[Music] hello dear listeners and Welcome to our podcast using movies to learn English I'm Sophia and I'm James we're really excited to have you here with us today we are going to talk about how you can use movies to improve your English that's right James learning English with movies can be very enjoyable and effective we'll break down some tips and ideas in a way that's easy to understand for both intermediate and Elementary Learners so let's get started yes let's dive in first let's talk about why using movies is such a good method to learn English movies are full of real life language you hear how people actually speak with natural expressions and everyday vocabulary this helps you learn how English is used in real situations exactly when you watch movies you get to listen to Native speakers this is great for improving your listening skills you can hear different accents tones and speeds of speaking it's much more varied than what you might hear in a textbook and it's not just about listening you can also learn about culture movies show us how people live what they eat how they dress and how they interact with each other this cultural understanding is very important when learning a language definitely James but I think some of our listeners might be wondering how do I start using movies to learn English well don't worry we will guide you step by step today we'll focus on choosing the right movies and setting up your learning environment great idea Sophia so step one is to choose the right movie this is very important if the movie is to hard you might feel frustrated if it's too easy you might get bored so how do we find the right movie well for elementary Learners it's a good idea to start with movies made for kids these movies use Simple language and the story is usually easy to follow animated movies like Toy Story or Finding Nemo are perfect examples joining a language learning community can also help you stay motivated being part of a group where you can share your experiences challenges and successes makes the learning process more enjoyable and less lonely that's right another tip is to watch movies you already know if you've seen the movie in your native language it will be easier to follow in English you'll already know the story so you can focus on the language good point Sophia now let's talk about setting up your learning environment this means creating a space and time for watching the movie that helps you focus and learn Le first choose a quiet place where you won't be disturbed yes and make sure you have a good screen and sound system you need to hear the dialogue clearly Sometimes using headphones can help if you're in a noisy place also have a notebook and Pen ready you can write down new words or phrases you hear this helps you remember them better and don't forget to use subtitles start with subtitles in your native language if you need to and then switch to English subtitles as you get more confident that's a very useful tip James watching with English subtitles can really help you connect the spoken and written words it's a great way to improve both your listening and reading skills absolutely and remember it's okay to pause and Rewind if you don't understand something go back and listen again this is your learning time so take it flow and make sure you understand yes don't rush learning a language takes time and patience enjoy the process movies are fun so let yourself have fun while learning that's right and one more thing try to watch movies regularly make it a habit even watching 10 to 15 minutes a day can make a big difference over time consistency is key the more you listen and watch the better you'll get so to sum up today's episode choose the right movie set up a good learning environment use subtitles take notes and be consistent we hope these tips help you get started with using movies to learn English we'll talk about some specific techniques to use while watching the movie to improve your vocabulary and comprehension yes we have a lot more to share we talked about why movies are a great tool for learning English and how to choose the movies and set up your learning environment that's right James and now we're going to dive deeper into specific techniques you can use while watching movies to improve your vocabulary and comprehension we have a lot of tips to share so let's get started yes let's Jump Right In one of the best ways to learn new vocabulary is by focusing on context when you watch a movie pay attention to what's happening in the scene the actions expression and setting can give you clues about the meaning of new words absolutely James context is key for example if you hear a word you don't know but see that a character is smiling and handing someone a gift you might guess that the word is related to happiness or a present this way you're not just memorizing words but understanding how they're used yes and another effective technique is to use repetition if you hear a new word or phrase try to repeat it several times this helps reinforce your memory you can even pause the movie and say the word out loud it might feel a bit strange at first but it really helps great tip James also don't be afraid to use the rewind button if you didn't catch something rewind and listen again sometimes it takes a few listens to fully understand a new word or phrase and when you hear it again in a different part of the movie it'll start to stick in your mind exactly repetition and practice are so important now let's talk about using subtitles effectively as we mentioned last time starting with subtitles in your native language can be helpful but switching to English subtitles is even better for your learning yes English subtitles are a great tool they help you see how words are spelled and used in sentences when you hear and read the words at the same time it creates a stronger Connection in your brain try to match the spoken words with the subtitles and if you come across a word you don't know pause and look it up and that brings us to another important technique using a dictionary having a dictionary or a translation app handy can