As the winter weather creeps in, it’s that time of year again to cosy up by the fire and grab a cup of hot chocolate. Though the winter months can be dark and cold, it’s a time of year when our businesses and personal lives can become hectic, but as the year draws to a close, it’s a time for family, fun, and relaxation. As you prepare for the festive season, you may not have time to keep up with your English lessons. If you want to keep on top of your English language skills, here is a list of English TV shows that you can watch throughout these frosty nights. Putting your feet up and watching TV is the way to go!
We asked students and learners of English what their favourite TV shows are for learning English. Without further ado, here are our top 10 best TV shows to learn English!
Gilmore Girls is a timeless favourite, ideal for anyone wanting to enhance their conversational English and also day-to-day phrases. Set in the charming town of Stars Hollow, it features the fast-paced but clear dialogue between Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, making it easy to pick up common native English phrases. The show provides the perfect mix of American English with clear speech, which is especially great for intermediate learners looking to build their listening skills. The relatable characters and easy-to-follow storylines make it a great choice for English learners at any level.
Why watch it? Learn everyday expressions and idioms while enjoying a heartwarming story!
Opening Credits: Gilmore Girls – Intro
Sometimes, there is no escape from the office! However, this office is a little more relaxed than others. The Office is an ideal English TV series for learning English. It has some weird and wacky characters, many of whom you can relate to. The Office (US) is a hilarious and engaging series that’s also fantastic for expanding your corporate vocabulary. Due to the slow-paced dialogue and frequent pauses in conversation, it’s ideal for beginners to intermediate learners. It also has a lot of deadpan humour, but as you get to know each character, their humour and jokes will benefit your English. Additionally, it is a great TV series to learn some English corporate terminology. The show is filled with American slang, workplace business English expressions, and cultural references, making it perfect for understanding American English in a professional context.
Why watch it? Gain a strong foundation in business English and learn quirky office slang!
Trailer: The Office 2005 2013 Official Trailer
If you’re looking for romance and drama, Bridgerton is the show for you! This English TV series took the world by storm in recent years, and everyone has fallen madly in love with its characters and themes. A period drama, Bridgerton brings you back in time to a place of royalty, etiquette, and nobility. What makes this TV series interesting for English learners is how the characters speak. They speak in a slow, clear, and formal fashion which makes it a great show to improve your English listening and speaking skills. It introduces you to new words and synonyms of words you may already know, such as “I’m famished” for “I’m very hungry”. So what are you waiting for? Put on your dancing shoes and go to the ball!
Why watch it? This period drama is an absolute must-watch for those aiming to improve their formal English and pronunciation!
Trailer: Bridgerton | Official Trailer | Netflix
Everybody knows The Simpsons! Another timeless classic, this English TV series is filled with everything from pop culture humour to cultural references to celebrity guests from all over the globe. The Simpsons is a great TV series for learners of all levels. With catchphrases like “Eat my shorts!” and “Don’t have a cow, man!”, the show keeps you up to speed with current themes and everyday English phrases. The Simpsons also gives you the chance to practice your aural skills, particularly English accents. The TV show is based in America, and it has an array of accents from across the States. It also incorporates more global accents, for example, Groundskeeper Willie speaks in a Scottish accent while Kwik-E-Mart owner, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, speaks in an Indian accent. The wide variety of accents and slang will help you better understand the richness of English accents worldwide. There is a wealth of opportunities to improve your English language skills with The Simpsons!
Why watch it? Learn slang, accents, and cultural references while having a laugh!
Trailer: The Simpsons Season 35 Trailer
Outlander takes you on an unforgettable journey through time, from the 1940s to 18th century Scotland. It’s a fantastic choice for learners who want to improve their listening skills and understand regional accents. The Scottish accents are challenging, but if you’re looking for an opportunity to improve your English comprehension and tackle accents, this show is perfect. The dialogue is slow enough for you to follow, making it a great English TV series for intermediate and advanced learners.
Why watch it? Learn Scottish English and historical vocabulary while following an exciting plot.
Trailer: OUTLANDER – Season 1 Trailer
Do you want to improve your business English? Look no further! The Apprentice is perfect for intermediate and advanced learners. The Apprentice took the world by storm when it was released in the mid-2000s. Starting off in the United States, The Apprentice also captured the attention of the BBC. The reality show follows a group of business contestants who want to earn their place as apprentices in a large company. They compete in various tasks, making it a great resource for learning business terminology, corporate expressions, and industry-specific vocabulary. This is an ideal English TV series to build up your business vocabulary mixed with a high level of entertainment. Having the series in American English and British English is very advantageous for vocabulary building, and it can set you up when speaking to clients or colleagues in your job!
