As English is an official international language that is spoken globally, what is the most enjoyable way of learning? RM, from the K-pop BTS boy band, said in a recent interview that watching the TV show Friends, and reading the subtitles, helped him to learn English. He is now the most fluent speaker in the popular music band.

English language teachers use different resources and teaching methods to find the most interesting method to teach English and watching movies and TV shows is one piece of advice given to students. This is because watching movies and TV shows can help you improve your speaking and listening skills. Also, characters speak with natural accents and pronunciation along with a variety of expressions. It is also an interactive, fun, and entertaining way of learning.

In 2018, research was carried out by Albiladi and Abdeen on how English can be improved by watching movies and TV shows. One English language learner responded to the survey by saying,

“Sometimes, when my teacher gives us a new vocabulary to study, I found myself knowing the word because of a movie that I watched, especially, if the word is related to Science because I like to watch Si-Fi (Science Fiction) movies a lot”.

This shows that authentic learning, such as watching movies and TV shows to learn English is beneficial since they show how native speakers speak, which helps to remember words.

There are many other reasons for watching movies and TV shows to learn English.

Listening skills

Firstly, you will develop your listening skills! One of the hardest skills for students to learn in English is listening and watching TV shows and movies helps develop this oral skill. You will hear people speaking English naturally.

English Pronunciation

We are all aware of how challenging it is to pronounce words in English, and it can be confusing to read them without knowing how to pronounce them. So, another reason for watching TV shows and movies, is that it can help you become fluent in speaking. Pronunciation skills are developed, and a good tip for improving your fluency in speaking is by saying the words loudly and repeating them 2-3 times. This will help you to improve your pronunciation of English words.

A better vocabulary

Another reason for watching movies and TV shows, is to increase your vocabulary, because you will listen to many new words, phrases, and expressions. My advice to you is to keep a vocabulary notebook with you, so you can write down any new words you hear, and then ask your English teacher to help you understand the meaning of these new words.

Another question you may ask yourself is, what TV shows can help me improve my English skills? The TV show Friends is popular for English language learners because it is easy to follow, with basic words and sentences used to help you understand the language. You want to watch an understandable TV show, which would make you comfortable watching it.

My recommendation for a movie to watch to improve your English skills is Toy Story. This is because animated films are targeted at children, so it means the vocabulary is not too challenging to understand. However, this movie is not only for children, but Toy Story was written for entertaining adults too, as it includes adult humour.

When you do watch an episode of Friends, and the movie Toy Story 1, remember to have your notebook with you to write down new words in your vocabulary book.

Author: Uwais – Teacher