This lesson is designed around a short film called On Time by Ted Chung in which a travelling salesman sells the future. Students describe an image, predict a story, watch a short film, speaking about time and write a story.
Language level: Intermediate (B1) - Advanced (C1)
Learner type: Teens and adults
Time: 60 minutes
Activity: Describing an image, predicting a story, watching short film, speaking and writing
Topic: Time
Language: Expressions with “time”, adjectives to desribe emotions and narrative tenses
Materials: Short film and discussion questions
Downloadable materials: on time lesson instructions time expressions questions
Step 1
Show your students this image.
Put them in pairs and ask them to describe what they can see in the image.
Step 2
Tell your students that the image is taken from a short film called On Time. Put the students into small groups and ask them to discuss the following questions:
What do you think the short film is about?
What story does the short film tell?
What do you think you will see and hear in the short film?
How does the image relate to the short film?
Why is the short film called On Time?
Give each group 5 minutes to discuss the questions, and then get feedback from the whole class.
Step 3
Now tell your students they are going to watch the film, as they watch they should compare their answers in step 3 with what they see and hear in the film.
ON TIME from Bianca Bodmer on Vimeo.
Step 4
Get feedback from the whole class and ask the following questions:
Did you like the film?
How did it make you feel?
Does the film have a message?
Step 5
Tell your students they are going to watch the film again; this time they should concentrate on Arthur, the main character, and use adjectives to describe how he is feeling at different stages in the film:
- at the start when he is looking at the photo
- when the salesman shows him the case
- when he talks to the woman
- when he signs the contract
- when he boards the plane
Step 6
Put your students in pairs and ask them to discuss the following questions:
Would you like to have this case?
How could the case be useful?
Could the case be used in a bad way?
Step 8
Put students into pairs and give them the questions with expressions which all use time. Get students to ask their partner the questions.
Homework
Ask students to write narrative that describes the story of the film which starts with the words:
Once upon a time there was a man in an airport …
I hope you enjoy the lesson.
modern and useful method of teaching English
Hi Maia,
Thanks a lot for commenting. Great to know you find the site useful.
All the best,
Kieran
Great! I’ll use it with my teenage students next semester. Thank you!
Hi Vesna,
Thanks a lot; I hop your students enjoy the lesson.
All the best,
Kieran
Pingback: On Time – A Short Film by Bianca Bodmer | Chestnut ESL
Thanks Kieran,
I think that the message of the film is in life you do not always get what we want, but the paths are always leading in the right direction time.
Ana
Hi ana,
Thanks a lot fro commenting. I think you’re right about the film’s message
All the best,
Kieran
‘I’d like to thank you for this such useful material. Congratulations and keep doing this great job.
Hi Lucila,
It’s a pleasure; as along as you other teachers find the material useful, it makes all the hard work worthwhile.
All the best,
Kieran
I just wanted you to know how incredibly useful I’ve found your lesson plans. My upper intermediate and advanced students really enjoy and benefit from these wonderfully creative lessons. Thank you so much for your contributions.
Hi Dawson,
Thanks a lot for your kind words, I really appreciate them. I’m really glad that you and your students enjoy the lessons.
All the best,
Kieran
Hi Kieran,
I just want to say THANK YOU for this beautiful, inspirational webpage. I often use it with my Junior High School students in Poland – they love it. Great job!
Hi Magda,
It’s a pleasure. Great to know you and your students love the blog. thanks for your kind words and support.
All the best,
Kieran
Thank you so much for such great lessons! I teach conversation classes and often use your ideas! I did this one with 4 different groups and it lead to really nice and interesting discussions! They all told me how much they LOVED it! Well done!
Hi Cynthia,
thanks a lot for your kind words. it’s great to know that you and your students enjoy the lessons so much.
All the best,
Kieran
Hi Kieran,
I wanted to thank you for the invaluable help that your website gives me. I have used your lesson plans with students of different levels of proficiency and everyone enjoyed the work very much. I especially love your choice of films – this is one thing that certainly makes your project unique.
Hi Olga,
Thanks a for your great feedback. I’m really happy that you and your students have enjoyed the lesssons so much.
All the best,
Kieran
Thanks for the wonderful website. You are really helping those who are in need of different kinds activities to use in the classroom.
Very creative and interesting. Thanks a lot my friend!
Hi Daniel,
Thanks vry much for your kind words; it’s great to know you find the site so useful.
All the best,
Kieran