Learn English with TV shows
Created: Nov 30, 2024
Last Updated: Dec 21, 2024
Improving your English skills is much easier when it’s fun. Whether you already watch a lot of English-speaking TV shows or have yet to discover any, let this tried and tested list of the best TV shows to learn English guide your journey.
Whether you’re a beginner or looking to learn advanced English, watching English TV shows can skyrocket your knowledge until you’re naturally including vocabulary in your everyday life.
If you want to learn English with movies, or any type of visual media for that matter, put your faith in Flurret. Sign up to our platform today for a unique language learning experience like never before. Get personalized vocabulary suggestions and access to common phrases used in TV and film before you watch them.
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How can I learn English by Watching TV?
Like any skill, mastering a new language requires patience, time and consistent practice. Language acquisition experts claim that the most effective learning happens when you engage with something you genuinely enjoy. This is why learning English through TV series is such an effective approach.
Here’s how watching TV shows can help your English fluency:
- Familiarity: TV series - in total - give you around 10 hours to get to know and familiarise yourself with the same characters, places, and themes. Getting to know how a character talks and deals with different situations and approaches conversation is another way of learning natural speech patterns. As you jump from episode to episode, you’ll pick up common phrases and recognise new slang and expressions that are used most often, allowing you to learn faster.
- Incremental learning: Experts suggest that we learn better in smaller chunks, no matter the subject. That’s why TV series are good learning materials - they build a story (or multiple stories) across 6-10 episodes.. Most popular TV shows have episodes around 30 minutes to 1 hour long, so your concentration is only needed in short bursts. These quick little lessons make learning English more easily achievable. Each episode enhances your skills bit by bit.
- Cultural insights and dialect: There are countless genres of TV shows set in Britain and other English speaking countries that give (slightly dramatised) insight into how people live and socialise. Knowing the variations and mixing up the genre from time to time will really help you get to grips with the language in all contexts.
Listen to new accents, dive into different time periods and challenge yourself to listen to how language changes. It's not just in what people say, it’s about seeing how people express themselves in different settings. For example, if you watch shows based in Victorian England or the streets of Liverpool, you'll get to hear how language has changed over time and how people from different places use words in unique ways.
If you’re passionate about improving your English with screen-based resources, take a look at our great guide on the best movies to learn English.
Learn English Fast with These TV Shows
1. Downton Abbey
- Genre: Historical drama
- Key takeaways: Very formal English, early 20th century England, social hierarchies
If you’re interested in learning ‘The Queen’s English’ or ‘Received Pronunciation’ as it’s formally known, Downton Abbey is right up your alley. It’s full of historical references that mean you learn English language and history, which is sure to keep you interested. This series is the perfect example of formal and sophisticated exchanges that are most useful for professional settings. Downton Abbey is one of the best resources for learning about social issues and the rise of the working class, showcasing the key differences between how the upper and lower classes speak.
Tip: While this show is super gripping and is good for teaching historical language basics, you don’t want to rely on this solely for speech development - modern English speakers have very different accents and more casual dialogue!
2. Sherlock
- Genre: Crime, mystery, drama
- Key takeaways: British English, crime investigation, fast-paced conversations
Sherlock Holmes is a literary sensation. His name is known across the world, but this hit modern-adaptation TV show offers a great opportunity to get deep into the nitty gritty of fast paced dialogue, complex plots and the protagonist’s natural wit.
This detective series follows Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick Watson as they solve crimes in London.
Sherlock uses a mix of modern slang and academic language, so you can see how the two types of speech come together in different scenarios.
Binge-watching Sherlock won’t only be entertaining, but it will also help you follow intricate conversations and improve your critical thinking skills.
Some people that are new to the English language may find that the character of Sherlock talks quite fast. However, we believe this is a great way to speed up your own spoken language. The more you listen, the easier it becomes to dissect his sentences and make sense of his interactions.
3. Friends
- Genre: Sit-com
- Key takeaways: Emotional expression, American-English slang, non-verbal communication
Friends is often referred to as one of the TV programmes that helped a lot of non-native speakers learn English. Friends is an international success, with themes that are relatable no matter what country you live in.
This American English comedy deals with almost every aspect of life and relationships. The beloved characters are central to the show, each with their own unique personalities and accents.
The dialogue is casual and fun, and is useful for picking up conversational cues and learning how people handle emotions. You’ll come across popular catch phrases that are incredibly memorable, and thanks to their repetition throughout the series, they’ll stick with you.
You’ll learn idioms and expressions that are used commonly when people react to dating troubles, work problems, and daily dilemmas. The many jokes, heart-felt scenes, and sarcasm are nice and easy to digest, making it an entertaining way to improve your spoken language skills.
4. Peaky Blinders
- Genre: Historical crime drama
- Key takeaways: Cockney accents, British slang, British history
This Birmingham, UK-based drama has been rated one of the best TV shows of all time – and it’s not hard to see why! It’s dark, violent, and raw, if that’s something you enjoy. Set in the post-war gang scene, it touches on the suffering and torment of men during that time. But why is it good for learning English? You learn about social classes, the threat of the Communist revolution, and how people dealt with political impact in their daily lives.
The show features all kinds of regional accents – from the thick Birmingham dialect to the more refined, ‘posh’ London accents – which allows you to hear the range of pronunciations and speech patterns used across the country. We’re confident that this series will give you a good sense of how native speakers communicate in informal settings.
5. Happy Valley
- Genre: Crime, drama, thriller
- Key takeaways: Strong female lead, everyday British slang, law-enforcement vocabulary
Happy Valley has some of the best acting scenes you’ll ever see. The dark and twisted crime scenes, followed by the raw, emotional moments will keep you at the edge of your seat! If you're looking for something engaging and fast-paced, yet still accessible for those with less understanding of the English language, Happy Valley is ideal for you.
