M-ELT stands for: Movie-assisted English as a second (or foreign) language Learning and Teaching.

The practice of using movies as teaching tools has gradually extended into a variety of subjects. For ESL learners, the educational values of movies come from its cultural importance and motivational value as one type of popular culture, the technological advantages of movies as one type of instructional medium (a topic in the field of instructional technology), and the quality of certain movies in terms of their screenplay and sophisticated deliverance of the speech.

Movie-assisted ESL learning and teaching (M-ELT), as distinguished from movie-assisted education or movie-assisted second language acquisition in its general terms, has its particular concerns and decisions, although these areas may have significant overlaps. Although educational and linguisticscholars generally do not treat movie-assisted ESL learning and teaching as a separate category, the practices and scholarship in movie-assisted education and related fields cut across the boundary lines of what we may call M-ELT.

Technically, M-ELT is a category within educational or instructional technology (a field first defined in the 1960’s and matured in the 1990’s), although the field of educational technology mainly concerns the technology aspects of the whole range of media and the selection of proper type of instructional medium.

In the field of language learning and teaching (particularly in English language teaching, a.k.a. ELT), M-ELT may have some overlaps with computer-assisted language learning (CALL, a term introduced in 1997 and became a recognized field in ELT at the beginning of the 21st century). But movies are rarely discussed in the framework of CALL, which mainly concerns the effectiveness of computer software in language learning (e.g., web-based language courses).

Many aspects of movie-assisted language learning and teaching—its legitimacy, benefits and concerns—actually come from the motivation studies of educational psychologists and psycholinguists. Studies in psycholinguistics lend insight as to the unique challenges and concerns of movie-assisted ESL learning and teaching. Recent study on motivation in ESL learning has confirmed the importance of the concept of self, which concerns the development and expression of ESL learners’ own identities through the language they are learning.

Given the global status of the English language, many ESL learners may face a unique challenge of self definition and identity negotiation in a new culture where they tend to be marginalized as minorities.

In recognition of the unique advantages and content-related concerns in M-ELT, considering the global status of the English language and unique challenges of many ESL learners to define themselves and negotiate their identities in the English language and culture, Tomato’s English is publishing an introductory series of books providing studies of M-ELT as a separate category of particular concerns and decisions, and practical guidance to movie selection for ESL learning and teaching.

Considering the practical difficulties in selecting proper movies suitable for ESL learning and teaching, the first two books in the series introduce a systematic approach to movie selection, drawing on up-to-date scholarship in related fields; and provides an accessible movie guide for ESL learners and teachers.

The series is aimed primarily at ESL teachers and learners, and academics in related fields.