Can’t Understand English TV Shows? Try This 5-Step Method!

4 min read

Level: Intermediate

Step right up, let me tell you a little secret…

Okay, so firstly it’s not really a secret. I’ve talked about this method with my students already, so I may have told you a little white lie… sorry about that! But if you keep reading, by the end of this post, you’ll have a fantastic method for improving your understanding of English simply by watching TV shows. Sound good to you? Then let’s get started!

Step 1: Choose Something You’re Interested in

Watching something that you’re interested in is key. It’s important to think about your interests and goals with the English language and consider your level. This will help you to choose a show that’s appropriate for you while helping you stay focused and engaged for the whole series. Try choosing a show that has 20-25-minute episodes so you can rewatch them without using too much of your time. Have you got something in mind already? Then you’re ready to move on to Step 2…

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Step 2: Watch an Episode, then Choose Scenes to Focus on

Now that you’ve made the tough choice of what to watch, it’s time to get stuck in! It’s best to first watch the entire episode in English without subtitles. You can use subtitles if you really, really need to, but if you can understand 50-70% of the episode without them then that’s enough. While watching, try to find a scene that is particularly difficult for you to understand. After watching the episode once, you’re ready to focus on your chosen scene. Now you can use the subtitles in your native language for a bit of extra help! Make a note of any new language that’s important for understanding the scene and look them up in an online dictionary if you want to see more examples (here’s a great one for you: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/). Now for Step 3…

Step 3: Rewatch your Chosen Scenes

Now, when you rewatch your chosen scenes, it’s best to use English subtitles rather than subtitles in your native language. Your previous notes and your overall understanding of the scene will now help you to focus more on the language. Think about how the language is being used by the characters/actors in the episode, and how you might want to use it in other ways in future conversations.

Step 4: Now, Do it Again!

That’s right! Simply repeat step 3…just kidding, there’s more to step 4 than that! When you watch the specific scene for the fourth time, you should practice your pronunciation of the new language you previously made a note of. It’s helpful to replay short scenes a few times so that you can really hear each word being pronounced. You may want to pause or change the playback speed using the small icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen—doing this will allow you to catch each syllable and give you time to practise your own pronunciation and perfect your accent!

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Step 5: Sit Back, Relax and Enjoy the Show…

You made it! Well done, now it’s time to sit back, relax and watch the whole episode one more time. It’s okay if you want to use subtitles, but make sure that you use the English ones so as not to make it too easy for yourself! Don’t worry if you can’t understand the episode completely—that’s not the aim of this method. After watching a few more episodes, your listening skills will have already improved. The next episodes will be even more enjoyable as you get used to the character’s accents, language and overall story of the series.

I really hope that you found this guide helpful for improving your listening skills! Just as this listening guide can help you to study in your own time, our 1-1 classes here at Britcent can enable you to practise the English that you’ve learnt from the shows you watch in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. So if you want to take your learning even further, go ahead and book a 1-1 trial class with one of our native tutors here at Britcent!

Vocabulary takeaway

white lie

have somebody/something in mind (for something)

get stuck in | get stuck into something

perfect something

make it