ESL Film Club Launches at Thomas Branigan Memorial Library with Screening of “In the Heights”

Calling all English as a Second Language (ESL) learners and film aficionados: the inaugural session of the ESL Film Club is about to kick off at Thomas Branigan Memorial Library. Scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 16, from 1-3:15 p.m., the club will be featuring the film “In the Heights,” a musical celebration rooted in the Latinx community of New York City’s Washington Heights. Imitating the vibrancy of the neighborhood it portrays, the film is known to not just entertain but also to resonate with the struggles and dreams of its characters.

According to the City of Las Cruces, “In the Heights” is the screen adaptation of the Broadway play written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. A practice particularly conducive to ESL learners, the club intends to periodically pause the movie for attendees to collectively read scenes that were shown, thus helping them to better engage and potentially improve their English pronunciation.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, “In the Heights” features an ensemble cast including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Melissa Barrera, Stephanie Beatriz, Ariana Greenblatt, and Leslie Grace. The film interlaces narratives of longing and ambition with the cultural pulse of the Latinx community, offering catchy tunes and dynamic dance scenes that earned it a PG-13 rating for its raw yet hopeful depiction of urban life.

In support of the ESL community, and recognizing the benefits of visual aids in language learning, the library is presenting this film club event. Research has demonstrated a notable seventeen percent improvement in comprehension when ESL students view films with subtitles. Thus, “In the Heights” will be shown in English with Spanish subtitles to best assist attendees in following along and fully appreciating the Latinx-authored play-turned-movie.

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