Learn English with Collateral Beauty

Retreating from life after a tragedy, a man questions the universe by writing to Love, Time and Death. Receiving unexpected answers, he begins to see how these things interlock and how even loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

Why learn English with Collateral Beauty?

"Collateral Beauty" tells the story of Howard, a man struggling with the death of his young daughter. He writes letters to Love, Time, and Death, trying to understand his grief. His friends and colleagues, worried about him and their company, hire actors to portray these abstractions and interact with Howard. The movie explores themes of grief, loss, and finding meaning in life even after tragedy. Learners can expect to encounter vocabulary related to emotions (grief, sorrow, despair, hope), business (agency, shares, clients), and abstract concepts (time, love, death). There are also everyday conversations about work, family, and relationships. The movie deals with complex emotions, so learners will be exposed to a range of expressive language, both spoken and written (through Howard's letters). The dialogue includes both formal business interactions and informal conversations, offering practice with different registers of English. The film's focus on human connection and communication provides a rich context for understanding how language is used to express feelings, persuade others, and build relationships. The slow, deliberate pace of some scenes, especially those dealing with grief, allows learners time to process the language and emotional nuances. "Collateral Beauty" offers English learners valuable exposure to natural dialogue, a variety of accents, and vocabulary related to universal human experiences. The emotional depth of the story can be motivating, making the learning process more engaging. By watching this movie, learners can improve their comprehension, expand their vocabulary, and gain a better understanding of how English is used to express complex emotions and build connections with others. It's a touching story that can help learners connect with the language on a deeper level.

Words from Collateral Beauty

Here are the first 15 of the more difficult words in Collateral Beauty:

inlet: a narrow passage that lets liquid, air, or gas enter a machine or area of land
reconnect: to reestablish a connection, often after it was lost
fundamental: basic and essential, serving as the foundation
resident: a person who lives in a particular place
philosopher: a person who studies or writes about the nature of life and existence
poet: a person who writes poems
rebel: a person who fights an authority, such as a government, an organization, your parents, etc
guru: a religious teacher or leader
terrify: to cause someone to feel very frightened
avenue: a wide road, often with trees along each side, sometimes in a city or town
illuminate: to shine light on something, making it clearer, easier to understand, or visually appealing
abstraction: a thought about a general idea rather than a particular subject
covet: to strongly desire something, especially if it belongs to someone else
routine: usual or standard procedures performed regularly
zombie: a dead body brought back to life by magic, or someone who appears lifeless and uninterested