be very useful when you encounter new words look them up and write them down in your notebook this way you can review them later yes writing down new words is very effective you can make flashcards with these words and review them regularly there are also many apps available that make it easy to create digital flashcards this repeated exposure will help you remember the vocabulary better another helpful activity is to summarize the scenes you watch after watching a scene try to describe what happened in your own words this practice helps you think in English and improves your speaking and writing skills that's a fantastic idea jams you can also do this with a friend or a language partner watch a scene together and then discuss it talk about the characters the plot and any new words you learned this kind of active engagement really boosts your learning yes interacting with others in English is incredibly valuable and speaking of interaction try to mimic the actors pay attention to their pronunciation intonation and Body Language then try to imitate them this practice can improve your speaking skills and help you sound more natural exactly James imitating native speakers is a powerful way to improve your pronunciation don't worry about getting it perfect at first the more you practice the better you'll get and it can be a lot of fun too defin itely now let's talk about a technique called shadowing this involves Listening to A short segment of the movie and then trying to speak along with the characters matching their pace and pronunciation as closely as possible shadowing is a great way to improve your fluency and rhythm in English start with short simple sentences and gradually move to longer more complex ones this technique can be challenging but it's very effective for improve improving your speaking skills another tip is to focus on one character at a time pick a character whose speech you find clear and easy to understand pay attention to how they speak the words they use and their expressions this focused approach can help you learn specific vocabulary and speaking Styles that's a wonderful suggestion James it makes the learning process less overwhelming and remember it's okay to take breaks learning a language is a marathon not a Sprint if you start to feel tired or frustrated take a break and come back later yes breaks are important your brain needs time to process new information and when you come back to your movie you'll often find that things make more sense than before consistent regular practice is much more effective than trying to do too much at once absolutely and speaking of regular practice try to set specific goals for each movie session for example you might aim to learn five new words or understand a particular scene better setting small achievable goals can keep you motivated and make your learning more focused great advice Sophia and don't forget to reward yourself learning a new language is hard work so celebrate your progress treat yourself to something nice when you reach your goals whether it's a small tree or watching a favorite scene again just for fun yes positive reinforcement is so important it keeps you motivated and makes the learning process enjoyable and on that note let's do a quick recap of today's episode we talked about using context to understand no words the importance of repetition and how to use subtitles and dictionaries effectively we also discussed summarizing scenes imitating actors the shadowing technique focusing on one character at a time taking breaks setting goals and rewarding yourself these techniques can make your movie watching experience both fun and educational we hope you find these tips helpful remember the key is to enjoy the process learning English through movies can be a wonderful Adventure we'll explore some specific movies and scenes that are great for learning English we talked about why movies are a great tool for learning English and shared some effective techniques you can use while watching movies that's right James and now we're going to dive into some specific movie recommendations and discuss scenes that are particularly useful for learning English we'll cover a range of genres and difficulty levels so there's something for everyone let's get started yes let's start with movies that are great for elementary Learners these movies use Simple language and have clear straightforward plots one of my top recommendations is Toy Story this animated movie is not only fun to watch but it also has simple dialogue and a lot of visual context that helps you understand what's happening Toy Story is a fantastic choice the characters are very expressive which makes it easier to understand their emotions and actions plus the story is heartwarming and engaging another great movie for elementary Learners is Finding Nemo this film has clear speech and lots of repetition which is great for learning new words absolutely Sophia and the underwater Adventure makes it visually captivating which helps keep you interested for something a bit different The Lion King is another excellent option the songs and the story are memorable and the language used is simple but effective yes The Lion King is a classic and very educational now let's move on to movies for intermediate Learners these films have more complex dialogue and richer vocabulary but are still accessible one great movie is the pursuit of happiness the language is clear and the story is very inspiring the pursuit of happiness is indeed a wonderful Choice it deals with real life situations and emotions which makes the dialogue very natural another excellent movie for intermediate Learners is Forest Gump this film covers various aspects of American culture and history and the main character speaks in a simple straightforward manner that's a great recommendation James the storytelling in Forest Gump is captivating and it's a good way to learn about different periods in American history another movie I'd recommend is Julie and Julia it's a delight film about cooking and personal growth with lots of everyday conversational language Julie and Julia is a fun and