QI or ‘Quite Interesting’ is a British panel show where contestants should gain points by either answering extremely obscure questions correctly or by giving such an interesting (albeit wrong) answer to a question. Downton Abbey. Reading is one of the best ways to improve your English. Learning English becomes fun and easy when you learn with movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talks. This is another brilliant historical television series. Thanks for subscribing! The competition is decided by a number of heats, then quarter-finals/semi-finals and finish with the final. Many of the actors are not using their natural accents. Most of us enjoy watching a fun TV show to relax, but not all shows are equally helpful. This UK TV Show becomes appealing thanks to thanks to its simplicity but fun. Friends. Why it’s helpful: They use informal, everyday language. SNL makes fun of advertisements, music videos, TV shows, movies, politics and more. We’re in early 20th century England with the Crawleys, a family caught between the old and the new. Fawlty towers is one of the funnies series that has ever been on British television. What makes “Friends” so appealing (interesting) is its sense of humor, as well as its universal themes. If you want to watch a “show” about English shows to improve your English listening skills, head on over to our YouTube channel! This blog was originally published in November 2013 but was updated in September 2019. Dibley has a lady ordained as vicar named as the reverend Geraldine granger played by the actress dawn French. And it’s much more useful if they don’t live in the Middle Ages. Because there are fewer episodes, it’s easier to finish the series and watch once more from the beginning. Can TV shows help you learn English. This is a British cooking competition, which includes the series celebrity MasterChef and junior MasterChef. Are you looking for an Advanced English Course to help you improve Accent and Fluency? FluentU brings English to life with real-world videos. The series follows the amusing tales of how the residents of Dibley adjust to having their first lady vicar and follows the exploits of the vicar, her church congregation and village life. But that’s not the only problem with audio (just sound) made for English students. The characters often speak fast. Cameras follow celebrities as they show off their houses, talking about how they’ve decorated, giving details about the furniture and more. Kirstie allsopp and Phil spencer team up in this very successful and long running series. Here you have everything that an English language learner and series lover could wish for: British accents, superb acting, London, long and playful conversations with a lot of humour and incredible stories. The characters have diverse (very different) backgrounds, personalities and jobs. He works with his partner psychologist Gillian Foster. This is another fabulous period drama series giving us an insight into life ‘above and below’ stairs in England in the years following the first world war, which will help with learning British English both in context and pronunciation. Why it’s helpful: Now, catching up with the dialogue in “Friends” might not be easy. All Rights Reserved. A very interesting general knowledge program, which is good for more advanced learners to help improve British English. “Coupling” features English characters as well as a Welsh one. Below is a list of series/ movies that have been (or are still) popular recently. Gregg Wallace and john torode are the judges now with loyd grossman presenting the original series. The numerous secondary characters in the series will expose you to a variety of local accents, helping you with your listening comprehension skills.. 2. Learning English by watching TV shows should only help your vocabulary. These amazing English language series are the perfect accompaniment to your online English course. You can use ororo.tv or Netflix to watch TV shows in English with subtitles, and it becomes a habit for you, your English will be becoming better every day. Why it’s helpful: The presenter has a clear English accent and he often uses visual aids like pictures and graphs. This series is very good at helping to understand British humor together with helping improve British language. This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you There are a number of excellent television shows that are perfect to improve your fluency of speaking British English and here is our choice of 10 television shows to help you: This series is shown on Netflix with the first series being shown last year and follows the marriage of princess Elizabeth to prince Philip in 1947, her accession to queen Elizabeth ii in February 1952 and continues until 1956. That is exactly where TV comes in. The episodes follow the very amusing incidents of the day to day running of this hotel. Then, if you are confident about your grammar, please do read Enid Blyton. Suits. Read on to find out more about English language television shows and how they can improve your English skills. Together, they help different organizations to catch criminals. She insists that her surname should be pronounced “Bouquet” and considers herself very posh. Here's why. Some of these are now out in boxed DVD sets for example Downton abbey and this enables