Learn english with Captain Phillips

The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

Why learn english with Captain Phillips?

"Captain Phillips" tells the true story of Captain Richard Phillips, whose cargo ship is hijacked by Somali pirates. The movie follows the tense negotiations and dangerous standoff between the pirates and the US Navy as they try to rescue Captain Phillips. While watching, you can learn vocabulary related to ships and the sea ("cargo," "skiff," "muster stations," "engine room"), as well as words used in tense situations ("negotiate," "hostage," "threat," "surrender"). You'll also see how people communicate under pressure. The film explores themes of survival, courage, and the impact of poverty. You will experience a range of emotions, from fear and tension to relief and hope, as you follow the story. The movie uses a mix of formal and informal language, including some Somali phrases, giving you exposure to different ways English is spoken. Pay attention to the dialogue between the Captain and the pirates – it demonstrates how language can be used to persuade and intimidate. The emotional intensity of the movie can also help you connect with the characters and better remember the language used. Watching "Captain Phillips" can be a helpful way to improve your English listening and comprehension skills. The clear dialogue and engaging storyline make it easy to follow, even for learners. Because the movie is based on a true story, it can also be a starting point for learning more about current events and international relations. You can look up news articles or documentaries about piracy to further expand your vocabulary and understanding of the world. This will help you connect English learning with real-world contexts, making it more meaningful and memorable.

Words from Captain Phillips

Here are the first 15 of the more difficult words in Captain Phillips:

belonging: feeling comfortable and happy in a group where you're accepted as a member
unattended: not being watched or cared for
baggage: bags and cases for transporting clothes and personal belongings during a journey
inspection: carefully looking at something or someone, especially to make sure everything is correct
removal: the act of taking something away from a place
khat: the leaves of a plant found in Africa and Arabia that are chewed or brewed into tea and act as a drug
skinny: very thin, especially in a way that is not attractive
departure: the act of leaving a place
jimmy: to force open a window or lock with a tool
lodestar: the North Star
ballast: heavy material used to create stability, such as in ships or as a base for roads or railways
champ: to chew or bite something noisily
ton: a unit of weight equal to 2,000 pounds in the US and 2,240 pounds in the UK
cargo: the items being transported by a ship, aircraft, or vehicle
metric: connected with the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in lines of a poem