One way to learn English is by watching media like movies, TV shows, and even activities teaching you a new skill. You can learn English with any kind of media if you stick with it. You can even learn from watching  on on-demand activities from Happy Camper Live!

Turn on closed captions so you can listen in English but read the words in your native language. Listen to the way words are said. Observe how the punctuation matches the emphasis on the words. Listen to how phrases are used. Watch TV and movies with the purpose of learning, not just entertainment.

Before you start watching, grab a notebook so you can write down any new words or phrases you weren’t familiar with that you now understand. Write down words you don’t understand so you can go look them up in the dictionary later. You may also want to write your goals for the day. Maybe you want to learn 10 new words in English, or be able to describe what the video was about. Having goals and working toward them will help you see progress. At the end of the notebook you’ll be able to look back and see all of the words you’ve learned in English.

If you don’t understand a word or need to rewatch a video more than once, it’s okay to hit the play button again. Here are a couple of learning tasks to focus on when watching videos to learn English:

 

Watch To Learn About People

How people speak English can tell you a lot about a TV character’s social standing or even their personality. Are they speaking quickly? Perhaps they are impatient. Are they using fancy words? Maybe they’re a professor. Watch who uses slang. Pay attention to speed as well. Sometimes people speak slowly to emphasize a point that is important to the character.

 

Watch To Learn About Different Cultures

Everyone will speak English slightly differently because we all have different backgrounds and were raised in different areas. Some parts of the United States will use different words when talking about the same thing. For example, soda is the preferred term in the Northeast, while pop is what people in the Midwest generally use. And some people in the South prefer to call it coke even if it’s not the Coca-Cola brand.

You can also learn about people by listening to their accents. British and American English will be easily noticeable, but there are many different accents even within the United States. Someone from the South may say things with more of a drawl, while someone from New England might drop their “r” when speaking. Everyone speaks English differently, and you can learn something from everyone. You might also hear from people who were once English learners like yourself. Listening to different people speaking the language can help you learn faster.

 

Watch To Learn The Skill

Don’t forget to actually enjoy the content of the videos you are watching. If you’re trying to learn how to pitch like a pro with baseball coach Will, then put that into practice and give it a try.

If you can understand a new topic like knot tying when it’s taught in English, then you’re on the way to becoming fluent. You’ll also be adding a second new skill to your toolkit – whatever it was you were learning about. Then put your English into practice and share that skill with your friends.

Happy learning!