you to watch them at a time to suit you, even sitting in airport waiting for your plane or sitting in a train on a train journey. I’ve included British and American TV series with different levels of English difficulty. This is another historical series, which is educational (like the crown – above) and uses perfect British English, which can help improve your accent. It also has lots of physical comedy, so you don’t have to worry much about missing a lot of action or words. Already know basic Grammar and Vocabulary? The second series will cover the lives of the queen and prince Philip from 1956-1964, which will be released at the end of 2017. The series is set in a hotel in torquay in the county of Devon and is run by basil Fawlty and his wife, Sybil, their Spanish waiter, Manuel and the chambermaid, Polly. Often a famous actor or singer hosts the show, also making appearances in the sketches. She can also speak almost like a native speaker herself. It can help to expand your vocabulary and expose you to different sentence structures, all while you enjoy some wonderful stories. This series is well worth watching – showing British humor at its best. Whether you're preparing for a Cambridge exam or just studying to improve your language skills, reading is a fantastic way to acquire new vocabulary, explore new structures, discover complex expressions and really get a feel for the language. We were keen to discover what English learners are watching to help them improve their skills outside of the classroom. His shows are available on YouTube, and episodes last about 15-16 minutes. Each program is situated in a different location of Great Britain and people from the local area bring their antiques to be evaluated and valued by antique professionals. With so many options to choose from, it’s hard to know which show to start with. Contestants vary except for comedian, Alan Davies, and the host, Stephen Fry, who will soon be replaced by Sandi Toksvig. Personally, I alternate between movies and TV series without subtitles.But I think that TV offers two distinct advantages: TV shows for learning English are ideal for learning step-by-step: you can start with subtitles in your native language, which are eventually replaced after a few seasons by subtitles in English. Broadchurch is a serial crime drama set in a fictional town of the same name in Dorset, England, just off the English Channel. Different celebrities have different accents and vocabulary. You might learn some retro English and marketing lingo: the show takes place in New York advertising agency in the 60s. The 6 seasons include nobles, counts and an array of valets, butlers and cooks whose lives intertwine and become entangled in a series of events revolving around Highclere Castle in … This is a fun way to improve your English fluency. It centers on the lives of six friends in their 20’s who live in New York. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. Among the best British comedy TV shows, the three-season sitcom about four rather uncool male friends is a spot-on and hilarious depiction of life as a middle-class, suburban British … We’ve all heard the stories of celebrities like actress Mila Kunis learning English just from watching British and American television shows. Please check your email for further instructions. For those of us who enjoy cooking, this is worth watching not only to give us ideas of what we can cook but also helps with vocabulary and learning British English. 5. There are 20 episodes together with three sets of winter specials. Again this is another educational series covering many different questions and worth watching. TV Series in American English 1. Different celebrities have different accents and vocabulary. Why it’s helpful: Because the sketches are over-the-top and there’s a lot of physical comedy, you’ll be able to understand most of what’s happening just by watching. But unlike “Friends” and its 238 episodes, “Coupling” has only 28. Not to worry, we’ve come up with a great list of shows (in both British and American English) to help you improve your vocabulary and have fun at the same time! © 2021 Enux Education Limited. Click here to get a copy. Often you can watch them pointing to the items they’re mentioning (talking about) on-screen. Is that a coincidence (a matter of chance)? What it is: Like “Friends,” “Coupling“ is about six young adults and their relationships. This can be anything from lost space geckos (a type of lizard) to the enormous student debt in the States, from Scottish independence to the death penalty. Reading is one of the most fun and effective ways to help improve your English language skills. Firstly you are exposed to a wide range of useful vocabulary and colloquial language. So without further ado, here are 82 pretty awesome British TV shows to help develop your English language skills. Some clearly struggle, for example Lord Baelish, who is becoming more Irish as the seasons go on: The wildlings are even further north than the Starks, but che… We also participate in other affiliate advertising programs for products and services we believe in. Why You Should Watch TV Shows in English^. You don’t see the speakers, so it’s harder to understand what they’re saying. By watching these television shows you will cover topics ranging from