Literature and cinema to learn languages

Albert Rose

Culture, through manifestations such as cinema and literature, can be a great learning method for languages. The University Language Center (CUI) of the Rey Juan Carlos University has scheduled a series of activities throughout the semester with film forums and reading clubs in different languages.

Films and books in English, French, Italian, Arabic, German, Spanish and Russian will star in the different meetings on the campuses of Madrid (Vicálvaro), Móstoles and Fuenlabrada and at the Madrid-Argüelles headquarters on Calle Quintana between March and May.

According to the director of the University Center for Languages, María Ángeles Cano, it is an "attractive" initiative, since the culture of literature and cinema is used as a method to learn a language, she says.

The cineforum cycle is made up of three sessions of three and a half hours for each language. In each session a film is projected and then a series of activities related to the projection are carried out. Some of the proposals that can be seen are 'Almanya. Willkommen in Deutschland' (German), Wayeb (Arabic), 'Volver' (Spanish), 'Le jeu' (French), 'The King's Speech' (English) or 'Benvenuti al sud' (Italian).

The reading club is divided into five two-hour sessions for each language. Some of the works that will be read are 'Die Hauptstadt' (German), 'Sinbad the sailor' (Arabic), 'Didactic exploitation of rings for a lady' (Spanish), 'La vie devant soi' (French) and 'The Landlady' (English).

María Ángeles Cano explains that for the Russian the two activities have been combined into one. In the next few days they will be announced in URJC Events each of the sessions where registrations can be made, which will cost 15 euros per cycle.