Learn English Through Cinema

Hi there! I’m so happy you’ve found me in this noisy online world. My name is Alexandra Kapinya and I’m here to help you learn English through cinema. I’m also the author of one of the first movie blogs dedicated to English learners – Visual English School.

I think there comes a time in your language journey when you have to start incorporating authentic materials into your studies and learn how to use them strategically. You can use podcasts, TV series, and films. They’re all good, but I specialized in teaching English through short films. They’re shorter than feature films, of course, so it’s easier to use them for educational purposes.

How Can You Learn English Through Cinema?

Free Resources

If you join my mailing list, I’ll send you free lessons based on artistic and independent short films once or twice a month. The email lessons are short and sweet and are centered around little movies that are 2–10 minutes long. Some of them are Oscar- or Sundance-winning shorts, and others are hidden gems made by unknown filmmakers. Please note that they’re only suitable for adults.

I use silent films and stop-motion animations to visually teach you vocabulary, and we’ll analyze tons of movies with dialogue to see how grammar works in real-life speech.

The email lessons are for you if:

You already have an intermediate level (B1 or B2).
You need to obtain an advanced C1 level.
You can dedicate at least 15 minutes each week to your English.

Learning English through cinema isn’t a new method, but what I do differently is I don’t just use films so we can reflect on how the language works—we also reflect on the films themselves. What’s the message of the movie? What techniques did the filmmakers use to capture the audience’s attention? How about lighting? What about camera operations and acting? It’s not only about learning the language; it’s also a journey through cinematography.

UPDATE: This email list has been closed.