history, cooking, property, general knowledge and comedy. Watching TV is a brilliant way to improve your listening skills and learn British slang while immersing yourself in the world of British popular culture. Read about them, choose any that you are interested in and start watching, learning English effortlessly, and improve a great number of aspects like vocabulary, pronunciation, accent, flow and even grammar in some cases! The show displays general information about the house on the screen, like the size and number of rooms. He sometimes interviews guests from other countries as well. I think not. For instance, “Game of Thrones” is a terrific (or in my opinion, excellent) show, but its characters use many words people don’t use in daily life. Why it’s helpful:They use informal, everyday language. Okay, so this is an obvious one. How to … But once you start understanding the words, you’ll be addicted. Fortunately, I’ve made a list of the 8 best series on Netflix to learn English. I'm sharing our list of the 7 Best TV Series to Learn English. Episodes cover a wide range of topics, adding to your vocabulary in spades (large quantities). Well, for English language students watching English TV shows is one of the most beneficial things you could do! By watching televisions shows you have a great opportunity to improve your understanding and comprehension of British English together with pronunciation and speaking. QI is great for anyone who likes comedy, trivia and discussion and is a fun way to learn British English in an engaging manner. Below are some of the best shows you can watch to boost (improve) your listening skills. This is one of the most intellectual quiz shows (with university challenge following not far behind) and the series started in 1972 and is now hosted by Jeremy Paxton. There are also some funny grammar and pronunciation lessons as they make fun of each other’s shortcomings (faults, failures to meet a certain standard), like how Ross corrects people when they say “who” instead of “whom,” or how Joey buys the “V” issue of an encyclopedia set (series of informational books) to improve his vocabulary. Series 1 of Victoria and Albert starts with Victoria becoming queen in 1837 at the age of 18 and covers her relationships with the then prime minister, lord Melbourne and her marriage to prince Albert and concludes with the arrival of their first child, princess Victoria. What it is: “Friends” is a popular American sitcom. There are two series with 6 episodes in each. ● Pronunciation – one area in which a lot of language students struggle is pronunciation. This is a very British sitcom set in a fictional village named Dibley, set in the English country of oxfordshire. improve your listening comprehension skills, unique benefits that only television shows have to offer English learners, 9 Simple Strategies for Real-world English Conversation Practice, 9 Online English Speaking Courses to Become a Confident English Speaker, 8 Ways to Learn Professional English by Living Your Life, 7 English Pronunciation Apps to Speak Clear, Confident English in 2021, Game On! Download: Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. British films help you get to hear real British English, with more natural dialogue than you may find in a textbook. After repeated requests from our readers, we’ve created this list of the 5 best movies to learn British English. These series are very interesting to watch and include many different discussions by people with a variety of British accents. 10 Television Shows that are Perfect to Learn British English, help increase your English knowledge, confidence and fluency. Each week they try and help two couples try and find a new home, whether a flat or house, to buy within a budget in a location chosen by the couple anywhere in the United Kingdom. Try practising by speaking out loud the new vocabulary you here used within these programs. A real life example of how “Friends” can boost (improve) your listening skills is my best friend. One thing English students always ask me is if I can recommend any TV shows to them to help support their studies. Choose a television show or series which interest you and then you are more likely to enjoy the program and watch the shows to the end. This is a quiz program which first came on to British television screens in 1962 and continues to the present day. Why it’s helpful: Unlike other crime-of-the-week shows, “Lie to Me” doesn’t follow a typical formula (story structure). He also uses pieces of recent interviews and news shows which will introduce you to different English accents from all over the world. These contestants must answer as many questions as they can in the time allowed in two rounds – the first round is on a chosen topic and the second one contains general knowledge questions. The 16 Best Online Games to Practice English. What it is: “MTV Cribs” is a 30-minute MTV program where several famous guests in each episode give tours around their glamorous (fancy) houses. Cameras follow celebrities as they show off their houses, talking about how they’ve decorated, giving details about the furniture and more. The current series is hosted by Jeremy packman and is a weekly quiz show between two different teams from British universities with each team comprising of 4 students from the same university. This may be one of the best TV shows to improve your level of Business English. Use this opportunity to improve your English speaking and pronunciation! This series was recognized as the ‘most critically acclaimed English spoken language series of 2011 by the Guinness World Records. If so, you’re definitely going in the right direction — you’re already familiar with some super fun ways to learn English! FluentU is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. ... 