Английский разговорный клуб

FILM & CHAT CLUB

Don't let your English get rusty. Come chat online!
We'll be watching a series or a movie in English, discussing it and working on your vocabulary, listening and speaking skills.

'SUCCESSION'

Season 1 (10 episodes, 2018-2019); a very intense satirical drama about an aging media magnate and his adult children fighting to run his business empire. Emotinal, tough, controvertial - it's all of this, and more.

Self-access to online materials:
available since September 2020

Live online discussion sessions [currently unavailable]:
February to mid April 2020
June though to mid August 2020
Succession Season 1 trailer

What level of English do you need?

They speak modern American English and discuss business topics and relationships a lot. If your English is at the Upper-Intermediate or higher level, you should feel comfortable watching it. Intermediate? Why not, but it might be challenging.

In short, from B1+ to C1+
See how it works
The tasks for homework on Padlet by the end of Season 1
Zoom chat log copied to a Google spreadsheet
A tiny part of Episode 3 Quizlet set
The Rules
Self access:
You'll have access to all the materials on the Padlet platform for an unlimited time period.

Live online chat sessions:

These are going to be 90-minute online classes with 6 (possibly 8 people) in each group. We'll be meeting online in Zoom once a week.

You pay for a month (4 classes) in advance - by the end of the previous month.
If you miss a class, no fee recalculation is done unless there's official medical proof that, say, you had to go to hospital etc. If this is inconvenient, you can pay for each class.

You can read the full document in Russian here
The Online Tools we Use
  • Zoom for live online classes (you'll be given a link to join). You can use a mobile, a desktop computer or a laptop
  • Padlet & Google spreadsheets with homework, useful links and class chat logs
  • Quizlet to revise key vocabulary
  • WhatsApp for chat and reminders
Schedule
Live chat sessions are currently unavailable
FEES
Self-access: 1500 ru

Live chat sessions:

3400 ru per month

= four 90-minute classes
+ vocabulary sets for each episode;
payment is made for a month in advance.

or
1000 ru per class if paid on a per-class basis
Marina Bocharova
The Host
Hi! I'm Marina and I'm the mastermind behind this Film & Chat Club.

I've been teaching English since 1997 mostly to adults at university, in the corporate sector, privately and in my own project "Английский Свободно!". I'm passionate about discussing real-life things and topics in English and always try to bring life into the classroom.
I simply love the 'Succession' series, however controversial it may be. It's absolutely amazing how I never get tired of watching and discussing it with my students. Know why? Because they delve deep and uncover fascinating details I might have overlooked.

Come join the company!

You might be wondering...

What is the term of self-access?
На сколько предоставляется самостоятельный доступ к материалам?
You can self access the materials for as long as you want - there are no time limits.
Самостоятельный доступ не ограничен по времени.

- Will I be able to understand what they say if my English is at the Intermediate level?

Смогу ли я понять речь героев, если у меня английский на уровне Intermediate?

If your English is at the upper end of the Intermediate range, you should be ok with it. You might have to switch on the subtitles from time to time though. You'll probably only learn some of the phrases on my Quizlet cards, skipping the more advanced ones.
What you can be sure about is that you'll be speaking a lot in class, and for pairwork I'll find you someone with a similar level of English.

My advice is:
- watch a short part of any episode on YouTube and see how well you understand it
- come to one class and see how it goes.

Если у вас уверенный Intermediate, то вы должны справиться. При просмотре серий, возможно, придется иногда включать субтитры. Возможно, вы будете учить только часть выражений из моих карточек в Quizlet. Но вот что точно: на занятии вы будете много говорить, а для обсуждений в паре я буду стараться подбирать вам партнера с близким уровнем английского.

Могу посоветовать:
1. найдите на Ютьюбе кусочек любой серии, посмотрите - понимаете раза со второго?
2. приходите на одно занятие для пробы, и вы поймете, подходит ли вам этот уровень.

- How long does it take to get ready for a class?

Сколько времени нужно на подготовку к занятию?