Why watch it? Perfect for expanding your business English and mastering corporate vocabulary.
Trailer: The Apprentice: Series 17 🔥 | Trailer – BBC
This English TV series needs no introduction. The world fell in love with Friends in the 90’s and the love remains strong to this day. Friends is another nostalgia-filled TV series perfect for everyday English learning. Friends is filled with English jokes, colloquialisms, idioms, and phrases. Though some of the conversations often pick up speed, for the most part, the characters converse at a nice pace. Much of the phrases and vocabulary used in Friends is not outdated and can really heighten your conversational English. It is a sitcom that resonates with everyone. No matter your life’s path, you will always have your Friends!
Why watch it? Learn useful expressions and improve your conversational skills in English!
Trailer: Friends – Opening Season 1
This is a family favourite and it always comes in time for the winter months. The Great British Bake Off covers a lot of ground (or cake!) when it comes to improving your English language skills. This English TV series has it all: humour, varying British accents as well as accents from other parts of the world, and tasty bakes! The narration throughout each episode is always presented slowly and clearly, with illustrations of what ingredients each baker uses. You will also learn some everyday phrases along with some slang words. The judges and presenters also follow suit with their clear speech, but this is a good show if you want to challenge your ears with the contestants’ accents. So, you can improve your English language skills and learn about delicious bakes, which is the cherry on top!
Why watch it? Improve your listening skills and learn British culinary vocabulary and accents.
Trailer: The Great British Baking Show Season 11 Trailer | ‘Collection 8’ | Rotten Tomatoes TV
An oldie but a goodie! Father Ted is very well known across the British Isles, and it is your introduction to some old Irish humour. Father Ted is an English TV series that takes a religious route but in a comedic way. If you want to be introduced to some Hiberno-English, Father Ted is one of the best TV series to help you. With characters from all over the island and many who speak at varying speeds, Father Ted is one of the most quotable shows in Ireland, and it is a great topic of conversation. This English TV series is for learners of all levels, as the accents are quite clear. It is also great for learning common Hiberno-English phrases such as, “that’s mad” and “a bunch of cowboys”. So, if you want to build up some Irish vocabulary, join Father Ted for a nice cup of tea! The clear dialogue makes it accessible for learners of all levels, but it’s especially fun for those who want to add a bit of Irish flair to their English vocabulary.
Why watch it? Discover Irish slang, quirky expressions, and diverse accents.
Trailer: Father Ted Trailer
Last, but most certainly not least, we have the iconic Derry Girls. Following a group of five secondary school students in the 1990s, Derry Girls is a hilarious coming-of-age English TV series in a very historical time in Northern Ireland. This series would be for more advanced learners of English as the characters’ accents vary from easy to difficult, and there is a lot of fast-paced speech throughout the show. The Derry accent can be challenging, but it is a great opportunity to train your ears and learn some new pronunciation. Derry Girls is loved all across the world. It has a strong sense of nostalgia, historical themes, and many 90’s pop culture references. Challenging as it may be, you will become a Derry Girl by the end of your journey!
Why watch it? Challenge yourself with fast-paced dialogue and regional accents while learning more about Northern Irish culture!
Trailer: TRAILER | Derry Girls | Starts Thursday 4th January
TV shows are one of the most effective ways to improve your English for a few reasons:
✔️ Real-life English: Shows provide exposure to natural speech, idioms, and slang that you won’t find in textbooks.
✔️ Accents: Watching TV exposes you to different accents and dialects from across the English-speaking world.
✔️ Listening Practice: By watching characters speak at various speeds, you improve your listening skills.
✔️ Vocabulary: From everyday phrases to business and formal language, you’ll pick up useful words and expressions that fit various contexts.
To get the most out of watching TV shows, consider the following tips:
✔️ Use subtitles: Watch with English subtitles to reinforce spelling and pronunciation.
✔️ Pause and repeat: Stop at key phrases and repeat them out loud to practice pronunciation.
✔️ Take notes: Write down new words and expressions to review later.
✔️ Switch up the speed: Start with slow-paced shows and gradually challenge yourself with faster dialogue.
✔️ Peaky Blinders: Perfect for learning a Birmingham accent and historical vocabulary.
✔️ Sherlock: A great choice for intermediate and advanced learners who want to pick up clever dialogue and complex phrases.
✔️ Modern Family: Ideal for casual, everyday vocabulary and understanding American family culture.
While TV shows are fantastic for learning, combining them with lessons from a qualified English teacher can take your skills to the next level. At Everywhere English, we encourage learners to bring their favourite TV series into the classroom. Imagine practising vocabulary from Friends or discussing Bridgerton over a cuppa with your tutor!
Ready to try it? Book your free trial lesson today and start learning English in the most enjoyable way possible.
