When students are given the opportunity to create their own documentaries, they have an opportunity to use language creatively. The following is a description of a unit plan on documentary filmmaking for intermediate to advanced ELLs presented as a poster at the 2015 TESOL convention.

The unit starts with an introduction to documentaries. Various types of documentaries are viewed, and the class identifies and discusses the themes, organization, and basic elements of each. The class then identifies and practices interview skills, formulating examples of open-ended questions that elicit descriptive answers.

Next, the instructor details the filmmaking process including equipment use, visual content, and narration. Short documentaries are shown to identify these elements, and, finally, students are introduced to the concept of storyboarding, a comic-like visual outline.

The instructor forms groups of three to four, with at least one computer-proficient member in each group, and provides a theme for the documentaries. Groups choose a topic and present their plans to the class for feedback. Shoots are scheduled and interview subjects selected. Additionally, shooting locations and other relevant details are determined.

The instructor then sets a timeline and monitors each group during the shooting of its documentary.

The instructor may decide to give a lecture on the digital editing process or allow students to choose their own editing software and learn on their own. The latter method has proved to be more time-efficient and just as successful. During this process, advising sessions are held to evaluate and guide each group’s progress.

Finally, the campus community is invited to a screening of the final cuts where students discuss their roles in the project during a Q&A with the audience. Rubrics are used to assess the documentaries with focus on language use, content, and organization.

Pablo del Olmo is Assistant to the Director of the Haggerty English Language Program at the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz. He holds a BA in Cinema-Television Production from the University of Southern California and an MS in TESOL from SUNY New Paltz.

Sarah Elia is a lecturer in the Haggerty English Language Program at SUNY New Paltz. She has a BA in music from Bard College and an MS in TESOL from SUNY New Paltz.