Advanced ESL Students Can Drastically Increase English Fluency Watching Television Programs
If you have been studying English for a while you are probably pretty serious about really getting the language down. You have taken ESL classes and you most likely practice English at home with books and maybe even tapes. The television is a great tool for English language learners too. If done correctly, I think the TV can increase your English fluency drastically.
The good thing about TV is that there are a variety of shows and it is free. This means you can get exposure to real life English in many different subjects. One day you can watch a show about a scientific subject, and the next day you can watch a show about the life of a teenager in New York. To really be fluent in English, you need to be able to understand the language used in any situation. Set aside an hour a day to watch TV in English. Pick a different type of program each day. One day watch a comedy and the next day watch a show about doctors. If you plan on using English in a certain field in the future watch shows that use that specific language.
Spend the first half an hour with a notebook and pen handy. Watch the program and write down the words that you don’t understand. Don’t stop watching the program. Just jot these words down and keep watching. Later on you can look the words up. Write down any expression, phrase, slang or word you don’t completely understand. Depending on your English fluency, this list may be very long or very short. After a half an hour is up, put your pen and notebook down. Sit back and watch for another half an hour. Don’t worry about any words that you don’t understand. Just get the overall meaning of what is being said by hearing the words you do understand and watching the actor’s facial expressions and movements. Try to relax and enjoy the show.
When the hour is up go ahead and look up those words you wrote down. If you happen to remember any words from the second half an hour of viewing, look those up to. In the event that you have extra time, type a few of the expressions from your notes into Google. This way you will see how native speakers use them in real life. People who post online don’t always use the best grammar or pay attention to spelling, but you will get the jist of how the expression is used.
Luckily watching TV is kind of a fun activity. So this exercise is not too bad. Make sure you relax during the second half an hour. The goal is to get the overall meaning of what is going on and to not focus on any one word. Think of yourself as a little kid listening to his parent’s conversation. This kid doesn’t understand every word, but he most likely knows exactly what they are talking about. As you have probably heard, children have the advantage on adults when it comes to learning languages. A lot of this has to do with the fact that they don’t get caught up on why the language works the way it does. They just listen and absorb. So take on those childlike qualities and watch as your English fluency increases everyday.
Andrew Lawton
http://drewseslfluencylessons.com
About the Author
My name is Andrew Lawton and I am a Spanish and ESL professor in Austin, TX. I recently created an ESL website for students to practice their everyday English slang and expressions in common situations.
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