Teaching English with an authentic feature film (based on Atonement directed by Joe Wright)

The paper discusses theoretical and practical issues related to the semiotics of a film text and discourse and teaching English as a foreign language. The following practical issues are discussed in the article: 1) watching movies as an effective way of learning English; 2) types of assignments suitable for work on the movie "Atonement" by the English director Joe Wright. The properties of the movie text as a means of learning and upbringing are considered. On the basis of a scripted film analysis a conclusion is made about the relevance and effectiveness of learning a foreign language through watching movies as well as cultivating ethical system values and acquaintance with the culture of the target language.