8 TV Series Currently On Netflix To Help Improve Your English
Watching Tv series can be an easy way to practice your English as, chances are, you will most likely have access to at least one streaming service (eg Netflix, Hulu etc..). For this week’s blog post we thought that we would share some of our favorite Tv series currently streaming on Netflix.
Before we go continue here are some tips in order to help you learn English via Netflix.
- Lower levels should choose a show with shorter episodes (20 mins and under.)
- If you must use subtitles, put the subtitles in English NOT Spanish.
- Try to avoid pausing the show to look up words you don’t understand. This will distract from your enjoyment of the show and make it more difficult to follow. Instead try and figure out the meaning of the word through the context of the show.
- Download the Language Learning with Netflix Chrome extension. This will allow you to display subtitles in both English and your native language if you are really struggling. You can also use the extension to slow down the playback speed to make it easier to understand.
Friends
A classic sitcom which you will have no doubt seen countless times before. The show is about 6 friends and their crazy adventures in New York City.
This one is great for all levels as the dialogue and jokes are usually pretty easy to understand. The characters also speak at a relatively slow speed.
The Big Bang Theory
Another great one for all levels, The Big Bang Theory centres around 4 socially awkward physicists and their neighbor Penny.
Some of the jokes in the show do include some scientific vocabulary but nothing you shouldn’t be able to handle!
How I Met Your Mother
Another hugely popular American Tv show, How I Met Your Mother is great for improving your English. The show revolves around Ted, who is telling the story to his kids of how he met their mother.
Some may find the changes in time periods a bit confusing (the show is set in 2030, however most of the events take place in the present.) There is a narrator throughout the show which helps to make what is going on clearer. This show is a great place to pick up some more colloquial conversational phrases.
Episodes
Episodes is about 2 British writers who come to America to make a USA version of their British Sitcom.
Not only is the show hilarious, but it will provide you with the opportunity to hear both British and American accents.
Stranger Things
If you are looking for something a bit more challenging, give Stranger Things a go. The series follows a group of children living in a small town which is plagued by supernatural forces.
You may find this series a bit more challenging, as the episodes are longer and the themes are darker. That said, the dialogue is usually not too fast meaning that the series shouldn’t be too difficult to follow.
Misfits
The series is about a group of teenagers who after being struck by lightning develop superpowers.
Lower levels may struggle with this one as the show features a lot of slang and colloquialisms. However, it is a great way to hear a variety of different English accents as all of the characters are from different parts of the UK.
Prison Break
Ok so this show gets kind of a bad rap as it definitely went on for too long! That said, the first 2 seasons are classic, however maybe give the following 3 seasons a miss. Prison Break follows two brothers, wrongly accused murderer Lincoln Burrows and Michael Schofield. The show revolves Michael’s efforts to help his brother escape from prison.
Although this series is definitely a challenge, it is an excellent resource for learning vocabulary related to crime and law enforcement. It also provides a great opportunity to learn some new swear words and slang!
Breaking Bad
You will have surely seen or at least heard about this show before. Breaking Bad is one of the most popular tv shows of all time. The series follows Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who has been diagnosed with Cancer. To help pay for his treatment he teams up with an old student of his and begins to manufacture meth.
Similar to Prison Break this show features a lot of vocabulary related to crime as well as plenty of slang.
Peaky Blinders
Set in Birmingham in the early 1900s and based on the real life ‘Peaky Blinders’ and their leader, Tommy Shelby.
This one is definitely for students looking for a challenge. If you are new to watching Tv series in original language, watching with subtitles is advised. The ‘Brummy’ accent from Birmingham can be very difficult to understand for non native speakers. That said, if you are up to the challenge this is the series for you! It’s gripping, dramatic and has been a big hit with some of our more advanced students!
