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GENERAL ENGLISH · ENGLISH FOR TEENS (13-15) · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

NETFLIX OR
THE
CINEMA?
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1 Warm up
Look at the two images and answer the questions below.

picture 1 picture 2

1. What was the last film that you watched at home and the last film you watched at the cinema?
2. Is going to the cinema popular where you live? Is it getting more or less popular? Why/why not?
3. Talk to a classmate and write down three advantages and disadvantages of watching a film in these
ways.

advantages disadvantages

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NETFLIX OR THE CINEMA?

2 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match each word or phrase to its correct definition.

1. hang out (phr. verb) a. an illness that exists in most people or across most of an area

2. popcorn (n) b. a snack made from yellow seeds that is very popular at the cinema

3. crisis (n) c. a very dangerous or very difficult situation

4. pandemic (n) d. by a great amount

5. by far (phr.) e. say no to something

6. popularity (n) f. spend time with friends, relaxing

7. demand (n) g. the need for something to be provided or supplied by others

8. turn down (phr. verb) h. the quality of being liked or supported by many people

Pronunciation tip

Hang out and turn down are phrasal verbs. When you say a phrasal verb, the stress is always
on the second syllable.

Part B: Write the correct word or phrase from Part A in each sentence.

1. COVID-19 was a major for the cinema industry with many having to close.

2. There was a huge for the new PlayStation when it first became available.

3. I think Manchester United are the best football team in the world .

4. I always choose to have salt with my instead of sugar when I go to the cinema.

5. I’d never a free holiday to Australia.

6. The President’s is at an all-time low following his decision to increase taxes.

7. How cool would it be to with a celebrity for the weekend?

8. COVID-19 isn’t the first the world has seen and, unfortunately, won’t be the last.

Part C: Discuss these questions with a classmate and use the word in bold in your answer.

1. Do you eat popcorn when you go to cinema? What other snacks do you like to eat?
2. Who do you hang out with at the weekend? Where do you usually hang out?
3. Why might you turn down an invitation to the cinema?
4. Is there a big demand for tickets when a popular film is on at the cinema or there is a big concert
or an important sports match?

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NETFLIX OR THE CINEMA?

3 Scanning

You are going to read an article called ‘Netflix or the cinema?’. Tick which ways of watching films you
think will be mentioned in the article. Scan the article on page 4 and check your predictions.

cinema television

watches smartphones

YouTube tablets

computers laptops

Where are you going to watch the latest film from Hollywood?

4 Reading comprehension

Decide if the following statements are true (T), false (F), or not given (NG). Talk to a classmate and
give reasons for your answers.

1. Many people enjoy the cinema.

2. Fewer young people were going to the cinema before the pandemic.

3. The popularity of streaming services began to grow during the health crisis.

4. Families are watching together more at home.

5. More people are going to the cinema now they are open again.

6. There are many reasons why the cinema’s popularity will continue.

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NETFLIX OR THE CINEMA?

Netflix or the cinema?

Do you enjoy going to the cinema? Yes, I hear you say. I love it!

A. Times to enjoy

Going to the movies is special for many people in many cultures. Often, the experience of hanging out with
friends, choosing what to watch, getting a huge box of popcorn and watching a film with lots of other people
makes this a really fun event. Sharing moments of excitement as you watch action movies, getting frightened
together watching a horror movie or laughing with friends at a comedy really connects people and makes great
memories.
B. Hard times

But the last few years have been difficult for the cinema. They were hit harder than many businesses when
hundreds of thousands across the world had to close because of the health crisis. This was on top of the challenges
that cinemas were already facing, with young people preferring to watch at home on streaming services such as
Netflix or watch YouTube videos on their smartphones.
C. New watching trends

Streaming services benefited from people being at home and they got millions more viewers during the pandemic,
but this was already happening. In the last five years, the amount of traditional television that teens watch has
halved, and the percentage of 12– 18-year-olds that watch videos online daily has more than doubled. The big TV
in the living room is being used less and less and the idea of a shared experience around a show or film is slowly
becoming a thing of the past – in the home at least.
D. The technology

