A Dutch cinema chain, Pathé, is inviting 30 film fans to a free event called “Rewind”. A hypnotist will try to help them forget a favourite film, so they can watch it again for the first time. Students read the story, guess what is true and talk about films, endings and hypnosis. This A2 version uses short, simple sentences and everyday words about films and feelings.
Level: A2 · Time: 45 to 90 minutes. Pick the activities that suit your class. They work in almost any order.
Lesson Activities
- Warmer: What’s Happening Here? – picture reveal (answer: a hypnotist in 1895 has hypnotised a man so his body stays stiff between two chairs). Ask what is happening and if students believe in hypnosis.
- Forget a Film: True or False? – students guess if 13 sentences about the event are true or false, then check after reading.
- Key Words Match – pre-teach 10 words from the reading: forget, remember, choose, sign up, free, ending, surprise, try, lucky, relaxed.
- Reading: Forget Your Favourite Film? – a short news story with 10 gaps and a word bank.
- Discussion Cards – 10 questions about favourite films, cinema or home, surprise endings and hypnosis.
- Again for the First Time – students rank nine experiences they would most like to have again for the first time, from a favourite film to a first day at work.
Teacher Tips
- Shorter lesson: do the warmer, the key words match and the reading, then pick four or five discussion cards.
- Language focus: can and want to for wishes and possibility (“I want to forget…”, “Hypnosis can help…”), and the past simple with first time (“The first time I saw it, I…”).
- Follow-up: students write five sentences about their favourite film without saying its name. The class guesses the film.