Learn English with Billy Elliot

More film and television lessons

Hibiscus Teach · Movies

Billy Elliot

Let Me Explain What It Means to Me

Describe a personal interest clearly and challenge an assumption with a specific reason.

B2 English target60-minute lesson target

Adults for the proposed cuts. Strong language, homophobic slurs, family conflict and threatened violence. Do not make learners repeat abusive language or disclose personal conflict.

Created by , British English teacher.

Like Electricity

After an audition, Billy struggles with formal questions until someone asks how dancing feels.

Watch for: Which question helps him express himself more fully?

Original source

Clip A quiz: 6 questions

Answer about this clip. Replay when you need to. Choose one answer for each question.

1. What has Billy just taken part in?
2. How does he initially answer questions about his interest?
3. Who has written positively about him?
4. What does the panel ask his father about?
5. Which final question produces a fuller answer?
6. What images does Billy use to describe the feeling?

Useful English

It is difficult to explain, but it feels like…

You say: Describe the feeling of finishing a difficult task.

One possible response

It is difficult to explain, but it feels like a weight lifting.

Could you ask that in a different way?

You say: Ask someone to rephrase a difficult interview question.

One possible response

Could you ask that in a different way?

Keep talking: 3 questions

Speak before opening the help or example. With a partner, ask a follow-up. On your own, say your answer aloud.

  1. Which questions help you speak more naturally: factual, personal or imaginative?

    Help me start

    I find…

    Show an example

    I find a question about an experience easier than a very abstract question.

  2. Describe an enjoyable activity without using “good” or “nice”.

    Help me start

    It feels…

    Show an example

    It feels absorbing; I stop thinking about the time.

  3. Rephrase a difficult question so a partner can answer more concretely.

    Help me start

    Instead of… ask…

    Show an example

    Instead of asking about motivation, ask what part of the activity they look forward to.

Not for Lads

Billy’s father objects to ballet because it does not fit his expectations for boys.

Watch for: How does Billy challenge the assumption behind the objection?

Original source

Clip B quiz: 6 questions

Answer about this clip. Replay when you need to. Choose one answer for each question.

1. What activity causes the disagreement?
2. What distinction does his father make?
3. Who mentions having danced earlier in life?
4. What comparison does Billy make about dancers?
5. What does his father decide about the lessons?
6. Does the conversation end with a negotiated agreement?

Useful English

What exactly makes you say that?

You say: Ask for the reason behind a claim about an activity.

One possible response

What exactly makes you say that the activity is unsuitable?

I would rather judge the activity by what it involves.

You say: Ask to judge a club by its actual activities.

One possible response

I would rather judge the club by what its members actually do.

Keep talking: 3 questions

Speak before opening the help or example. With a partner, ask a follow-up. On your own, say your answer aloud.

  1. How could someone challenge a stereotype without attacking a person?

    Help me start

    Ask what…

    Show an example

    Ask what the claim is based on and offer a relevant counterexample.

  2. Why should an interest not be treated as a complete description of someone?

    Help me start

    People can…

    Show an example

    People can enjoy one activity while having many other qualities and preferences.

  3. Defend a harmless choice using a specific reason.

    Help me start

    I enjoy it because…

    Show an example

    I enjoy the class because it develops coordination and lets me be creative.

Mastery: use your English

Apply language and ideas from both clips in new situations.

Mastery: 6 questions

Use the English in a new situation. Choose one answer for each question.

1. Which question is more concrete than “What motivates you?”
2. Which response asks for a claim’s basis without insulting the speaker?
3. Which sentence describes an experience rather than labels it merely good?
4. Which example challenges a general claim directly?
5. Which statement distinguishes a person from a stereotype?
6. Which request makes a trial possible without demanding full agreement?

Put it all together: speaking

Use English from both clips. Start with the two short questions, then take a private role each. On your own, practise both roles.

  1. How does a helpful question differ from a fixed assumption in these clips?

    Help me start

    A helpful question…

    Show an example

    A helpful question gives Billy room to explain; a fixed assumption decides the answer in advance.

  2. What would make a discussion about an unfamiliar activity more constructive?

    Help me start

    Ask about…

    Show an example

    Ask about the actual activity, practical requirements and the participant’s reason for choosing it.

  3. Can you reach a workable outcome together using the two private role cards?

    Private Role A

    You want to join an improvisation club. A friend assumes it is only for confident people. You are interested because you want to practise listening and responding.

    Private Role B

    You are nervous about public performance and think the club requires it immediately. You would consider attending if observation and small-group practice are allowed. Ask rather than assume.

    Open only your own role card. Share its information by speaking, without showing the card.

    Help me start

    Discover the missing information; explain your constraint; respond to your partner; agree on a practical next step. Use language from both clips.

    Check your conversation

    • Complete the practical goal on both role cards.
    • Use at least three target items naturally, including language from each clip.
    • Ask a relevant follow-up and respond to information you did not know.
    • End with a clear agreement, next step or summary.
    Show an example

    A: I want to try the club to practise listening. B: I thought it was only for confident performers. A: What made you think that? B: The poster showed a stage. A: We can observe first and choose small-group work. B: That sounds more manageable.

    Try again: The next session includes an optional performance. Clarify that optional means the person may decline without losing the chance to participate.

Original teaching activities: Hibiscus Teach. Film and television clips belong to their respective owners.