Dialogue writing

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 2

This is called a (movie) dialogue 

and you are going to write one today! 

Today's lesson goals:

By the end of today's class, you will be able to...

• explain what makes a dialogue interesting.
• write a dialogue yourself from someone else's perspective...
• ...using new idioms (uitdrukkingen).

Why do people
have conversations?

Before watching

Keep these questions in mind:

• What do these characters want from each other?
• When is the dialogue finished?

What did these characters want from each other?
When was the dialogue finished?

What do you need to
write an interesting dialogue?

What makes a dialogue interesting? 

1. Both characters want something from the conversation.
2. They want different things, which creates conflict.
3. The conversation does not end until the conflict is solved.
4. The characters use original language and don't always say exactly what they mean.

Idioms

What does "To break the ice" mean?

1. To end a conversation awkwardly
2. To start a chat in a group
3. To avoid talking to people
4. To talk too much

What does "To hit it off" mean?

1. To have a fight
2. To become good friends quickly
3. To skip social events
4. To be very confident

What does "Tough nut to crack" mean?

1. Someone hard to understand
2. Someone easy to talk to
3. Someone who knows everything
4. Someone who talks too much

What does "To spill the tea" mean?

1. To share secrets or gossip
2. To drink tea
3. To accidentally drop a cup of tea
4. To ignore someone

What does "Cut to the chase" mean?

1. To start a conversation politely
2. To delay making a decision
3. To avoid talking about the main topic
4. To get to the main point of the conversation

Why do people use
idioms when they speak?

Read the instructions

• Go to Google Classroom and carefully read today's assignment in silence
• Note well! Your assignment is different from your neighbour's. Keep your character's information, starting point and goal to yourself

Write a movie dialogue in pairs

• Create a shared Google doc to work in with your neighbour(s) and share it with your teacher as well
• Use at least 250 words together
• Help each other out, so you don't have to wait for your neighbour to finish their bit of the dialogue
• Try to use English only when discussing (otherwise you may be invited to perform your dialogue at the end of class ;).
• Need help? Raise your hand

Who would like to share their dialogue?

Today's lesson goals:

By the end of today's class, you will be able to...

• explain what makes a dialogue interesting.
• write a dialogue yourself from someone else's perspective...
• ...using new idioms (uitdrukkingen).