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2. Learn nonverbal social-communication skills: Don’t Be the “Rule Police”.

3. Learn verbal social-communication skills: Acknowledge Emotions.

Ⅰ.Warm-up Activities

1. Read the following passage, and then retell it to your group members. All the group members will evaluate your retelling by using the assessment sheet in the Appendix.

In April 28, in a windowless Los Angeles warehouse where Howard Hughes built his airplanes some 70 years earlier, James Cameron, in a hockey jersey and jeans, was doing something brilliant directors do not do—holding a camera. “Why can’t I see anything?” he yelled from an apparently empty warehouse floor to a small crew in a corner. “Oh, oh, oh, I’m in the monster’s head!” Cameron backed up, and his black camera lens gave way to a thick and vivid rain forest where a tall, blue, alien version of the battling monster whose head had just blocked the director’s view. On the warehouse floor there was no rain forest, no monster—just a bunch of guys and their computers. But Cameron’s camera was allowing him to shoot inside a virtual universe of his own creation. He swooped in over the monster’s shoulder and entered the world of Avatar.

Years in the making and with a production budget from $200 million to $300 million plus marketing costs, Avatar arrives in theaters to colossal expectations. It’s a heavy burden, even for a man who seems to enjoy doing only things that are hard. Cameron first laid out his vision for the technology he would use in the film in a digital manifesto in the early 1990s; he then labored to perfect it over the course of a decade and a half, creating cameras that let him peer into virtual worlds and pushing for the industry’s adoption of a digital 3-D format. The result is as if the director has broken through the screen and pulled the viewer by the hand into a new, exotic world.

Like all of Cameron’s movies, Avatar can be watched as pure escapist entertainment or as a dire warning about humanity’s current path. But here, for the first time, Cameron’s future version has not been limited by the strictures of a real-world set. The result is his most fantastical film, one that hews to the rules of science in its creatures and environments but not to the limitations of the physical world of props and the human body. Of course, it still needs to draw human bodies to the theater.

As one of the most well-known movie award in the world, Oscar has attracted many actors, actress, directors and filmmakers. Many of them regard it as their life-long dream. With the help of Oscar, the world has watched many good movies and touching stories. In the following are some of the Oscar winner movies and the corresponding main actor or actress. Please match them properly and share with your partner one movie that moves you.

1) Gone With The Wind

7) The Silence of the Lambs

12) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Tom Hanks　　　　　　 Ingrid Bergman 　　　Audrey Hepburn 　　　Jack Nicholson

Russell Crowe 　　　　Julie Andrews 　　　　Renée Zellweger 　　　Anthony Hopkins

Marlon Brando 　　　　　Meryl Streep 　　　　　Colin Firth　　　　 Vivien Leigh

You and your friends are going to watch a small part of the movie The Pursuit of Happiness. After watching, please discuss with each other the following questions:

1) What happened to the father and son?

2) What did the father do to encourage his son?

3) What’s your understanding of the pursuit of happiness?

A: Examination is over; let’s go to watch movies this weekend to celebrate our summer vacation.

B: Good idea! What’s on?

A: The first 50 dates. It’s a first-run movie about romance and love.

B: Romance? Forget about it, that’s for kids. I prefer something special.

A: So Inception might be your cup of tea. It’s a new picture and Christopher Nolan is the director. And the main actor is Leonardo DiCaprio. I was so much into him when I watched his Titanic.

B: He is also one of my favorite actors. So what kind of movie is it, action movie, horror movie, or fiction movie?

A: It is said that it combines many factors into it. It talks about dream-stealer.

A: Yes, a person who possesses the power to enter into the dreams of others and steals other people’s ideas.

B: Steal people’s ideas? It’s incredible!

A: Yes, unbelievable! People say after watching, you can’t distinguish the real world from your dream.

B: That’s very peculiar. It’s worth a try.

A: Besides, the story begins with the tragedy between the husband and wife, so the romance part meets my need, too.

A: So I’ll meet you in the front door of the cinema this Saturday night around 7 o’clock.

B: No problem. I will get the tickets since you recommend such a special movie to me, and what’s more, for your romance.

A: Don’t forget to buy the popcorn. That must be marvelous to chew popcorn while watching movies.

