Films are realistic slices of life but will that serve the interests of most students

At last I came across a study that claims to have looked into the matter of using films in the ESL classrom with the help of creating gap-fill exercises! Wow! What more could I possibly hope for?

Here's an excerpt from that study to start with:

"One of the greatest advantages of using flms for English language instruction is that films encourage learners to engage with what is happening on the screen on both an intellectual and creative level."

I absolutely agree with that.

"Films are realistic slices of life and, therefore, an excellent vehicle for focusing learners on situational language, where an understanding of both verbal and non-verbal communication tends to be a prerequisite for the negotiations of meaning."

I quite agree. Having said that this idea is miles away from actually presenting a meaningful and lasting experience for English language students. You just cannot get round the problem of finding quality film scripts for the benefit of students by relying on either your luck or your personal preference. What you do need is a careful approach based on thorough research.