ELTWorldOnline.com September 2011 http://blog.nus.edu.sg/eltwo/ Volume III Copyright © 2015, ISSN 1793-8732 1 Reading What’s Beyond the Textbooks: Documentary Films as Student Projects in College Reading Courses by Alejandro S. Bernardo University of Santo Tomas (Manila, Philippines) Abstract This paper discusses how useful documentaries are in teaching college reading courses. Now that the ESL classroom has become not only multicultural but also multidimensional, it is imperative for language teachers to utilize technology so as to allow learners to use the target language in spoken and written discourse, to develop critical thinking skills in unconventional situations and to become motivated to ‘read beyond’ the classroom for a better understanding of the world around them. They must be taught how to read the lines and between the lines, but they should also be trained to read behind and beyond the lines. One potent way to achieve such goals is for them be engaged in meaningful projects involving documentary films. Introduction Learning is not confined within the four walls of the classroom. In truth, countless unknowns are discovered beyond the classroom boundaries and school periphery. Books and teachers are not the only source of knowledge, and the world outside the classroom is a laboratory of life that offers much more than what schools can provide. Hence, students must be ushered and trained to unremittingly, inquisitively, and critically investigate. In addition, they must be propelled to search for truths, must be driven to connect what is deduced from books with reality, and must be urged to raise important and profound questions. It is very crucial that students are allowed to seek answers and solutions to problems. This incessant search eventually becomes a tangible indicator that they can learn by themselves with very minimal teacher intervention. While it is true that the exchange of meaningful ideas and a range of comprehensible input can be made available in the classrooms, it is still imperative for teachers to engage the learners in off-campus activities and fieldwork that necessitate independent use of critical and logical thinking and the demonstration of sharp study skills. Students' ability to develop and use these skills, if properly and continuously harnessed when