15 The English Game. But there is also a lot of physical comedy and repetition (using the same words and jokes) — even if you don’t understand everything you’ll get what’s going on. Do we actually speak the way its shown in those TV series, no matter how realistic the show? The characters from the North have accents from Northern England, the Lannisters are vaguely upper-class South-Eastern English, the Vale sounds Welsh and the buxom wenches of Kings Landing speak something between Cockney and Estuary English. Medical drama “House” would be another bad choice. House of … If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn English with real-world videos. It’s cool that your English textbook came with a CD full of listening activities. These professionals will give the history of the pieces they are studying in these shows, which are often held in the gardens of lovely country homes. This show has a very successful format and is interesting for all of us who are looking at moving as well as helping everyone learning English. It’s better to watch shows with characters in different professions. This British series started in 1979 and is now in its 39-series starring Fiona Bruce. #GoGetThoseGeckos  – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Playing back films allows you to quickly and easily compare your own pronunciation with that of native English speakers. When it comes to British TV shows that help you improve your English, we must mention Strictly Come Dancing. You never know where or how the next episode is going to start. All these are series use British English and will help increase your English knowledge, confidence and fluency. Often you can … Improve your English listening with this series of free English lessons. can take anywhere. If you’re preparing to binge-watch some of the top Netflix series, why not keep the audio in English, order some pizza, pop some popcorn, and get ready to sharpen your language skills. A lot of hosts’ speeches and sketches are available on YouTube, so you can choose according to topic or your favorite actors. Series 2 of Victoria and Albert has just started and follows the continuing relationship between Victoria and albert and how Victoria deals with being queen, being married and having more children. If you are a fan of dance moves, then Strictly Come Dancing would be a perfect choice. What it is: “Lie to Me” is an American crime drama that lasted for three seasons. Learning English is difficult, but Netflix can make it fun! In each series there are heats with four contestants in each heat and they compete not only against the clock but also against their fellow contestants. At the same time, you’ll be building your listening skills. You didn't specify whether you meant real English or what Americans call English. Bonus: most of the shows in this YouTube video aren’t in the list below, so you’ll walk away with more than six shows to help you improve your listening skills! Make notes of new words and look up the meanings of these words in a good dictionary then practice saying them out loud. All lessons include a script, vocabulary notes and exercises to help you learn and use new language. If you want to improve your listening comprehension skills without getting bored or annoyed, watching a TV series is the way to go. How to Learn Best Although you can learn just watching TV shows, if you want to use them to really gain fluency, consider using some techniques to make your learning powerful and effective. Practise and improve your English language skills from beginner to advanced level. What it is: “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) is a weekly live sketch comedy show (has lots of different short comedic acts) that lasts about 60 minutes without commercials. Practise listening to dialogues and understanding natural English conversations. By watching British TV series, you can pick up on essential British phrases. Hyacinth Bucket is one of the most entertaining British TV characters. Here’s my pick of the best Netflix series to learn English with: 1. The Seven Kingdoms are full of British voices. So it’ll take less time for you to start understanding what’s going on even though the characters speak fast. Since we know that some of our English readers aren’t native speakers, and it’s common for them to be exposed to a less internationally-focused English (i.e US English), today we’ve decided to focus on British English alone. With the likes of Sherlock and C. Auguste Dupin hailing from this region, it stands to reason that the English would be able to conceptualize some killer tv shows. Even though it’s a gripping (holds your attention) show, it’s full of medical jargon (job-related vocabulary). SNL might not always be the best choice for grammar, but it’s priceless for improving your speaking and listening. Of course working with Lightman