Best Movies for Learning English

Yes, you can learn English through movies, television and music (and you can do it pretty quickly), among other things. Learning a language is a lot easier when you’re having fun. In this ESL guide, we’ll show you 5 of the best movies for learning English, along with tips and resources to help you learn English through movies.

WHY LEARN ENGLISH WITH MOVIES?

Watching movies is so much more fun than studying with a textbook and it can be just as useful. Sitting down to watch a movie in English will improve definitely your language skills.

English textbooks are great for learning vocabulary or grammar, but nothing beats hearing real English. When you watch British and American movies, you can hear native English speakers speak the language naturally.

BEST INCLUSION: Sometimes knowing how to pronounce a word in English can be difficult. By listening to native speakers in movies, you learn to say things correctly. Dialogue in movies is also good examples of how the sounds of words change in the connected language.

LIVE CONTEXT: When you are learning a word it can be difficult to remember what it means or how to use it. Movies use words as part of a story, and that context will help you learn and remember them more effectively.

NATIVE ACCENTS: The UK and US use many different accents to speak English. While watching movies you will hear the use of many regional accents and this will help you understand them better. Textbooks rarely contain information about accents in English.

DISCOVER THE CULTURE: You can learn more about the culture behind the language by watching films in English. Language and culture are closely linked. Why not study both at the same time by watching original movies?

5 TIPS FOR LEARNING ENGLISH THROUGH MOVIES

1. Choose interesting movies

That sounds obvious, but the most important thing about using movies to learn English is watching movies that you enjoy. If you choose to watch a boring movie, you may lose interest and pay less attention to the language used. Visit IMDB to find interesting movies by genre, title, actor / actress or release date.

2. Avoid movies that are too difficult

When watching a movie in English, it is important that you understand enough to follow the plot. Try to choose a movie that matches your current level of English. If you are a beginner you may want to start with simple cartoons or kids movies like Toy Story.

3. Try to understand 70% or more

When learning English with movies, try to understand the general meaning, not every word. If you forget some words or phrases or don’t understand a character’s accent, don’t worry. Sometimes you can pause or rewind the movie and write a new vocabulary, but don’t do this too often. Remember that watching movies should be fun!

4. Repeat your favorite rules

When you hear a phrase you really like, write it down and repeat! If you say it out loud, you are more likely to remember it. Sometimes you hear sentences that sound good and are used in everyday English in the UK or US. Textbooks don’t often teach these informal expressions, but movies are!

5. Use subtitles correctly

If you are watching a movie in English, it is a good idea to enable subtitles. For most video players, you can do this from the Settings tab. On YouTube, press the “CC” button in the lower right corner, then select “English Subtitles”. If you really like a movie, you can try watching it once with subtitles and then again without. Avoid subtitles in your own language.

LIST OF THE 5 BEST MOVIES TO LEARN ENGLISH

1. HARRY POTTER

Harry Potter offers a fascinating insight into the world of magic. In these films you will learn everything from the most basic vocabulary (which is not surprising given that the franchise is aimed at children over 8 years old), as well as the words used in J.K. Rowling (probably the best example of meaning created only by the phonetics of words). Here are some of the best:

Aguamenti: a spell to create water.

Muggle – person completely without magical powers.

Fudge Flies – Magic candies.

Inferius – A corpse enchanted to do the bidding of a dark wizard.

You probably don’t use any of these words in everyday speech, but they are a lot of fun to say.

2. LORD OF THE RINGS

The Lord of the Rings is a film adaptation of one of the greatest works of literature of all time. Posted by J.R.R. Tolkien and brought to life for the modern day, this magical tale is a fascinating study of how different mythical creatures vary their dialects and vocabulary.

3. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Beauty and the Beast is one of the most successful pronunciation movies out there. It’s also a musical for songs that will stay in your head until you learn the last word.

4. THE REMAINS OF THE DAY

This classic 1993 film tells the story of a relationship between a housekeeper and a butler. This film is set in the late 1930s and features formal speeches throughout. While some of the vocabulary may no longer be used, the way people spoke was more grammatically correct than the current one.

5. THE QUEEN

The most effective way to learn English and correct your pronunciation is to watch a movie literally defined by “Queen’s English”. This film also shows you the inner workings of the royal family and is therefore recommended for anyone who really wants to learn about English culture.

You can see that this movie doesn’t use complex language. Good for remembering common English words like “work” and “laugh”.

Movies in English also provide a more natural way of speaking than you’d hear in an English class. While movies still use script, a good actor can present his speech in a way that sounds much more natural in terms of vocabulary and style. The context of the movie can also help you memorize words, as they are expressed in an unforgettable experience (rather than just boring audio with no pictures!).

After all, you will be exposed to various English accents in English-language films including Australian, British and American.

If watching a full movie in English seems too difficult, it might be a good idea to watch short films first. There are many short films in English that can last anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour. So why not have fun studying and using English films to improve your English skills?