Well, it really depends, but it'll be two hours as the shortest:

  1. watch an episode once for gist and for pleasure
  2. study my Quizlet set for this episode
  3. watch a second time, pause to jot down some useful phrases and repeat after the actors
  4. optional: transcribe their speech for up to five minutes
  5. read my questions to the episode and note down the key phrases you'll use in youe answers

2 - 3 - 4 часа:

 

1. посмотреть серию один раз ради сюжета и удовольствия,

2. изучить мои карточки Quizlet с выражениями из серии,

3. во время второго просмотра делать паузы и выписывать свои полезные фразы, повторять за актерами,

4. факультативно: записать под диктовку минут пять,

5. прочитать мои вопросы к серии и записать ключевые фразы для своих ответов.

- Do I have to do ALL the tasks?

Обязательно делать все домашние задания?

Would be perfect, but - no. You have to find time to watch one episode every week at least once - it'll take about an hour.

No time to write down useful phrases? Just thumb through my Quizlet cards.

No time to do exercises on Quizlet? Save my link and come back later.

You can answer my questions on the spot.

Writing dictations (transcribing part of an episode) is great for your listening skills but if you're really short of time - ok, it's up to you.

In short, the tasks I give ARE useful but I can understand if you have no opportunity to do them. I'm not gonna make you report to me.

Нет. На неделе обязательно посмотреть серию минимум один раз - это займет около часа.

Если у вас нет времени выписывать свои полезные выражения, просто пролистайте карточки с моими подборками. Нет времени делать с ними упражнения - сохраните ссылку и сделаете позже. На вопросы для обсуждения вы можете отвечать сходу во время занятия. Писать диктанты полезно для развития listening skills, но - на ваше усмотрение.

Делать всё это полезно, но ситуации бывают разные, и я не буду заставлять вас отчитываться.

- What if I pay for a month but have to miss a couple of classes?

А если я оплачу абонемент на месяц, но не смогу быть на паре занятий?

The Club rules say that if you miss a class, no fee recalculation is done unless there's official medical proof that, say, you had to go to hospital etc. It makes sense because you've booked this place in the group and I don't invite any other students to come and take it, you have access to all the supplementary materials, If you tell me you're going to miss a class, I can record it for you to watch later.
If this is inconvenient, you can pay for each class when you know I won't miss it.

You can read the full 'Rules' document in Russian here

По правилам Клуба оплата делается заранее, и пересчет при пропусках не предусмотрен. Рассудите сами: я держу это место в группе за вами, у вас есть доступ ко всем дополнительным учебным материалам, а по вашей просьбе я могу сделать видео запись занятия, если вы предупредите заранее и захотите послушать наше обсуждение.

Если вы не уверены, что сможете стабильно участвовать в занятиях по вторникам, можно оплачивать отдельные занятия и присоединяться по возможности. 

- How can this Chat Club be of use to me?

Чем мне будет полезен этот Клуб?

In a number of ways, in fact.
  • You'll feel more confident speaking English. Speaking to real people, not into a voice recorder or silently to oneself (not the same thing, is it?). We had some really heated discussions while watching this series with the first Film & Chat Club group.
  • You'll be able to expand your vocabulary with expressions typical of modern everyday American English and business English
  • You'll notice how your listening skills will develop
  • You'll have a sneek peak into the world of multi-millionairs and be able to compare their attutide to other people, work, relationships, and family with your own
  • You'll be one step closer to making English an integral part of your life
Worth the effort, is it?

  • Вы станете увереннее общаться на английском. Обратите внимание - не просто говорить - говорить можно и в пространство, и на диктофон - а именно ОБЩАТЬСЯ с реальными собеседниками. А дискуссии по этому сериалу у нас бывают бурные!
  • Вы пополните словарный запас современнейшими разговорными выражениями и деловой лексикой на английском.
  • Вы станете лучше слышать и понимать беглую английскую речь.
  • Вы увидите, как устроен мир миллиардеров и сравните их отношение к людям, работе, отношениям, семье, и свое.
  • Вы сделаете еще один большой шаг к тому, чтобы английский стал естественной частью вашей жизни.

Это стоит ваших усилий.

Join the Film & Chat Club live
June through to mid August 2020

3400 ru per month

Four
90-minute
classes
+ vocabulary practice
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