motivating movie it's full of practical language related to cooking blogging and life challenges now let's talk about some specific scenes from these movies and how you can use them to improve your English great idea let's start with Toy Story one useful scene is when Woody explains the rules of being a toy to the new toy bu Lightyear the language is simple and it's a great example of giving instructions you can practice listening for specific vocabulary related to toys and play yes that scene is perfect for learning commands and everyday objects another good scene is when Buzz first realizes he's a toy the dialogue is full of emotion and discovery which can help you learn how to express feelings and realizations in English exactly moving on to Finding Nemo the scene where Marlin meets Dory for the first time is very useful dory's way of speaking is quite unique and it can help you practice understanding different accents and speech patterns plus their conversation is filled with everyday language and humor that's a great scene for picking up on casual conversation and humor in The Lion King the scene where Simba talks to his father muasa about being brave is excellent for learning about family relationships and responsibilities the language is clear and filled with important life lessons yes it's both educational and moving for intermediate Learners let's look at the pursuit of happiness the scene where Chris Gardner played by Will Smith is talking to his son about dreams and not letting anyone tell him he can't do something is incredibly inspiring the dialogue is simple yet profound making it perfect for learning motivational language and expressions that's one of the most powerful scenes in the movie it's great for understanding how to talk about Ambitions and challenges in Forest Gump the scene where Forest talks about his love for Jenny is very touching and filled with simple heartfelt language it's a great way to learn about expressing Deep Emotions definitely and in Julie and Julia the the scene where Jill starts her cooking blog is very relatable the dialogue is practical and includes a lot of everyday vocabulary related to hobbies and personal projects it's great for learning how to talk about starting something new and sharing your experiences that's a very useful scene now let's discuss some additional activities you can do with these scenes to enhance your learning one effective activity is to write down the dialogue and then practice reading it out loud this helps improve your pronunciation and fluency yes reading the dialogue out loud is a great way to practice you can also try role playing choose a scene with a friend and act it out this is not only fun but also helps you practice speaking and listening in a more Dynamic way role playing is fantastic for building confidence in speaking another activity is to watch the scene without subtitles first then with English subtitles and finally without subtitles again this helps you practice your listening skills and improve your comprehension over time that's a very effective method James Additionally you can try to summarize the scene in your own words either verbally or in writing this helps you practice using new vocabulary and structuring sentences summarizing is an excellent way to reinforce what you've learned and don't forget about using language learning apps or online platforms that offer interactive exercises based on movie scenes these tools can provide additional practice and feedback yes technology can be a great Aid in language learning and remember the key is to enjoy the process learning a new language through movies should be fun and engaging take your time and don't be afraid to experiment with different techniques to find what works best for you absolutely we've recommended some great movies for both Elementary and intermediate Learners and discussed specific scenes that are useful for learning English we've also shared various activities to enhance your learning experience we'll Explore More Advanced Techniques and look at some more challenging movies for those who want to take their English learning to the next level we covered why movies are an excellent tool for learning English shared some techniques and recommended specific movies and scenes for elementary and intermediate Learners that's right James and now we're going to delve into more Advanced Techniques and explore some more challenging movies for those who are looking to elevate their English skills to a higher level so let's get started absolutely Sophia for advanced Learners movies offer a rich source of complex language including idioms slang and nuanced EXs they also provide exposure to different dialects and accents but before we get into specific movie recommendations let's talk about some Advanced Techniques for learning English through movies great idea James one effective technique for advanced Learners is to focus on understanding idiomatic expressions idioms are phrases where the meaning isn't obvious from the individual words for example in the movie The Dark Knight there's a line why so serious the phrase might seem simple but it carries a lot of contextual weight and emotion yes idioms are often challenging but very rewarding to learn another technique is to pay close attention to how emotions are expressed Advanced movies often depict a wide range of emotions and understanding the subtle differences in tone and body language can greatly enhance your comprehension and speaking skills exactly try to mimic these expressions and tones this will not only help you understand the language better but also make your speaking more natural additionally Advanced Learners can benefit from analyzing dialogue for cultural references and humor understanding jokes and cultural nuances can be challenging but is a significant step in mastering a language that's a great Point Sophia let's move on to some specific movie recommendations for advanced Learners one of my top picks is the Sha Shank Redemption this movie is rich in dialogue and offers a deep exploration of themes like hope and friendship the conversations between