Roald Dahl’s The Witches was published in 1983, a typically twisted tale of witches who look like normal women and want to eliminate children by turning them into mice. A second film version, this time by American director Robert Zemeckis, was scheduled for a November release. Like everything else, it's on hold for lockdown, but why not get your pupils ready to watch it with this spooky resource?
The film stars Anne Hathaway as the witches’ leader while Octavia Spencer, who was previously known for her parts in The Help and Hidden Figures, plays the good grandmother.
This A2 document is to be used together with the very beginning of the audio book extract read by Miranda Richardson.
NB: For the many of you who know the story, in the film, the narrator is turned back into a little boy at the end, unlike Dahl’s ending, where he lives out the rest of his life happily as a mouse, with his grandmother.
Vocabulary and grammar.
- Physical description (common witch’s equipment and looks, verbs: wear, dress in, look like...)
- Real witch’s characteristics (wig, claws, gloves, nostrils, toes...)
- Verbs: pretend, attract, catch, transform into...
- Present simple, past simple.
Phonetics
- Pronunciation of <i> or <y>:
- /ı/: witch, wig, film, broomstick, silly, think, kill... /aı/: fly, mice, recognise...
- Pronunciation of <o>:
- /ʌ/: gloves.../ɒ/: jobs.../u/: woman.../ı/: women.../əu/: clothes...
We suggest a follow-up activity with the film trailer:
Copyright(s) :
Warner Bros
Download resources :
Please connect with your Nathan Enseignant account (or register for free) to download files for free:
Roald Dahl’s The Witches A2 Video-projectable Article
Roald Dahl’s The Witches A2 Printable Article
Roald Dahl’s The Witches A2 Student Worksheet
Roald Dahl’s The Witches A2 Teacher's Notes
Roald Dahl’s The Witches A2 Download all the files in one Zip
