Action English!

The government-run Central China TV has at least 12 channels, and one of them—in prime time—devotes time to teaching English.  I caught “Action English” in passing last night as I was headed to eat.  Viewers were treated to a ten minute dissertation of the slang term “give someone a case of the willies,” using a clip from the Kevin Spacey movie Outbreak.  In fact, movie snippets are the entire basis for introducing nascent English speakers to things they’ll hear on the streets of New York or Chicago or Champaign but may not quite understand with their phrasebooks.  Also on last night’s edition: Tony and Maria from West Side Story (“Will you come down and meet me for a minute?  An hour?  How about forever?”), and the cast of The West Wing using the terms “ETA” and “case closed.”