When I was in college, I spent many hours in my dorm room watching American TV series and movies.
It was a lot of fun.
Few shows have been so addictive. I often skipped classes to complete the entire series.
Still, I didn’t feel guilty. Watching those shows improved my English. I just wasn’t having fun. I was productive.
How TV series can improve your English
TV shows and movies will not only entertain you, but they will also help you improve your English skills.
Like this:
1. Dictionary
When you watch a TV series, you learn new words, phrases and idioms, especially words that are often used in spoken English.
An example of an idiom is “put yourself in someone’s shoes”, which means trying to see a situation from someone else’s point of view, as if you were that person.
Unlike books, which are boring to some people, TV shows have video and sound. That’s why they are so popular.
2. Listening comprehension
Movie dialogues are very difficult to understand for most English language learners.
So they are great for listening practice, especially for intermediate and advanced learners.
You see, if you only listen to easy English, your listening will not improve much. (It’s like lifting very light weights and expecting your muscles to get bigger. It just doesn’t work.)
An effective way to improve your listening skills is to listen to something difficult, such as movies and TV shows.
By watching different shows, you will come across standard and regional English accents.
With enough practice, you’ll become more familiar with all the common accents and better understand what native speakers are saying in real life.
3. Social skills
Television programs involve human interaction. This way you will learn useful oral social skills such as:
- Different ways to greet someone
- How to make polite requests
- How to ask a question
- How to order food
Of course, movies are not 100% realistic and some interactions are exaggerated. But they still represent the truth and you can still learn a lot from them.
4 ways to learn English through movies
You can use movies and TV series to improve these skills:
- Dictionary
- Reading comprehension
- Listening comprehension
- English language
There are several ways to do this. Let’s discuss the first one.
Method #1: Watch TV shows with subtitles in your native language
This method is probably the most pleasant. Reading subtitles in your own language makes it easier to understand the story.
But this is the most effective method learning English with TV shows.
Since the subtitles are not in English, you won’t know the English words the actors are saying.
I would only recommend this method to beginners if they combine this method with the next method.
Method #2: Watch TV series with English subtitles
With this method, you will learn the exact words spoken in English.
This is a good way to learn English vocabulary.
But if your English reading skills are poor, this method may be difficult. (It’s not easy to read subtitles quickly during a fast-talking scene.)
So if you have trouble with English subtitles, you can watch the show with subtitles in your language first (to learn the plot) and then watch it again with English subtitles to learn the vocabulary.
Method #3: Watch TV series without subtitles
This is the best way if you want to improve your English listening skills.
You see, the problem with the previous methods is that they are not effective in improving your listening skills.
Why? Because When you watch a movie with subtitles, your attention is focused on the subtitles, not the speech sounds. So you are practicing reading skills, not listening skills.
But if you turn off the subtitles, something interesting happens.
There is nothing more to read! You have no choice but to pay full attention to the spoken sounds.
This method can be divided into two separate methods:
Method 3.1: Watch with subtitles first
To know the plot, watch the show with English subtitles first, then watch it again without subtitles.
The first viewing will improve your vocabulary and reading comprehension, while the second viewing will target your listening skills.
Method 3.2: Watch without subtitles first
This is like the reverse of Method 3.1.
How to do it:
- Watch the first scene (or dialogue). without subtitles. Listen carefully. You have to understand what the actors are saying.
- If you understand the scene well, that’s great! Continue watching without subtitles.
- But if you don’t understand some parts of it, turn on English subtitles and watch again. After that, go to the next scene and repeat the process.
Method 3.2 is the most effective way to improve English listening skills.
The first time you watch each scene, there are no subtitles and you have no prior knowledge of the scene. So you just have to rely on your listening skills to understand what’s going on.
It improves listening comprehension like nothing else.
But the problem with this approach is that you can’t watch an entire movie or episode at a time. Some scenes with subtitles must be rewinded and rewatched. So if you don’t want to do that, use method 3.1 instead.
Method #4: Imitation of actors
Unlike the previous methods, this one focuses on your English speaking skills.
Basically, you learn to speak English by copying actors. When the actor speaks, pause the video and repeat what you heard. Try to say the line exactly the same, with the same pronunciation. (You can even copy body language and facial expressions.)
I will discuss this speaking practice in detail in another article. If you want to learn more, check out our guide to learning to speak English.
The best TV series for learning English
Did you know that I like to learn English through movies and TV shows?
There are many options to choose from!
The best shows for beginners
If you’re just starting out, animated movies are your best friend.
Most animated movies are easy to understand (because the studios have to make sure they appeal to kids). They have relatively simple plots and usually do not require prior knowledge of any particular subject.
Here are animated shows that both kids and adults can enjoy:
- Toy Story (4 movies)
- Miracles (2 movies)
- Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University
- How to Train Your Dragon (3 movies)
- Kung Fu Panda (3 movies)
- Shrek (4 movies)
- Back to the Future (3 movies) These are not animated movies, but the stories are easy to understand.
Check back if you need more suggestions this page.
The best shows for middle school
If you are a mid-level player, you have many options to choose from.
Here are my favorite British and American shows:
- Harry Potter (8 films) (British)
- Stranger Things (American)
- Peaky Blinders (UK)
- Breaking Bad (American)
- The Crown (UK)
See for more TV show recommendations IMDB Top Rated TV Shows.