Watch the World – Read a Movie

• Movies that feature other cultures offer an entertaining way to become more global. The bulk of this chapter is devoted to movie suggestions, which can save you a lot of time. Homa tells a story of how she picked Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth for her kids to watch. She soon realized that kids don’t want to watch a middle aged former politician giving a PowerPoint presentation. The lesson is to make movie watching entertaining first rather than academic.
• Foreign films take some getting use to, so be sure to start early with your kids. Since Hollywood still rules, the world spends more time watching us. You can even things up with some effort. Many Disney animated films are set in foreign cultures. In some cases you can watch the original version of a film along with a modern version. Try to discuss films after you watch them, and don’t rule out documentaries. Reading English subtitles while listening to your first language is a great way to accelerate second language learning. Also look for local film festivals aimed at children and consider doing your own.

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