How to Use TV Shows to Improve Your English

Enhancing your pronunciation and accent training can be achieved easily from the comfort of your own home by incorporating these three techniques while watching your favorite TV series.

However, it is essential to keep in mind that the goal is not to turn your leisurely Netflix time into homework. The idea is to make learning enjoyable while watching your favorite shows.

To keep it fun, it is recommended to set a timer and only practice for 5-10 minutes at a time (unless you're thoroughly enjoying it, in which case, continue for as long as you'd like).

Also, it is not necessary to use these techniques every time you watch a show or movie. That would become overwhelming!

The most important thing is to keep it fun, so you will want to continue doing it.

1) LISTEN, LOOK, REPEAT 

• The first step is the simplest. Just add "look" to your "listen and repeat" process.

• Look at the person's mouth, the movement of their lips.

• Slight modifications can make a big difference in your pronunciation.

2) WATCH YOURSELF

• When you practice look in a mirror or, better yet, record yourself with your phone. Then, watch yourself so you can see what you look like and really listen to how you say things.

• It’s going to feel awkward, and you might hate your voice, but I promise that this is one of the most effective things you can do. Remember, getting out of your comfort zone is usually uncomfortable at first, but that’s a good thing. It means you’re challenging yourself in new ways, and you should beproud of yourself.

• When you watch yourself, pay attention to your lips. Do they match the person you're mimicking? Lips play a big part in pronunciation, so it’s important to analyze this closely, especially if you feel that your pronunciation sounds a bit off or a little different.

• Additionally, make sure you observe your body language and facial expressions.Specifically, relax your shoulders. Remember that visual communication is as important as verbal communication.

3) PAY ATTENTION TO CONNECTION

• There are lots of things native speakers say and do that they don't teach you in English textbooks.

• This is why TV shows and movies can be an awesome resource to grow your real-life English.

• Pay extra attention to the following things:

Connected Words

• Because of how you learned vocabulary and pronunciation in school or through courses, you probably over-enunciate words when you speak.

• It's not a bad thing. It can help you speak clearly. However, this is why you probably feel like you sound less natural or kind of robotic.

• The reason Americans sound like they speak “faster” is because we use reductions, informal contractions, linking and blending. This is called connected speech and it isn’t something we learn in school. It’s just how we speak.

• The good news, it’s something really fun and pretty easy to learn!

• Practice with these examples:

  • "Don't you" sounds like "doun - chu." 

  • "Tennis shoes" sounds like "teh - nih - shoes."

  • "This afternoon" sounds like "thi - saf - ter - noon."

  • "Kept going" sounds like "kep - gou - ing." 

• So when you’re repeating after your favorite character in a show, look out for these patterns.

• By the way, the captions won’t reflect connected speech, but now that you know what it is, you’ll be able to apply it and sound smoother.

Informal Contractions

• Something simple and subtle you can do today is use more contractions.

• In my experience, language learners shy away from using contractions because are difficult to pronounce. If this is true for you, just pick two or three contractions that you feel comfortable with, and start using those more often.

• Americans also use a different kind of contraction called an informal contraction. 

• When watching a show, listen for words like these:

  • gimme = give me

  • wontcha = won't you

  • coulda = could have

  • a lotta = a lot of

  • gonna = going to 

• In case you’re wondering, most of these are ok to use when speaking in both casual and professional settings, but I don’t recommend using them in your writing (unless it’s a text to a close friend).

Filler Words

• Listen for how your favorite TV characters fill the time when they're thinking or hesitating.

• Here are some common American English filler words: 

  • ah

  • like

  • uh

  • okay

  • er

  • um

  • ah

  • right

  • you know (NOT you understand)

• As you may have noticed, all languages have filler words. Observe when you use them in your native language.

• For example, if you speak Spanish, you probably say “eh.” Practice saying “um” instead to sound more natural when you speak English.

Rhythm

• Much like music, language has a rhythm. For example. think about a song you like. Even if you don't know all the words, you can probably hum along.

• Similarly, try to "hum" the line you're practicing to become more aware of the rhythm.

• Listen to how characters on TV shows or movies say their lines. Specifically, listen to what words and syllables they emphasize. 

These tips will help you improve your pronunciation by using real-life examples and practicing fluid intonation and natural speech patterns.

*Americans usually say “tv shows” instead of “tv series.”

Keep Learning

Loved these tips? Don’t stop now—learn how to pronounce the 42 American phonetic sounds. Click here to dive in!

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