( H=Hostess　C= Cameron)

H: 3D or not 3D, that is the question. Hollywood has been making false starts and false promises about 3D since the 1950s. Now comes director Jim Cameron. Let’s welcome him.

C: Thank you. I’ve been working up to this for a long time. This is the film I think I always wanted to make when I set down the path of being a filmmaker.

H: It is said that you have written Avatar years ago, but have to wait for technology to catch up with your vision of blue people and alien worlds.

C: Yes, I’ve loved fantasy and science fiction since I was a kid. I’m an artist. I’m an illustrator. I’ve been drawing pictures, and characters, and robots and spaceships since I was in high school.

H: According to some reports, after your family moved to California in your late teens, you spent some aimless years, dropping out of junior college, working as a machinist and a bus mechanic.

C: And then one day I just quit my job and started making a short film.

H: So what’s the turning point? What’s the point that made your life different?

C: I think, you know, I found my calling. And I think the moment you’re making a film, no matter how small or cheap the film is, you’re a filmmaker.

H: Tell us something about the film that makes you famous—The Terminator. How can you create such a cool image and how can you choose Arnold Schwarzenegger to act for the main actor.

C: Actually I was sick at that time, with a high fever and had a dream of this skeletal robot. So I woke up with that image in my mind and then constructed a story around that image. In fact, Arnold Schwarzenegger was not the studio’s first choice.

H: People say you are very demanding, how do you think about that?

C: I like to think not. You know, maybe in the early days, and certainly not lately.

H: 3D believers see a revolution coming. 3D television will enter into market next year, aimed mainly at viewers who want to watch DVDs of 3D games and movies at home.

C: Yeah, maybe it becomes the standard for news gathering. Maybe it becomes the standard for sports.

H: So you think that someday not far from now we’ll be in 3D.

Who’s the actor playing the leading role?

Well, some are good, but others are just trash.

Yes, it just came out.

Convey the role’s feeling

He finally became prominent when he starred …

The whole picture is funny, moving.

We see a great performance by actors and actresses.

The plot is dramatic and fabulous.

keen sense of comic timing

The capacity for playing characters of exceptional depth already seemed vast.

Generations of actresses coming up behind her often cited her work

He would actually star in…

It takes a special kind of actor to play the lead role

That sense of strength, openness, and hope was　what we felt after watching…

It aims to deliver the message to the heart.

The message is exactly opposite to the moral　message conveyed by…

Audiences were drawn to the actor’s amiable　style.

He wins for his convincing portrait of …

Hanks tried his hand at screenwriting, directing,　and starring in a feature

remained in the public eye with a role

to immerse herself in character and accents

an unparalleled master of character, accents　and genres

Best Documentary Feature; Best Foreign Language Film; Best Director

Best Actor/Actress in a Leading Role; Best Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role

Best Original Screenplay; Best Animated Picture; A lifetime of Achievement

Best picture; Best Art Direction; Best Cinematography; Best Film Editing

Best Visual Effects; Best Sound Mixing; Best Sound Editing; Best Original Song

Best Original Score; Best Makeup; Best Costume Design

1. Please think of the must-see movies and answer the following questions by making a conversation with your partner:

1) What is your favorite movie? Why?

2) Who is your favorite actor/actress? Why?

3) What kinds of movies do you dislike?

4) If possible, what kind of movie you are going to make?

2. Role-play: Student A will interview student B about two of the following topics:

1) Do you think nowadays the movie is so commercialized and market-oriented that it has lost its original charms?

2) Where do you prefer to watch movie, in the cinema or at home?

3) Suppose you were a famous film-maker, what factors should be taken into account for a successful movie?

4) Suppose you were an actor or actress, and after years of hard work, you were awarded“A lifetime of Achievement”, what will you say to the audience?

B.Socio-Communicative Skills

Verbal communication refers to the communication which is carried out in either oral orwritten form with the use of words. Nonverbal communication refers to the communication through one’s voice quality, facial expressions, gestures, bodily movement, attitudes towards space and time, and so on.

To achieve successful conversations, it is necessary to learn the skills of both the verbal and nonverbal communication.

In our daily life, we need express our emotions out to help other people understand more. Conversation is a behavioral skill, not a cognitive knowledge.

