Eat Pray Love - Reported Speech - Digitalizing Homework

This movie provides teachers with the great opportunity of dealing with cultural differences in a light, fun way. When the main character goes to Italy, she starts comparing the customs and the way of life to her own, and she learns from it. I hope our students get to learn a bit more about themselves too.

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Topic Cultural differences

Language Reported speech

Type of activity Practice

Level Intermediate

Age group Adults

webtool ESL video

Materials Movie scene, worksheet, ESL video (downloadable)

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Before you watch the scene complete the sentences with your own ideas.

a) In Italy you should…

b) To learn Italian one must …

c) In Italy, body language is...

Watch the scene and take notes of any unfamiliar words you see.

Read the transcript and find seven mistakes. Who is the most

attentive student in class?

I feel so guilty. I’ve been in Rome for two weeks, and all I’ve done is learn a few Italian words and eat.

You feel guilty because you are Portuguese. You don’t know how to enjoy yourself.

I beg your pardon?

It’s true. Americans know entertainment, but don’t know pleasure.

This is Luca pizza, by the way, you know.

Your name is Luca spaghetti?

Yes, that’s what our family is called. We invented it. I’m serious. Listen to me. You want to know your problem? Americans.You work too hard. You get burned out. Then you come home and spend the whole weekend in your shorts in front of the TV.

That’s not far off, actually.

But you don’t know pleasure. You have to be told you earned it. You see a commercial that says, “ It’s Miller time” and you say, “ That’s right. Now I’ll go to buy a ten-pack.”And you drink the whole thing and you wake up the next morning and you feel wonderful. But an Italian doesn’t need to be told. He walks by a sign that says. “You deserve a break today.” And he says “yeah, I know! That’s why I’m planning a break at noon to go to your house and sleep with your wife.”

We call it “Dolce far niente.” It means the bitterness of doing nothing. We are masters of it. He ‘s right. “ You can’t learn Italian like this.” You don’t speak the language just with your mouth, speak it with your hands.

Like this?

Complete the questions using the reported speech.

a) She woman said she ________( be) In Italy for three weeks.

b) The Italian man told her she ______ ( feel) guilty because she

_______ ( be ) American.

c) The Italian man told she ________( not know)how to enjou herself.

d) The Italian man said that his family ____ ______ ( invent) spaghetti.

e) The Italian man said Americas ______ ( work) too hard and

got burned out.

f) The man said that an Italian ________________( need) to be told.

g) Her friend told her that it _______( mean) the sweetness of life.

h) The Italian guy said that they ____________ masters of it.

Group discussion

1. What do you think about the movie?
2. Do you agree with what the Italian guy said?
3. How do you feel when people stereotype people from from country or city?
4. How do you enjoy life?
5. Is your life well balanced? Why? Why not?

Homework

Find a movie scene and prepare a quiz using reported speech to challenge your classmates.

Movie scene, worksheet, ESL video (downloadable)

Answerkey

I feel so guilty. I’ve been in Rome for three weeks, and all I’ve done is learn a few Italian words and eat.

You feel guilty because you are American. You don’t know how to enjoy yourself.

I beg your pardon?

It’s true. Americans know entertainment, but don’t know pleasure.

This is Luca spaghetti, by the way, you know.

Your name is Luca spaghetti?

Yes, that’s what our family is called. We invented it. I’m serious. Listen to me. You want to know your problem? Americans. You work too hard. You get burned out. Then you come home and spend the whole weekend in your shorts in front of the TV.

That’s not far off, actually.

But you don’t know pleasure. You have to be told you earned it. You see a commercial that says, “ It’s Miller time” and you say, “ That’s right. Now I’ll go to buy a six-pack.”And you drink the whole thing and you wake up the next morning and you feel terrible. But an Italian doesn’t need to be told. He walks by a sign that says. “You deserve a break today.” And he says “yeah, I know! That’s why I’m planning a break at noon to go to your house and sleep with your wife.”

We call it “Dolce far niente.” It means the sweetness of doing nothing. We are masters of it. He ‘s right. “ You can’t learn Italian like this.” You don’t speak the language just with your mouth, speak it with your hands.

Like this?

Complete the questions using the reported speech.

She woman said she had been in Italy for three weeks
The Italian man told her she felt guilty because she was American
The Italian man told she didn’t know how to enjoy herself
The Italian man said that his family had invented spaghetti
The Italian man said Americas worked too hard and got burned out
The man said that an Italian didn’t need to be told.
Her friend told her that “ Dolce far niente.” meant the sweetness of life
The Italian guy said that they were masters of that.