Videos

Connect with English

50 episodes, Each 15 minutes long, This series was produced in 1998 by WGBH Boston. It is an Annenberg/CPB program

Program description: CONNECT WITH ENGLISH was produced for students learning English, who are at the high beginning through low and high intermediate.

Each episode comes in two parts. The first part is a continuing story about Rebecca, an aspiring singer on a journey across America. Each episode touches on life's important issues: leaving home, parenting, education, work, love, success, and loss.

In the second part of each episode we meet real-life immigrants and students who discuss the similarities between Rebecca's experiences and their own.

Story:

The story begins as we meet Rebecca Casey, a 28-year-old Boston working woman, who dreams of becoming a singer. We also meet her boyfriend Matt who doesn't think much of her dream, and her 17-year-old brother, Kevin, who doesn't think much about the future at all. Rebecca's considers applying for music school and pursuing her career full- time, rather than holding down a factory job and doing her music on the side.

A full story line can be found at Annenberg's web address:
http://www.learner.org/resources/series71.html#program_descriptions

Style of speaking is helpful for learning English:

1. All of the characters use meaningful, natural language that students can put to work immediately in their own lives.
2. Each episode features dialogue that is slightly slowed down and subtly simplified. Key lines are repeated, idioms paraphrased, and important events retold. There are constant visual clues to meaning, such as written signs, notes, and documents.
3. Facial expressions, gestures, and body language also reveal meaning for students. Closed captioning can be used as a teaching and literacy resource.

Rights: We have educational as well as broadcast rights for this series