The character development makes it thrilling, but also educational - which is exactly what you want from a TV show for learning English.
There’s law-enforcement language, regional-specific slang and a whole lot of complexity to the conversations held within this show. You’ll notice how people react to intense situations and how tone and body language play a big part in communication. Happy Valley will give you a fantastic overview of real-world English in action, whether that’s in an interrogation room or around a coffee table.
Tip: Watch the first few episodes with the subtitles enabled. Write down 10 words that you’re confused by and use a dictionary to find definitions. Try memorising these words and practice them regularly to become more familiar with the terms used the next time you encounter them.
6. Brassic
- Genre: Dark comedy drama
- Key takeaways: British humour, working-class characters, cultural references
Brassic is great if you’re looking for an authentic representation of casual English language and everyday people. It follows a group of friends navigating financial issues and relationships. It’s packed with rich regional slang and yet deals with quite serious scenarios.
Sarcasm is one of the hardest concepts for second language learners to get around. Watching Brassic provides many examples of sarcasm, so you can see how people react to it and understand the tone and context behind sarcastic remarks. The comedic angle of this series is key to understanding how humor can form part of interaction in English, from the arguments between characters to the light-hearted banter that drives their friendships.
7. The Office (US)
- Genre: Comedy, workplace
- Key takeaways: Professional interactions, sarcastic humour, workplace language
The Office is a comedy show starring Steve Carrell that is jam-packed with relatable situations and everyday language. There’s casual chatter, awkward yet funny moments and lots of professional speech. From small talk to silly jokes, watching The Office is the perfect way to learn expressions and interactions that you can’t get from a textbook.
While the dialogue is rather fast paced, it’s not too difficult to follow along. Since it has international popularity, you may already recognise some of the catchphrases and references, which makes it easier to get into. Plus, the often repeated humour and running jokes reinforce new vocabulary in a memorable way, which is always a bonus! Whether you want to learn how to speak English in a professional setting or simply want to enjoy classic, funny moments, this show has something for everyone trying to improve their English!
Tip: After watching The Office, try leaving a review on an online forum in English. Pick out your favorite moments and experiment with the words and phrases you’ve used.
8. The Great British Bakeoff
- Genre: Reality competition
- Key takeaways: Everyday people, different regional accents, culinary terms
We’ve included The Great British Bakeoff as it’s often referenced in American movies and around the world. It’s great for food lovers, but also fantastic for understanding how the English language is used in different scenarios. It involves strangers coming together in— as the name suggests— a baking competition. It’s classic humour, warm and lighthearted, and will definitely leave you feeling hungry!
The show’s gentle pace makes it easy to follow, and shows you the art of polite conversation between people who don’t really know each other. Whether you enjoy baking or not, this show will teach you cultural references and expressions that you may not hear in a scripted TV show.
Watching how the contestants interact in a friendly, supportive environment gives you a glimpse into how Brits use language to connect, compliment, and even sometimes tease each other in a respectful way. You’ll love the authenticity and calm, gentle atmosphere of the show. If you want an easy watch, add this to your list!
9. Coronation Street
- Genre: Soap opera
- Key takeaways: Social dynamics, British culture, Manchester accents
Coronation Street is the longest-running soap opera in the world, set in the heart of Manchester. If there was ever a TV series that accurately depicted British culture, it’s soap operas like this one. Everything about this show feels real, authentic, and relatable.
This show immerses you in true British life, from how people socialise over a beer at the pub to the emotional reactions of characters facing some of life’s toughest moments. You’ll hear the nuances of accents like the Mancunian pronunciation and the rural tones of Yorkshire. It involves natural speech, dramatic moments, and relationship dynamics of all kinds - friendships, rivalries, love, family dynamics and heartbreak. The conversations reflect the daily banter and genuine concerns of real people, which is good to understand as you progress your conversational skills.
Watching Coronation Street gives you a real look at British family life, values, and the regional slang people use. The characters’ interactions reveal how emotions and humor come across in everyday conversations, offering new vocabulary that’ll help you feel more comfortable with the way people actually speak in different situations.
Also try other British soaps such as Emmerdale and Eastenders for other regional accents and dialects.
10. The Originals
- Genre: Fantasy drama
- Key takeaways: Advanced vocabulary, creative language for story writing, poetic expressions
If vampire fantasy is your thing, The Originals' Klaus & Elijah Mikaelson have a vocabulary spanning the centuries which will really give you something to sink your teeth into. Even fluent English speakers will come across unheard of words that help to increase advanced vocabulary!
There’s an interesting blend of old-fashioned English with contemporary vocabulary, helping you learn how the English language has evolved over time and how different settings can influence speech. The characters' dialogue merges poetic expressions with casual, modern phrases, making it a super engaging experience.
This show is unique as it also features creative language that can be applied to story writing. Whether it’s the descriptions of characters’ emotions or the metaphor-laden speeches, the dialogue can be truly inspirational and will help any creative writer deepen their use of language.
Despite the questionable English accents, The Originals is a fantastic choice for any fantasy lovers who want to expand their vocabulary in both formal and informal contexts.
Become a TV Buff with Purpose – Learn English Through TV Shows
Improving English through TV series very clearly has its benefits, but it’s equally important to recognize its limitations.
Watching TV alone - with or without subtitles - won’t cover every aspect of language learning. You’re unlikely to master English grammar rules or writing structure by watching TV
To get the most out of your learning journey, combine watching TV with other methods. Write down the words you’ve learned, practice using them in social posts or written exercises and engage in conversations with English speakers until you’re confident, proficient and fluent.
Alternatively, combine multiple language learning methods by signing up to Flurret - where quizzing, vocabulary learning, and films come together.
Start your journey to English fluency today.
