Sara's students love The Simpsons
I've found a great source of video materials for High-intermediate and Advanced students: The Simpsons!
I've used nearly a dozen episodes for listening and conversation practice. They're full of slapstick humor
which everyone understands, as well as more subtle social commentary (which at least you, the teacher,
can chuckle at!). There are lots of episodes dealing with social issues which are great for a theme you may
be covering in class, i.e., the elderly (Grandpa Simpson), environmentalism, sibling rivalry, the military, etc,
It doesn't take too long to prepare a Simpsons lesson. Just tape an episode that you'd like to use (thanks to
syndication, they're on every night), watch it and pause to write down general
comprehension questions, direct quotations that students must try to catch, and vocabulary (the more slang, the
better -- students really get a kick out of learning "Bart's English"). I usually prepare a handout with 10-12
You can make this kind of lesson as deep as you want, and it can inspire all kinds of discussion! I hope you try
this activity, and if you do, let me know how it works!! Also, if you've got any questions,
just e-mail me.
Boston, MA, USA
World's Best Jobs!
Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2008 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.