Languages › English as a Second Language Descriptive Vocabulary for Cinema, Movies, and Stars Print Caiaimage/Tom Merton / Getty Images English as a Second Language Vocabulary Basic Conversations for English Language Learners Pronunciation & Conversation Writing Skills Reading Comprehension Grammar Business English Resources for Teachers By Kenneth Beare Kenneth Beare English as a Second Language (ESL) Expert TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music Kenneth Beare is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and course developer with over three decades of teaching experience. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on February 19, 2020 The use of descriptive adjectives during class tends towards the mundane. Students use simple adjectives to describe their classrooms, cities, jobs and so on. However, when reading or watching films students are confronted with a much wider range of descriptive language. This lesson focuses on using popular films to help students start using more varied descriptive language in their own conversations. Speaking about various actors and actresses and the films they have appeared in provides an ideal opportunity for students to use "bigger than life" descriptive adjectives - thus widening their descriptive vocabulary skills. Students who enjoy this lesson will also enjoy learning about and discussing movie genres. Read More Movies, Films, and Actors By Kenneth Beare Aim: Improve vocabulary skills used when speaking about the cinema, films, and movies Activity: Matching exercise combining descriptive adjectives and famous actors and actresses Level: Intermediate Outline Ask students to name some of their favorite actors and actresses. Encourage them to use descriptive adjectives to describe them. Have students pair up and use the activity. Ask them to choose one or two descriptive adjectives that they feel describes the actor or actress best. Students should feel free to discuss their opinions. As a class, go through the list of actors and actresses and discuss which adjectives they have chosen to describe the various actors and actresses. As a follow-up activity, ask students to choose an actor or actress that they are very familiar with and write a description of the various films that he/she has done using the various descriptive adjectives from the list, as well as others that they know or look up in a dictionary. How would you describe your favorite actor or actress? Descriptive Words HandsomeComelyPlainOverratedImpeccableBoringExtrovertSophisticatedAgileSinisterMulti-talentedBeautifulAbsurdVersatileIronicGlamorousIdiotic Actors and Actresses Denzel WashingtonMarilyn MonroeRoberto BenigniAnthony HopkinsJudy FosterDustin HoffmanJim CareyDemi MooreArnold SchwarzeneggerSophia LorenBruce WillisWill SmithMeg RyanTom HanksYou choose!You choose!You choose! Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Beare, Kenneth. "Descriptive Vocabulary for Cinema, Movies, and Stars." ThoughtCo, Sep. 8, 2021, thoughtco.com/descriptive-vocabulary-cinema-movies-and-stars-1212270. Beare, Kenneth. (2021, September 8). Descriptive Vocabulary for Cinema, Movies, and Stars. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/descriptive-vocabulary-cinema-movies-and-stars-1212270 Beare, Kenneth. "Descriptive Vocabulary for Cinema, Movies, and Stars." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/descriptive-vocabulary-cinema-movies-and-stars-1212270 (accessed March 28, 2024). copy citation