Watching TV Is a Good Habit
In our modern day world, it is almost impossible to walk a kilometre without seeing a TV set and worse than that, it is almost impossible to spend an evening at home without turning on your television. This is the world we live in, and to be honest, if you are second language English speaker this might actually be a good habit for you.
I’m sure you have realised that watching just one episode of a sitcom in a foreign language can be difficult. “What did he just say?” “Who’s that guy there?” “Why am I watching this!!?” “Is this even English!!?”
This week, I asked my students for TV recommendations for learning English, and I was pretty surprised by the suggestions given.
Here are 5 student recommendations for TV series to support your English study.
5 English TV Series Recommendations
1. The Big Bang Theory
“Big Bang”, as people have started calling it, is a comedy filled with nerds, science and strange behaviour, so I was very surprised when a student said that this is all he watches. The language can be a little hard to follow sometimes as the topics often move to science and science fiction. However, it is still filled with common language, everyday problems and amusing habits which is plenty to make you an instant fan.
2. How I Met Your Mother
As the title of this one suggests, this show’s plotline almost entirely follows a man’s search for the love of his life. We watch as he and his closest friends live, laugh and love their way through the troubles of life. It is very easy to relate to the characters and once you’ve met the world-famous Barney Stinson, the phrase “It’s gonna be legendary” will be stuck in your English brain forever.
3. Friends
How could I possibly list popular TV Series’ without including this one? I don’t think I’ve ever met an English learner who hadn’t heard of Friends. Brothers, sisters, family and friends, marriage, divorce, babies, more babies, and a theme tune that has become world-famous. This show has everything! It is probably far more accessible to lower intermediate learners than Big Bang as it has far more day-to-day language. But beware, if you watch all ten seasons, you’ll probably start to sound American. You have been warned!
4. Glee
This is my top choice, my recommendation and the show I choose on a Sunday morning after a long hard week. Set in a high school, it tells the story of a group of high school kids, some popular, some not so popular, who form a show choir. As you can guess, they suffer the ups and downs all teenagers face and as a team work together to overcome them. Even if you don’t understand everything that is happening, the music will keep you motivated and keep you watching.
5. Smallville
I reckon I have a few too many sci-fi enthusiasts in my class as this one follows Superman in his early years. Unlike the Superman movies (there must be over a hundred by now) this series provides the young Clark Kent with family troubles, girl troubles and school troubles while casually saving the planet at the same time. As always, the action and ‘beautiful people’ will keep you watching even after your brain starts telling you “No more English!”.
Keep Watching. Keep Asking Questions
Finally, it doesn’t matter which you choose, the most important thing is that you keep listening to English or watching TV in English as part of your daily routine, and remember to ask your teacher or English friends about new language or grammar you find interesting.
