Hello! I will teach you how to study English on your own. This post is especially designed for someone who thinks that ‘Even if I have to study English by myself, I don’t want it to get bored…’
Then,,, Let’s study English through movies and dramas!
This way, you can focus on studying English conversation! Instead of learning English from books, you can study while watching videos that show how people use English in real life.
So How Should We Study English with Movies and Dramas?
I will tell you about the most famous method, shadowing or reading along, which can be used with movies and dramas. You should follow the order as below.
- Select a movie/show from your favorite genre or a subject that you want to learn about.
- Enjoy watching them with Korean subtitles
- Prepare a script in English
- See how much you can understand without Korean subtitles on
- Watch the video with Korean subtitles and read the English script at the same time + Check the parts you couldn’t understand without subtitles
- Check the English lines you want to learn
- Read the English lines while watching the video
- Pause the video in short intervals in parts you find difficult to understand without subtitles, and when it becomes easier to understand try to listen to a scene without pausing as much.
- Memorize the lines you want to learn
Some people might be hesitant to start studying English with shadowing because they think that they might feel difficult to understand the storyline if movies or dramas are in English. However, you should not feel that way, it doesn’t matter! Shadowing can be done regardless of your current level of English. You can adjust the length and difficulty based on your English level. Don’t get intimidated in the first place and begin with minor steps :)
Movie and Drama Recommendation
Now that you’ve learned how to shadow in English, you need to go find something interesting to watch right? Let me give you my recommendations of American dramas, UK dramas, and movies for you to start with.
Emily in Paris
This is a Netflix original series of an American woman named Emily works for a marketing company in the romantic city of Paris, France. I can’t take my eyes off of the screen as I follow Emily’s journey, making new friends in Paris and getting caught up in a twisted love triangle. To top things off, Emily doesn’t speak French, so she must learn how to navigate through Paris while only being able to speak English! By the way, you can even learn a little French along the way as a bonus. Since the series consists of short episodes, you can pretty much watch it at any time! If you want to learn English and savor the scenery of Paris, I recommend watching Emily in Paris!
Never Have I Ever
When you think of American teen dramas, does it conjure images of pretty and popular teens? If so, that’s not the case at all with this series! Never Have I Ever follows the story of an ordinary Indian American teen named Debbie, who wants to become popular. It’s exciting to see how she’ll end up with the handsome boy she’s been dreaming of. Anybody watching this series can agree that the life of the protagonist shown here is not over-the-top like in most drama. If you are looking for a realistic teen drama that takes a sympathetic look at teen life, I recommend Never Have I Ever!
Zootopia
When you think of Disney, the first thing that comes to mind is animation shows and movies. For that reason, it’s kind of pointless trying to recommend any works from the powerhouse that is Disney Plus, since they’re always high on the list. Nevertheless, among their many great movies, I recommend Zootopia above all. In this movie, Zootopia is the number one city everyone wants to live in!! Judy Hopps, Zootopia’s first rabbit police officer, and Nick Wilde, a sleazy con-artist, must work together as they investigate a series of mysterious disappearances in Zootopia. What is particularly noteworthy in this movie is the sweet chemistry between Judy and Nick!! They make such a fine couple that I wonder where I could even begin to find a better couple elsewhere. If you want to study English watching a movie featuring cute animals, we recommend Zootopia.
Moana
This Disney movie follows Moana, who goes out to sea to save her home, the Motunui Islands, from a deadly curse. And who can forget Maui, the legendary demigod and hero? Follow the pair as they rush to save everything, they hold dear! Moana, who was chosen by the sea from an early age to be a hero, must make the big decision to defy her father, the leader of the islands who has forbidden everybody on the island from venturing outside to save everybody from danger. In particular, I found the scene where a young Moana is drawn by the sea’s call without a clue of how momentous the moment is really cute. Please don’t miss it! If you want to study English with Maui, a hero full of bravado and absurdity in equal measure, and the brave Moana, I recommend Moana!
Modern Family
One of the most famous American sitcoms, Modern Family!! Modern Family is filmed as a mockumentary, where characters often look directly at the camera and divulge their feelings. The characters are Jay Pritchett and his family, who live near Los Angeles. The great thing about this show is that there is not a single dull moment as it chronicles the everyday life of various families! If you want to study English through a sitcom that follows the daily tribulations and adventures of a family, I recommend Modern Family!
The Office
The Office is an American remake of the UK series of the same name! It is a short, 20-minute sitcom about the various events that take place in the paper company Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton, Pennsylvania branch. Since the genre is comedy, you get to explore American humor. Each country’s humor code is slightly different, so the show provides a good opportunity to see what’s funny in the United States and compare it to the UK version. Also, as you can tell by the name, The Office is literally about company life, so you can learn expressions that are used in the corporate world. If you want to experience American corporate life and have some fun along the way, we recommend The Office!
La La Land
If you like movies, you HAVE to see the American Movie La La Land. It is the story of jazz pianist Sebastian and aspiring actress Mia, of their dreams and hopes with a heavy dose of realism. Many people enjoy La La Land, so I recommend it in the hopes that you can kill two birds with one stone by studying English while watching a fantastic movie. If you want to study English while enjoying sweet music and beautiful scenery, we recommend La La Land!
Why Women Kill
One house, three women and three murders! Why Women Kill is an American drama about three wives, the ideal housewife Beth Ann, the socialite Simon, and the polyamorous Taylor. A detailed plan unfolds between the wives who choose to kill, saying that murder is better than divorce. There are so many people who fell in love with Y Woman Kill because of its exciting plot. If you want to learn English in a fun way with a story full of twists, we recommend Y Woman Kill!
The Good Doctor
Do you remember the Korean drama The Good Doctor? The American drama Good Doctor is a remake of that same drama. It tells the story of a young surgeon who suffers from savant syndrome while working in the surgical ward of one of the best hospitals in America. Even if they both take place in a hospital, the general atmosphere of Korea and the United States are bound to be different, right? It can be interesting to watch the drama while comparing it to the original Korean drama. If you want to study English expressions related to American hospitals, I recommend the American drama Good Doctor!
Now you may know about series and movies that are good for self-study, but do you still feel that something is missing? After using the shadowing method to learn English why don’t you try talking about the work in English with a native speaker? We proudly present [Online video tutoring platform – AmazingTalker. It is a 화상영어 platform in South Korea that offer reasonable prices for online English learning service, and it the best place to start learning English!