Ask a teenager today how they watch films or their favourite shows and not many will say television, and if they
do, they don’t mean television in the traditional sense. Young people watch YouTube videos and stream films and
TV series at a time that is convenient to them, on screens that are getting smaller, and it doesn’t matter where.
They might use a laptop in a bedroom, a tablet on the sofa or a mobile phone on the bus or at school.
E. The research
All of this is good news for streaming services, but is it bad news for the cinema? Are teenagers today so in love
with their devices that they won’t go to their local multiplex? The answer may surprise you because it’s a big loud
"no!". In a recent survey, teenagers in the UK were asked to name the leisure activity they had missed the most
while at home during the health emergency. The cinema (62%) was by far the most popular answer with going to
cafes and restaurants (18%), concerts (14%) and theme parks (4%) far behind.
F. The future
There are many reasons for the popularity of the cinema with teenagers despite the demand for streaming
services. Some of the reasons given in the survey included watching a film with friends, getting something to
eat and drink before or after the film and talking about new films together. Teenagers are watching more videos
on smaller screens, and this is great, but if they get an invitation to the cinema, it’s not one they are usually going
to turn down!

Sources: bbfc.co.uk; bbc.com; geckotheatre.co.nz; edweek.org; nytimes.com

Glossary
stream: play video or sound directly from the internet
streaming service: an online entertainment business that provides video and/or audio content
Netflix: an example of a streaming service that provides films and TV series
multiplex: a cinema with lots of different rooms

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NETFLIX OR THE CINEMA?

5 Listening
You are about to hear four teenagers talking about streaming and the cinema.

Part 1: Listen and write down the type of film each likes best.

Viktor Jamal Gemma Ella

Part 2: Listen again and complete the table with what each teenager likes about the cinema and what
they like about streaming.

Name What kind of film Why do they like Why do they like
do you like best? the cinema? streaming?

Viktor (1) (2) (3)

Jamal (1) (2) (3)

Gemma (1) (2) (3)

Ella (1) (2) (3)

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NETFLIX OR THE CINEMA?

6 Vocabulary

Look at these sentences. What do you think each word/phrase means?

1. I’m nearly always up for it. I’d never turn it down.

a. I hardly ever refuse an invitation to the cinema because I like it so much.

b. I’m always positive about the films I see, and I never say bad things about them.

2. I probably watch three or four hours a day – usually at home in my room. I’m a bit addicted to it,
to be honest.
a. I watch a lot and I probably would find it difficult to stop even if I wanted to.
b. I watch a lot, but I get a bit bored of watching so much and would prefer to do something else.

3. If my dad is watching football, I don’t have to – which is a relief!

a. I wish I could watch football more often with my dad.

b. I’m happy that I can watch something else when my dad is watching football.

4. We have like a family subscription or something and I can watch one thing – I love watching
musicals, my brother can watch cartoons and my mum can watch a romance or something.

a. We paid Netflix £100 so we can watch whatever we want, whenever we want, forever.
b. We pay about £10 a month which means we can watch lots of things at the same time.

5. Can you imagine meeting up with your friends and then going into different rooms at the multiplex?
That’d be so weird!
a. It would be really strange to meet up with friends at the cinema and then watch different films.
b. It would be really cool to meet up with friends at the cinema and then watch different films.

7 Speaking

Do a survey in your class about the films your classmates like, and what they like about the cinema
and streaming. Make notes in the table below or in your notebook.

name What kind of film Why do you like Why do you like
do you like best? the cinema? streaming?

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NETFLIX OR THE CINEMA?

8 Optional writing/homework
Write up the results of your survey (up to 150 words).

Use paragraph E from the article to help you:

All of this is good news for streaming services, but is it bad news for the cinema? Are
teenagers today so in love with their devices that they won’t go to their local multiplex?
The answer may surprise you because it’s a big loud "no!". In a recent survey, teenagers in
the UK were asked to name the leisure activity they had missed the most while at home
during the health emergency. The cinema (62%) was by far the most popular answer
with going to cafes and restaurants (18%), concerts (14%) and theme parks (4%) far
behind.

9 Project
Work in pairs or groups. Read the instructions and create a presentation.

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