the characters are full of idiomatic expressions and subtle meanings that's a wonderful recommendation James The King's Speech is particularly good for learning about formal language and pronunciation now let's discuss some specific scenes from these movies and how you can use them to enhance your English skills the Shashank Redemption is a fantastic choice James the language is sophisticated yet clear making it ideal for advanced Learners another excellent movie is Inception the film's complex plot and dialogue require careful attention which can significantly improve your listening and comprehension skills yes Inception is a great example of a movie that challenges is your ability to follow intricate storylines and understand Advanced vocabulary another movie I'd recommend is The King's Speech it's not only a beautiful story but also offers a lot of formal and historical language which is useful for understanding different registers of English sure Sophia let's start with the SHA Shank Redemption the scene where Andy def friend explains his plan to Red is filled with complex language and expressions try to listen for phrases like get busy living or get busy dying and analyze their meanings this scene is also great for understanding persuasive language and how to present arguments that's a powerful scene James another key scene is when Andy plays the opera music over the prison loud speakers the reaction of the inmates and the narration by Red provide deep insights into the emotional and cultural context it's a great exercise in understanding non-verbal communication and the impact of art definitely moving on to Inception the scene where Cobb explains the concept of Dreams within dreams to AR Adney is very challenging but rewarding the dialogue is fastpaced and filled with technical jargon try to follow the conversation and pick up on new vocabulary related to psychology and science fiction that's a brilliant Choice James this scene is also good for understanding how to explain complex ideas in English practice summarizing the concept in your own words another scene to focus on is the final scene of the movie where the ending is left ambiguous it's great for discussing interpretations and practicing critical thinking in English yes discussing different interpretations can greatly enhance your analytical skills and ability to express opinions in English for The King's Speech this scene where King George I 6th delivers his speech to the nation is very powerful pay attention to his pronunciation and the formal language used it's excellent for learning about public speaking and formal address that's an inspiring scene James it's also useful for understanding historical context and formal vocabulary another good scene is the one where the king practices his speech with lonol log the interaction between the two characters provides a lot of insight into overcoming language barriers and the importance of practice absolutely Sophia now let's talk about some additional Advanced Techniques you can use while watching these movies one effective method is to transcribe dialogue pause the movie and write down what you hear this helps improve your listening accuracy and understanding of natural speech patterns that's a great technique jams TR transcribing can be challenging but it's very rewarding another method is to create your own subtitles for a scene this involves translating the dialogue into your native language and then back into English it's a great exercise for understanding nuances and improving translation skills yes creating subtitles is an excellent way to deepen your understanding of the language you can also try to engage in debates or discussions about the movie this helps you practice expressing your opinions Defending Your viewpoints and using persuasive language debating And discussing movies is a fantastic way to practice Advanced English another technique is to focus on character analysis choose a character and study their language behavior and development throughout the movie this helps you understand complex character traits and improve your descriptive language character analysis is a very insightful exercise Sophia it helps you delve deeper into the language and culture presented in the movie Additionally you can write reviews or essays about the movies you watch this not only improves your writing skills but also helps you organize your thoughts and express them clearly in English writing reviews is an excellent way to practice Advanced writing and critical thinking you can also join in online forums or social media groups where people discuss movies in English engaging with others in written discussions can further enhance your understanding and use of advanced language yes online communities are a great resource for practicing English you get to interact with people from all over the world and share your perspectives remember the key is to challenge yourself but also enjoy the process learning Advanced English through movies should be both educational and fun absolutely James to sum up today's episode we've discussed Advanced Techniques such as focusing on idioms analyzing emotions understanding cultural references and practicing transcriptions and character analysis we've also recommended movies like The Shashank Redemption Inception and the King speech and explored specific scenes from these films we hope you find these techniques and Rec recommendations helpful we're excited to share more tips and recommendations with you we talked about using movies to improve your English skills covering techniques for beginners intermediate Learners and advanced Learners we also recommended specific movies and scenes that's right James and now we're going to explore how you can use TV series to learn English TV series offer a unique opportunity for language learning because they provide a longer continuous experience with recurring characters and evolving storylines this can be very beneficial for building your language skills over time absolutely Sophia TV series allow you to get more deeply immersed in a language and the continuity helps reinforce