is frustrating, because it’s impossible to lie to him. She has seen each “Friends” episode more than three times. The first series starts with the sinking of the titanic and tells the story of the crawley family an aristocratic family who live at Downton abbey together with their staff, and continues until 1926. But after a while you’re going to get bored. While “Coupling” and “Friends” have a lot of fans in common, “Coupling” can be the better choice if you prefer (like better) British humor. Why it’s helpful: Many scenes from “Coupling” are on YouTube, so you can enjoy your favorite scenes in parts online during short breaks or on your way to school or work. Tired of hearing the same accents, vocabulary and conversation topics? The two are quite different. British English British English Classes British English Course British English Online British English Skype. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe, Sign up for our weekly blog newsletter for a chance to win a free FluentU Plus subscription (value $240), Get regular language learning tips, resources and updates, starting with the "Complete Guide to Foreign Language Immersion" e-book. What it is: It’s a satirical (making fun sarcastically and critically) news program where hilarious John Oliver presents the most popular news story from the previous week. The winners go through to the next round until there is finally a mastermind champion. Test your progress with the interactive exercises. The show displays general information about the house on the screen, like the size and number of rooms. “Lie to Me” offers a very broad range of vocabulary as they deal with miners, firefighters, the police…there’s a lot of variety. The heats include the contestants cooking dishes of their choosing, an ingredients test when they are asked to identify a selection of produce, working under pressure in a restaurant and also cooking a two-course meal in a set amount of time. Who knew! (Download). One episode can be about preventing (stopping from happening) a crime and the next can be about finding out if there was a crime. Choose which skill you want to practise today, then find your level and start learning by doing the lessons and activities. You might not like all of their work, but there will be at least numerous (many) skits (acts) that will make you laugh. You can gain experience listening to and comprehending British accents. However, there are many unique benefits that only television shows have to offer English learners. This is another historical series, which is educational (like the crown – above) and uses perfect British English, which can help improve your accent. If you enjoy politics and humor, subscribe to John Oliver’s YouTube channel. The accent you will pick up from such shows would do you no good. Check out these 10 British murder mysteries that you need to watch. The main character is talented psychiatrist Cal Lightman (partly based on real life psychiatrist Paul Ekman) whose specialty is catching liars (people who lie). No matter how authentic they try to be when they make CDs for English learners, it’s just not real English. Shows like Friends provide a tremendous 11 base for your English listening skills, far beyond what you learned in school. While “Friends” varies in its story lines, “Coupling” focuses on the romantic relationships of its characters. She got her job at an educational consultancy firm (she gives advice to educational projects) mostly because of her ability to understand native speakers. I think to improve your English, first you need to read books like Charlie Bone, Matilda, and stuff. Olivia Cooke stars in the series, which tells the story of Becky Sharp, an orphan determined to improve her station in life—by any means necessary. The main character, Cal Lightman, is British and other characters are American. The show also helps with learning different English accents. “Posh Up” Your English with Keeping Up Appearances. Well, I can! The questions asked to the contestants are on various topics and the contestants are either asked these questions individually or the team as a whole can answer the questions. What it is:“MTV Cribs” is a 30-minute MTV program where several famous guests in each episode give tours around their glamorous (fancy) houses. From murder mysteries to baking reality shows, there's a British show for every interest, though none lack in drama. If you’re not confident in your listening skills, you might want to watch several episodes with English subtitles. Each year the competition is to find the mastermind champion of that particular year. US political drama series House of Cards was the most popular TV show among our 6,000 global survey participants, particularly in … It’s a short and really entertaining (fun) way to learn more about what’s going on in America as well as the world at large. Perhaps you’ve already tried watching English news broadcasts and full-length English movies. TV series is a great way to pracise your listening skills and improve English vocabulary. This is a historical series and helps with British English vocabulary and accents. Watching TV shows is a great way to learn English. There’s nothing to see to hold your attention and keep you focused. It gives you an idea of how was British English in the oldies and she uses a lot of idioms too.