Movies are great sources of learning, including for improving your English. Even for people who don’t intentionally learn English, they can start to enrich their vocabulary and grammatical skill by watching many films. It is a good thing to see how native speakers talk and respond to things around them. Native pronunciation and accents are well represented in these films, as well as colloquial expressions and idioms. Although it is still highly advisable to learn English through formal education programs, movies can become an excellent tool to know how a native speaks and behaves. This is especially true in many places where there are absolutely no English native speakers, so the only way for people to know is by watching films and TV series.
Students can watch these films during their spare time and it’s a great practice for them. If you want to learn, you should watch films based on your level of English skill. For beginners, animation films, like those made by Pixar and Disney are designed to be understandable for both children and adults. This is a good thing if your English skill is quite low. If you have higher level of English, you should challenge yourself, by watching films with advanced language. When things get challenging, you may switch on subtitles to know the actual meaning of certain statements and sentences. It is recommended to watch these films using English subtitles, instead of subtitles of your native languages. This will help you to improve your listening skill. Here are ways how films can improve your English skills:
- Listening skills: English should be used in a highly natural way. Some parts can be spoken a bit too fast to become understandable. Through films, you will know how native speakers talks with one another. Through films, you will also encounter slang words and informal English styles. There are many words that you won’t find in dictionaries and English learning books.
- Speaking skills: It is true that you don’t interact with characters in films, but you know how native speakers ask and answer questions. You can simulate how these characters talk in front of the screen. You will be able to improve your fluency and you can link your words together. You can put intonation on certain sentences and words. It is also a good thing to read scripts of your favourite films, which can be found online.
- Pronunciation: There’s no fixed rule in English pronunciation and for non native speakers, it could appear random. When you listen attentively how native speakers talk, you will know how words should be pronounced. Different accents could also affect pronunciation. Even in the United States alone, there are many contrasting accents, for different states and racial ethnics. The same thing also applies in Canada, UK and Australia.
- Vocabulary: After watching one film, you should be able to pick up new phrases and words. There are new colloquial expressions and idioms. You can look up the real meaning of these words and phrases. This is an important step in your learning process.
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