what you learn before we dive into specific recommendations and techniques let's discuss why TV series are so effective for language learning one of the main reasons is that TV series often depict everyday life and conversations this means you get exposed to practical real world language that you can use in your daily life the repetitive nature of TV series also means you hear the same vocabulary and phrases multiple times which helps with retention exactly Sophia additionally TV series cover a wide range of topics and genres from comedies and dramas to science fiction ition and documentaries this diversity allows you to learn different types of vocabulary and styles of speaking plus watching a series you enjoy keeps you motivated and engaged yes enjoying what you're watching is key to staying motivated let's start by recommending some TV series that are great for different levels of English learners for beginners I recommend friends this classic sitcom has simple everyday language and a lot of humor the episodes are short and the context is easy to understand making it perfect for beginners friends is a fantastic choice the characters speak clearly and the situations are relatable another great series for beginners is The Simpsons although it's an animated show it covers a lot of everyday situations and uses simple language plus it's very funny which makes learning more enjoyable absolutely James moving on to intermediate Learners one excellent choice is the office this mockumentary style sitcom is filled with everyday office scenarios and dialogue the humor is more nuanced and the language is slightly more advanced which makes it great for intermediate Learners the office is a brilliant recommendation Sophia the characters interactions are very realistic and it's full of idiomatic expressions and slang another good series for intermediate Learners is stranger things while it's a bit different in genre the dialogue between the characters especially the kids is quite natural and engaging stranger things is a great choice for learning conversational English and some colloquial phrases for advanced Learners I recommend Breaking Bad the series has complex characters and intricate plots which involve a lot of advanced vocabulary and slag it's challenging but very rewarding Breaking Bad is excellent for advanced Learners the language is Rich and varied and the story lines are very engaging another series for advanced Learners is Game of Thrones it's known for its complex plot and dialogue which includes historical and formal language making it ideal for those looking to challenge themselves yes Game of Thrones is perfect for advanced Learners who want to expand their vocabulary and understanding of different speaking Styles now let's discuss some techniques you can use while watching TV series to improve your English one effective technique is to watch an episode multiple times start by watching it with subtitles in your native language to understand the plot then watch it with English subtitles to catch the words and phrases finally watch it without subtitles to test your comprehension that's a great approach James watching multiple times helps reinforce your learning another technique is to focus on a specific character pick a character whose speech you find clear and follow their storyline closely pay attention to how they speak the phrases they use and their intonation focusing on one character is very helpful you can also try the shadowing technique which we mentioned in previous episodes listen to a line of dialogue pause and and then try to repeat it exactly as you heard it this improves your pronunciation and Rhythm yes shadowing is a powerful technique additionally try to predict what will happen next in the series this exercise encourages you to think in English and use your vocabulary to describe scenarios and outcomes it also makes watching more interactive and fun predicting plot developments is a fantastic way to engage with the content another useful activity is to write summaries of each episode this helps you practice writing in English and reinforces what you've learned you can also write reviews or share your thoughts about the episodes on social media or in forums writing summaries and reviews is an excellent way to practice your writing skills and don't forget about discussing the series with friends or language Partners talking about the plot characters and and your favorite moments in English can greatly improve your speaking and listening skills absolutely Sophia discussions help you practice expressing your opinions and understanding others you can also create a vocabulary list from each episode write down new words and phrases you hear Look up their meanings and try to use them in sentences creating a vocabulary list is a very effective method reviewing and using new vocabulary regularly helps with retention another tip is to watch behind the scenes or interview Clips related to the series these often provide more casual conversational language and insights into how the series was made behind the scenes Clips are a great resource they offer a different type of language and are usually less scripted than the series itself you can also listen to podcasts or read articles about the series to further imerse yourself in the language and culture yes consuming related content helps deepen your understanding and remember it's okay to take breaks and rewatch episodes if you need to consistent enjoyable practice is key to improving your English skills we discussed why TV series are effective for learning English recommended series for different levels of Learners and shared various techniques to enhance your learning experience will explore how to use documentaries and educational programs to learn English these types of content can provide a more structured and informative approach to language learning yes documentaries offer a wealth of knowledge and are great for learning specialized vocabulary and academic language we're excited to share more tips and recommendations with you thanks for listening today and happy podcast watching [Music] [Music]