The Learning English Video Project is a unique 7-part series of documentary films about people learning English in different countries around the world.
| Made by independent UK filmmaker Daniel Emmerson, the series features students from across the world who have different methods and reasons for learning English. |
“The Internet is such a splendid tool for communicating with people and finding out how people are doing things differently all over the world. I want The Learning English Video Project to really be a part of that. ” says Daniel Emmerson, Director of The Learning English Video Project.
Each film averages 15 minutes in length, and is available with and without English subtitles.
THE FILMS
- Encounters in the UK (17 minutes)
“You sleep on it and next day you feel…yeah, something got in, you know?”
Encounters in the UK is the 7th and final film in this documentary mini-series. It tells the story of four girls from different countries who travel to Cambridge in England to study English and stay with local families in what is called a “homestay” arrangement. In the film, we also meet several of the host families as well as a consultant who helps match homestay students to families. For the four girls the homestay arrangement is a positive experience. As one of the homestay hosts explains: “It’s going to be a great experience, not only in terms of learning English, but in learning about life.”
- Thoughts from Brazil (17 minutes)
“The more you talk, the better you get.”
Thoughts from Brazil looks at modern trends in learning English, especially for children and teens. This instalment will be of particular interest to all those who long for a learning experience that is more interactive and communicative. Teens and young adults will find new ideas for combining personal interests such as music, gaming and social media with self-study. As Daniel Emmerson talks to learners and teachers of English in Sao Paulo, Brazil, he discovers that many of them have found for themselves the principle of learning by doing and have readily adapted it to the Internet era.
- Insights from China (18 minutes)
“Never say die.”
Based in the busy, cosmopolitan city of Shanghai, Daniel Emmerson’s latest film Insights from China takes us inside the worlds of English language learning and teaching and the airline industry in China. “Insights from China” focuses largely on the staff and management of a Chinese airline company that has recently committed to learning English. Spring Airlines is the first low-cost airline in China. Determined to become a successful international airline, the company has insisted that all of its workers learn to speak fluent English. The CEO of Spring Airlines, Zhang Xiuzhi, has set the bar high. She began learning English “from scratch” 18 months prior to her interview for this film. Like the majority of other language learners, the main stumbling block for the CEO is finding enough time to study. Zhang takes English homework to bed at night and even studies in her car.
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