Some conversational topics are emotionally-loaded for couples, parents and children, teammates etc. so they are either avoided or result in more pain when discussed. It doesn’t have to be that way when you learn the essential concepts and skills to have such conversations in a way that builds rather than hurts your relationships. Difficult conversations are difficult because strong emotions get involved. The most common way these play out is like a boxing match in which a flurry of punches are exchanged…leaving both parties in pain and wondering what hit them. Such conversations happen too fast and furious; both partners leave with a bad taste in their mouth and bigger problems in their relationship. Difficult and emotional conversations are powerful opportunities to strengthen relationships, yet too often they are avoided or handled poorly.

? Is there a way to do better with difficult conversations? In a word, the answer is skillfully. Skillful handling of difficult conversations can result in changed behavior, cleared up misunderstanding, repentance and forgiveness, and healing of emotional damage and fractured relationships.

? Dr. Paul Maclean has posited that we have three brains in one: The Survival Brain asks the questions, “Is it safe? Will I survive?”; The Emotional Brain asks, “Is it pleasurable orpainful?”; The Rational Brain asks, “Is it logical or reasonable?” The relevance of this concept to difficult conversations is the fact that sometimes the emotional brain hijacks the rational brain.

? People have different levels of awareness and willingness to be open. Emotional literacy is a person’s level of awareness and ability to express their thoughts and feelings. The bad news is that emotional literacy isn’t well developed for some. The good news is that just like reading literacy, emotional literacy can be developed through practice. Our experience is that many people simply don’t have the skills or the experience to have difficult emotional conversations in a way that builds their relationship. So they avoid them, which doesn’t solve anything. Instead, feelings build up and leak out just as steam escapes a boiling pot with a loose lid. Or, if capped too tightly, the pressure builds up to the point of explosion.

Please prepare a short speech about one of the following topics, and pay attention to the emotions in your speech.

1) Unforgettable movie scene

2) The movie actor I admire

3) My favorite movie

4) The movie role I want to play

Learn the following conversations and make conversations with your partners based on the situations given below.

1) A: Morning, darling. Can you guess what the postman sent to us today?

A: You won’t believe it. We won the free holiday for one-week tour in Paris!

B: So what? Don’t make a fuss about it.

A: A one-week tour in Paris! And all for free! And both of us!

B: That is good. When will we leave?

A: It depends on us. We decide the time and specific place. Is that wonderful?

B: Calm down. Just shopping and scenery as the places we have traveled. Nothing particular.

A: Come on, dear. Think about the fashion, we are going to meet the most innovative styles and what’s more, the great museum. I know you have longed for the museum for such a long time.

B: Yes, I will spend a whole day in the museum making a close observation of the greatest painting in the world face to face.

A: No problem. And you can tell me more about the story behind each art.

B: Yes, the light, the hue, the sketch line…we can have a drink of celebration after that. Oh, darling, I can’t wait to go.

A: Ok, I will book the ticket for this weekend right now.

2) A: What’s up? You look upset and worried.

B: Nothing. I just didn’t sleep well.

A: Don’t lie to me. You didn’t speak for a whole day. What happened?

B: Jack told me he has invited Mary to watch Transformers III tonight.

A: That’s not news at all. Everyone here knows Jack is fond of Mary for a long time. Why are you so depressed, do you…

B: Nothing. I just didn’t feel very well.

A: Really? If so, I will return the ticket to Mary for you can’t go with her.

B: You what? What ticket? Give it to me quickly.

A: Mary came to give the ticket to you while you were out to talk with Jack. Since you can’t go, I will go on your behalf.

B: I will go, surely, I will go. Give me Mary’s ticket. Actually I have bought two tickets already, I will give you the two, you can go with anyone you want. Two for one, please.

A: You are really a transformer, changing so quickly. Mary’s ticket really changes you into a new person. Ok, One for Two.

Now, make conversations of expressing out emotions based on the following situations by using the expressions above:

1) One of your friends falls in love with a girl for a long time, but he is too timid to speak his love out. Make a conversation with your friend to express his love to the girl bravely.

2) One of your friends is very rough and tough, he lost his lovely pet and felt very sad. But he didn’t show his sadness in public and refused other people’s comforts. Make a conversation with your friend to relieve his sadness and pain.

3) One of your relatives is introverted and often failed to communicate with others. Make a conversation with him to tell him how to express emotions properly.

4) One of your roommates is always serious and strict with himself and other people, which makes himself dull and other people uncomfortable. Make a conversation with your roommate to help him understand the difference among people and different ways of expressing emotions.

