused.

Marni:  We’ll have to Google it when we get home.

Kevin:  How is it?

Marni:  It was excellent. You haven’t seen it?

Kevin:  No, but I saw that he was nominated for Best Supporting?

Marni:  Best Actor. Best Actor. Very impressive, I think, of the Academy because it was a pretty intense roll, pretty out there. Anyhow, the film is about…He plays a teacher, middle school teacher, and he’s also a crack addict. And the whole film is about opposites. That’s the theme of the film, the duality of yin and yang, and he’s actually teaching this in his class, and then it’s the greater theme of the film because here you have this person who’s a teacher, who’s supposed to embody all the virtue…

Kevin:  Be a role model.

Marni:  Exactly, be a good role model, all that, and in his personal life he chooses to be…

Kevin:  He’s nuts.

Marni:  Exactly. Total wreck.

Kevin:  Is he a good teacher?

Marni:  He is a great teacher, that’s the thing. You’re just rooting for him because he’s such a charismatic teacher and he has the ability to really connect with these kids and it’s inner city, he’s this white teacher, young…

Kevin:  What city does it take place in?

Marni:  It doesn’t actually say. It sort of alludes to Brooklyn, that was my take. Just throughout the film you’re rooting for him and then you just see this sort of downward spiral, but it’s good, it’s honest.

Kevin:  It sounds very good.

Marni:  It is. I highly recommend it.

Kevin:  I’ll have to see it.

Marni:  And we’ll have to Google his name, Ryan or Josh.

 

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Discussion

Marni and Kevin can’t remember the name of the star of Half Nelson. Kevin thinks he’s Josh Gosling, and Marni thinks he’s Ryan. They agree to look it up on the Internet when they get home. When they do so, they’ll discover that Marni is right. The star’s name is Ryan Gosling and he was nominated for a very big award for his performance in the film.

Marni explains that the movie is about a very talented teacher who is also secretly a drug addict. Kevin asks where the movie takes place and Marni guesses Brooklyn, New York. If she Googles that bit of information when she looks up Gosling’s first name she’ll find that she’s right about that too.

Do you do something that no one at your workplace knows about? Do you know anyone with a secret double life?

 

Comments

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Fehli

Germany

I think there are more crack addicts around us than we can imagine. I don't support them but the film sounds to be cool ..I feel itchy to kick back and watch it with my homies..Cool

04:06 PM Jul 31 2007 |

carol100

carol100

China

if it is so good that worth to watch i will see it when i have time.

08:24 AM Jul 31 2007 |

luis aguilar

El Salvador

sus madres a todos

02:44 AM Jul 31 2007 |

Michelle Ma

China

 It sounds like a nice movie, I'll watch it when I have time.

I'm an English movie lover. Can you introduce some movies to me?

Best wishes to you!

01:28 PM Jul 30 2007 |

Michelle Ma

China

It sounds like a nice movie. I’ll watch it when I have time!

01:24 PM Jul 30 2007 |

abdeeq

abdeeq

Somalia

Exactly Good Teacher..

03:45 PM Jul 26 2007 |

Raja_81

India

hi how are you???

10:07 AM Jul 26 2007 |

sucybaby

sucybaby

China

I haven't seen the film. But I think he is a good teacher. I think most of people have opposite character. But we keep the secret.

09:26 AM Jul 26 2007 |

sureshboddu

India

nice movie dude!!!!!!!!!!

08:51 AM Jul 26 2007 |

carlosbertholdi

Brazil

It must be a melancholic movie.

05:43 PM Jul 25 2007 |

sarkar_pst

India

hi

 

 

04:49 PM Jul 25 2007 |

coco823328

coco823328

China

i never see this film,but i will google it and see it,i think it  is a good film.Though the teacher is a drug addict,he also can be a good teacher .Coins have two sides,so does human being.

03:33 PM Jul 25 2007 |

explorer143

Pakistan

i never see that movie.

12:29 PM Jul 25 2007 |

explorer143

Pakistan

maybe to some extend, but they aren’t secret to his GOD.
What they do?

12:12 PM Jul 25 2007 |

naddito

naddito

Saudi Arabia

i think that a teacher should be a good example for his students because of the immense effect he has on them,

so he shouldnt have double opposite characters aotherwise his students will call him a hypocrite

and this is toooooo bad

 

10:59 AM Jul 25 2007 |

michaell

michaell

Syrian Arab Republic

this is for nada

i think that film is not good ,because it teaches that if you were a drug addict it will not make any truobles to your life because it is secret.i dont think so.i dont think that a drug addict can be agood teacher!!!!in my opinoin atleast

08:52 AM Jul 25 2007 |

Longking Penn

China

It sounds like a wonderful movie, i am eager to see it. The arts aim to show us the human nature through extremely example, most importantly, we are the same.

08:09 AM Jul 25 2007 |

Nida786

Nida786

Pakistan

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07:53 AM Jul 25 2007 |

Nida786

Nida786

Pakistan

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07:52 AM Jul 25 2007 |

mm_7739

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

hi

i want to learn english through you  if you want  contact to me

07:50 AM Jul 25 2007 |

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