Learn English with Movies: 6 Must-Watch Films Suitable for Each Proficiency Level

Starting your English learning journey can feel overwhelming. Finding an engaging method that improves your language skills while keeping you motivated presents a real challenge. PREP presents the most effective approach: learning English through movies. This method saves both time and money while delivering exceptional results. Discover the top 6 must-watch films tailored to your specific proficiency level.

I. Benefits of Learning English through Movies

1. Listening 

Watching English movies helps you practice listening to the language in everyday contexts, which is different from listening to academic materials in IELTS. The difference is evident in the more informal language used in movies, the faster pace of speech, and the different accents of the characters. Getting acquainted with English in this context is extremely useful for improving your listening skills.

2. Speaking

Regularly watching English movies helps develop a more natural speaking reflex because the human brain tends to learn from continuous exposure. Specifically, you will gradually be able to apply the vocabulary used in movies, the connecting words that express emotions, as well as the intonation and pronunciation of the actors in the film. This allows you to correct any inaccurate pronunciation that you may have been imitating instinctively.

3. Vocabulary

The advantage of learning English through movies lies in the exposure to and immersion in the most flexible and natural use of vocabulary. In movies, actors often use a lot of idiomatic language, which helps you understand how language is applied appropriately in different contexts.

II. Common Mistakes to Avoid When Learning English through Movies

• Exercise caution when applying "film language" to formal writing situations, which demand academic and structured language patterns. Movie dialogue tends toward informal, conversational styles that may not suit professional or academic contexts.

• Choose films strategically based on your current English proficiency level. Avoid movies with excessive advanced vocabulary or characters who speak at overwhelming speeds, as these can discourage continued learning progress.

• Limit exposure to violent or horror content. These genres typically offer limited educational value beyond provocative phrases or intense scenes, which can distract from your primary English learning objectives.

III. List of Recommended Movies for learning English Based on Proficiency Level 

The following curated list features films ranging from 10 to 30 minutes in length, designed to maintain engagement while maximizing learning potential.

1. Beginner level

BBC Learning:

Start with short films from BBC Learning before progressing to longer, more complex content.

BBC Learning short films provide excellent television series for English beginners. These productions offer manageable content lengths with clear pronunciation and straightforward vocabulary.

Learn English with English7Levels:

Search for "Learn English Conversation through Oxford English video" on YouTube. This comprehensive series offers multiple episodes that effectively support movie-based English learning.

2. Intermediate Level 

You can watch some sitcom series from Disney Channel, such as Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. These series revolve around everyday stories of characters with a touch of humor and youthfulness, making them suitable for high school to university students.

The Harry Potter film series is suitable for a wider age range, for those who want to practice the British accent while learning English through movies.

3. Advanced Level

These series contain broader, more mature content themes. Friends, How I Met Your Mother, and The Big Bang Theory offer sophisticated dialogue patterns.

Note: The Big Bang Theory includes substantial scientific vocabulary with rapid speech delivery, making it suitable specifically for advanced learners.

For those who want to practice British accent, you can watch the series "The IT Crowd," which is a classic and typical representation of British culture. It's also a way to learn more about their culture.

IV. Effective Steps to Learn English from TV Series

Step 1: Start by choosing a movie. Consider the genre (choose a genre you enjoy to avoid getting bored), the type of movie (a single film or a series), and the country of origin (depending on whether you're practicing American or British accent).

Step 2: If your Listening skills still need to improve, watch the movie or an episode with English subtitles to get a general understanding of the content. Then, watch it again and try to take notes of useful collocations or expressions.

If your listening skills are good enough to understand 80-90% of the content, watch the movie without subtitles and try to take notes of useful collocations or expressions.

Step 3: Turn on the subtitles and review the parts you've noted:

• Correct any inaccuracies in your notes.

• Note additional collocations or expressions that you missed in Step 2. 

Step 4: Add pronunciation, meaning, and possibly notes on how to use those collocations correctly.

Step 5: Apply the Shadowing technique with the collocations or phrases you've noted.

• When shadowing, make sure to imitate the pronunciation, stress, and intonation of the whole sentence.

• Focus on shadowing a short segment that contains the collocations or phrases you've just noted.

Step 6: Practice applying the learned phrases.

Note: If you stop at Step 5, you might soon forget the collocations or phrases you've noted. Therefore, to effectively learn English through movies, try constructing sentences or using those phrases to answer IELTS Speaking prompts related to the topic.

These comprehensive steps for learning English through movies, combined with our top 6 recommended films across proficiency levels, provide a complete framework for success. PREP believes this approach will significantly enhance your English skills while enjoying your favorite entertainment content.

Through strategic movie selection and systematic practice methods, you can transform passive entertainment into active language learning. This approach bridges the gap between academic study and real-world communication, preparing you for authentic English interactions in any context.