Orphaned and alone except for an uncle, Hugo Cabret lives in the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris. Hugo's job is to oil and maintain the station's clocks, but to him, his more important task is to protect a broken automaton and notebook left to him by his late father. Accompanied by the goddaughter of an embittered toy merchant, Hugo embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of the automaton and find a place he can call home.
"Hugo" tells the story of a young orphan boy, Hugo Cabret, who lives secretly in the walls of a Paris train station. He keeps the station's clocks running and works to fix a mysterious automaton, a mechanical man, left by his father. Hugo's journey involves theft, secrets, and a magical adventure with a bookish girl named Isabelle. Through the story, you can learn vocabulary related to machines ("gears," "clockwork," "automaton"), emotions ("sadness," "despair," "hope"), and everyday life in Paris ("station," "booth," "apartment"). The film also introduces words related to filmmaking, like "camera," "film," and "director." The movie explores themes of family, loss, and finding your purpose. You will encounter a range of emotions, from Hugo's sadness and loneliness to the joy and wonder he experiences through his adventure. The language used varies from simple conversations to more complex storytelling. The characters speak with different accents and levels of formality, exposing you to a variety of English pronunciations and expressions. Pay attention to how the characters express their feelings and how their language changes depending on the situation. "Hugo" is a visually stunning film with a heartwarming story, making it enjoyable and engaging for English learners. The clear dialogue and interesting plot will keep you motivated to follow along. By watching "Hugo," you can improve your listening comprehension, expand your vocabulary, and gain a better understanding of English sentence structure and pronunciation. Because the story is told in a relatively straightforward manner, it's a great choice for learners who want to immerse themselves in the language without being overwhelmed by overly complex dialogue.
Here are the first 15 of the more difficult words in Hugo:
