When learning any language (and that includes learning English), TV shows and movies are a powerful way to improve your language skills.
They're certainly not the only resource or approach learners should use to learn a language, but they certainly work well alongside other appropriate approaches and resources.
In this article, we'll look at how and why language learners should use TV shows and movies.
Why Are TV Shows and Movies Useful Language Learning Tools?
When it comes to learning any language, there are three key ways you can learn: immersion, esol classes, and teaching yourself.
Every language student will likely use a combination of these approaches rather than just one of them and the lines between each approach tend to blur a bit. After all, if immersion is being surrounded by the language at all times, is watching TV shows and movies in your target language simply immersing yourself in the language or teaching yourself the language using them as resources?
The answer to that doesn't particularly matter because the important thing is learning the language and since every student is different, the most important thing is finding approaches and resources that work for them.
With TV shows and movies, there's something for everyone with content catering to different tastes and levels as well as content that's designed specifically for language learners.
The language used in TV shows and movies is as varied as the shows and movies themselves so English language learners can find examples of English from all over the world, including both formal and informal uses of the language.
Who Can Use Movies and TV Shows?
Any English language learner can benefit from using movies and TV shows and most learners will likely already have a favorite TV show or movie that was originally in English. Depending on where the learner's from will likely affect whether or not they saw their favorite show or movie in English since some localities have a tendency to dub content whilst others simply subtitle content.
If they've only seen a dubbed version of their favorite show or movie, this will give them a great opportunity to see the original version and hear the voices of the actors who were originally cast for the roles.
Movies and TV shows are useful resources for language learners of all ages, too, with children being able to watch things where the language is appropriate for their overall level.
This isn't to say adults can't watch children's shows and movies, especially since they tend to be conceptually easier to understand with language to match.
Basically, the range of movies and TV shows out there makes them a wonderful resource for any language learner.
Choosing the Right Content
To get the most out of TV shows and movies, learners need to find content that's appropriate for them and their level.
The utility of any language learning resource depends greatly on how well it matches the learner's preferred learning style and level so don't think that putting English language students in front of a movie or TV show is going to make them suddenly fluent.
The content must be appropriate for the learner. Above all, learners shouldn't be watching things inappropriate for their age or background. Spending two hours watching the wrong movie won't really teach anyone anything, especially if the plot is hard to follow and the level of language used is beyond that of the student.
Similarly, English-language movies and TV shows are products of the cultures where they're made and some English students may be sensitive to the content within or just not find it very appropriate. Attitudes towards sex and violence, in particular, differ greatly around the world, and watching a movie or TV show with too much of either might simply disgust the viewer rather than teach them any English.
Get Used to Hearing English
Movies and TV shows can help language learners train their ears to the sound of English. English is a language that's spoken all over the world with lots of different accents.
English language learners can gain a better understanding of English through TV shows and movies since they can find examples of accents from all over the English-speaking world as well as examples of English being spoken in formal and informal settings.
With movies and TV shows made for English speakers, the language used is often more advanced and sometimes more colloquial, which can help learners get used to hearing English as they'll hear it when speaking to actual English speakers, something they don't always get to do with classroom learning.
Movies and TV shows will also help with the tricky transition from written English to spoken English. For many English learners, the relationship between the written and spoken forms of English can pose a lot of problems, with words seemingly following no rhyme or reason as to how they're pronounced.
With some languages, letters are always pronounced in exactly the same way whereas English seems to take more liberties with many letters having multiple possible pronunciations depending on where they are in a word, the letters that precede or follow them, or simply the etymological origins of the word itself.
Improve Listening Skills
As students watch movies and TV shows in English, they'll be able to improve their listening skills. This isn't just about having a better ear for English and how it's pronounced, but instead is a way for them to be able to pick up key information in spoken English.
When most people speak their native languages, they don't actually listen to every single word (nor do they read every single word) and will actually listen out for the important words that help them understand what people are saying.
Through regularly watching TV shows and movies in English, especially if they're regularly tested on their comprehension, students will get better at listening out for the key information they need to know.
Active Watching
English language learners can get a lot out of TV shows and movies by “active watching”. This is the process of not just simply watching the content, but taking notes, pausing the content when necessary, and actively studying the English language used in whatever content they're watching.
English teachers or ESL teachers can also provide their students with comprehension questions and other activities to make them actively watch TV shows and movies.
It can be useful for students to test their understanding of English in the content they watch. Without actively watching, it can be quite easy for them to just put on a TV show or movie, pay little attention to it, and fool themselves into thinking they learned more than they did just by watching something.
Learn New Vocabulary
Depending on the show or movie, there might be several opportunities for English students to learn new and interesting vocabulary.
For certain TV shows and movies, there may be vocabulary that's very specific to a certain topic or subject while others might have excellent examples of vocabulary from certain parts of the English-speaking world as well as pop culture vocab.
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Practice Pronunciation
More advanced English language students can use movies and TV shows as a reference for pronouncing words and it can even help to study, memorize, and practice sections of dialog from shows and movies to work on their pronunciation.
Teachers can even get English students to reenact or perform their favorite scenes to work on their pronunciation and delivery.
Using Subtitles
The key to getting the most out of watching TV shows and movies in English is how subtitles are used.
With streaming platforms like Netflix and video platforms like YouTube, there's often a good range of subtitle options for both different languages and closed captioning, which also describes the other audio portions of content for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals.
Beginners and some intermediate learners may require subtitles in their native language to follow the plot, but as students advance, they should start watching with English subtitles and eventually remove them altogether (if they can).
Start with subtitles in your own language so you can understand the plot.
Put subtitles in English so you can read and listen simultaneously.
Remove the English subtitles and just listen to the English being spoken.
Use Other Resources
While movies and TV shows are excellent resources for learning English or any other language, they can't be used in isolation and it's a good idea to use a range of resources and approaches.
In addition to movies and TV shows, English learners can also use podcasts, books, and even social media to practice and use their English.
Movies and TV shows are useful when watched actively and teachers and tutors can use them to engage students with content that they'll be interested in that also helps them to greatly improve their English.
If you're looking for suggestions of great movies to watch that can improve your English, consider getting help from one of the many talented private English tutors on the Superprof platform.
With both face-to-face tutors and online esl classes, students can find tutors appropriate to their level and budget with many experienced and qualified native English tutors available on the site.
Many of the tutors offer the first session for free so you can try a few different tutors out before deciding which one is right for you and how you like to learn.
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