Film literacy x scientific literacy

Introducing science-based video essays to explore film design in English language education

Abstract

Film literacy enables learners to autonomously and critically engage with films in the English language. However, research indicates that learners struggle to perceive even fictional films as deliberately constructed media products that may contort facts. To address this challenge in English language education, we propose linking film literacy with scientific literacy, empowering learners to examine how complex topics are represented in films from an evidence-based perspective. We illustrate this approach through the animated films Inside Out and Inside Out 2, which explore the complexity of emotions during childhood and adolescence. In a teaching concept we introduce, learners critically analyse and produce science-based video essays, becoming active participants in scientific discourses.