ESL Movie Guide Worksheets on "CODA"

About this resource

What's inside this resource

ESL Movie Guide Worksheets on "CODA"

This ESL teaching resource is a 3-page printable PDF movie guide for "CODA" (2021 Academy Award coming of age film; Sign Language) designed to support English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. This resource can be great for post-movie activities and is ideal for Middle School and High School students, ranging from 7th to 12th grade. It's a versatile tool suitable for newcomers and any English language learners, making it an excellent choice to use in ESL classrooms, language centers, or by tutors worldwide.

Within this ESL Movie Guide on "CODA" (2021 Academy Award coming of age film; Sign Language), there are included the following film related activities:

General Movie Information – Students fill in key details about the film, including the director, genre, and plot summary.
Vocabulary Builder – A dedicated section for noting new words and phrases, expanding students’ English lexicon.
Character Analysis – Students describe the main characters, helping them practice descriptive language and comprehension.
Movie Timeline Activity – Students arrange scenes in chronological order to improve their understanding of the storyline.
Favorite Scene Reflection – A fun writing exercise where students describe and explain their favorite moments from the film.
Movie Review Writing – Learners express their opinions in a structured review, enhancing their persuasive and evaluative writing skills.
Creative Writing Exercise – Students imagine themselves as one of the characters and write three diary entries from that character’s perspective, deepening their connection with the storyline.

This "CODA" (2021 Academy Award coming of age film; Sign Language) movie guide is designed to create an enjoyable and stimulating learning experience for intermediate advanced ESL learners.

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In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Recall and record factual details about the film CODA, including its director, genre, actors, and release year
Describe ten CODA characters in short original written descriptions
Retell three scenes from the film in first person as diary entries from a chosen character's point of view, expressing that character's thoughts and emotions

Teaching tips

Plan the guide as a post-viewing activity: every task assumes students have already watched CODA
Complete the page of character panels soon after viewing — the ten names include supporting characters such as Gertie, Tanya, Brady, and Tony Salgado, which pushes students beyond the central Rossi family
Spread the diary task over several sessions, since it asks for three separate entries, each tied to a different scene of the film
Pre-teach or model the diary-entry format for lower-intermediate learners before they attempt the first-person retelling

Skills covered

Character description — students write four-line descriptions of ten named CODA characters, from Ruby Rossi to Bernardo "Mr. V" Villalobos.
Film comprehension — students record the movie's director, genre, actors, and release year on dedicated lines.
Narrative perspective-taking — students retell three scenes as diary entries written from a chosen character's point of view, voicing that character's thoughts and emotions.
Extended ESL writing — numbered lists and long lined blocks have students produce their own English sentences rather than pick from choices.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

Which CODA characters do students describe?

Ten named characters, each with a four-line panel: Ruby, Leo, Frank, and Jackie Rossi; Bernardo "Mr. V" Villalobos; Gertie; Tanya; Miles Patterson; Brady; and Tony Salgado.

What does the diary-writing task ask students to do?

Choose the character they most connected with and write three diary entries, each representing a different day or scene from the movie, retelling those scenes from the character's point of view with their thoughts, emotions, and experiences.