1. Game: The Winner of Beyond Oscar Awards?

We all know the best film rarely wins best picture for various reasons. You and your group members are going to host Beyond Oscar Awards for those movies that are not the apple of Oscars’ eye. First each of you will choose 5 movies as candidates, and tell each other your reason. Then the group members will vote unanimously the final winner for each category. Finally one member of each group will act as the award announcer and tell the whole class the reason for the candidate to be chosen for this special award.

There are many movie types that show us different respective of lives. List 3-5 movies for each movie types and share them with your partners. Then you discuss what kind of movie type is your favorite and the reason you like it.

3. Read the following well-known sayings from famous movies and try to share with your partners some sayings in movie that touch your heart and soul.

1) Love means never having to say you’re sorry.

2) After all, tomorrow is another day!

3) Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.

4) There’s no crying in baseball!

5) Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.

6) I feel the need—the need for speed!”

7) Find a truly original idea. It is the only way I will ever distinguish myself. It is the only way I will ever matter.

8) Fish are friends, not food.

Top Gun　　　　　　　　　 A League of Their Own 　　　　A Beautiful Mind

Gone with the Wind　　　　　　 Love Story 　　　　　　　　Finding Nemo

Forrest Gump 　　　　　　　The Godfather Part II

1. Since our childhood, we have enjoyed chewing popcorn in the theater while watching movies. Read the information about Sweets Sweepstakes which can be found in the appendix, and discuss with each other whether you agree with the author’s opinion or not. Should we say no to popcorn while watching movies?

2. Give a short summary after reading the following a passage. Do you agree with the author? What’s your own understanding about Hollywood Values?

During the week leading up to the 78th Annual Academy Awards, MSNBC.com and Zogby polled more than 17,000 readers about the Oscars and the movies. The results were released Tuesday.

When asked if they thought Hollywood values were at odds with those of most of America, 60 percent agreed. When asked if they though the success of such gay-themed films such as Brokeback Mountain, Transamerica and Capote (all Oscar nominees) reflected Hollywood’s values or the growing acceptance of alternative lifestyles, respondents were fairly evenly split (50 percent thought it reflected Hollywood’s values, 44 percent thought it reflected changing attitudes). When asked if they thought Brokeback Mountain’s mainstream success was a positive or negative trend, again they were split (43 percent positive, 42 percent negative).

When asked if they would go to see a movie that had been critically praised which had a message or values they did not agree with, 56 percent said they would not go to see it.

Respondents also were overwhelmingly negative about the movies coming out of Hollywood in recent years. Sixty-four percent believe the quality of movies has declined in the past 10 years and 38 percent said their favorite movie of all time was released between 1980-2000.

When it came to picking a movie to go see, word of mouth was the chief deciding factor(49 percent). Trailers (25 percent) and movie reviews (38 percent) had little influence on their decision to see a movie.

Respondents also say they would rather watch a movie on DVD than go to the theater. When given the choice of watching a newly released movie on DVD or at the theater, 44 percent would prefer DVD to the cineplex (30 percent).

As for the Oscars themselves, 51 percent indicated that they would not watch the March 5 show even though most (55 percent) described themselves as regular watchers who paid attention to the nominations (66 percent). The Nielsen ratings for the Oscars reflected a similar downturn with viewership down 8 percent from last year.

3. Further discussion

Some people say Hollywood destroys the real movie becausees it focuses mainly on commerce large-investment film and its main purpose is to make money, and sometimes to entertain the audience. Oscar as an academic award pays more attention to the true value of movie. List some commerce large-investment films and arts films you like in the following graphs and talk with your partners about the differences between the two, and how to balance the two.

Nowadays, movies become a new and effective way for the world famous scenery to promote their images for its direct visual impact and vivid demonstration, which attracts more people to travel there. Sleepless in Seattle makes thousands of people rush to Seattle to sense and feel the romantic sweet and light sadness there.

You and your group member are in charge of a program promoting your city’s image internationally. Your group decides to use movie as the main media to let more people know your city. You will decide what story you are going to tell, what city features and sceneries you are going to show in this movie, what kind of actors or actress you are going to select, and in what way you are going to make your city unforgettable.

Write down you plan, and include all the necessary steps. Bring your plan to class, and discuss whose plan is the best one.