A lot of listeners to the podcast have been asking me for some advice about
how they can improve their English. Well. Based on my experience using Japanese
TV programs to improve my second language skills in Japanese, I believe that watching
American TV shows can be a fun and effective way for you to improve your
English skills. Let's study together. Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming
to you from New York City. And here's your English teacher, Michael.
All right, thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael here from
Happy English and I help people speak English better. And this is Happy English
Podcast, Episode six sixty one, Improving English with TV. When I first
started studying Japanese, a friend of mine suggested that I watch a TV program
called Sasai Son, which is basically a cartoon about a typical Japanese family in
those days. And despite the fact that there was a lot of unfamiliar vocabulary,
I thought it was really good practice and good information to help me learn
more about the language, how the language is used, and all of the
related cultural information that helped me live in Japan and understand Japanese life. Of
course, watching a television program to improve your language skills and watching a TV
program for entertainment is different, but as a language learning tool, you can
get a lot out of watching a TV program. Let's check it out.
First of all, watching a television program is a great way to practice and
improve you're listening comprehension skills. Did you know that there are more than twenty
five different accents in the USA. TV shows can expose you to different accents,
dialects, and speech patterns. For example, when you watch a TV
show like Friends, you can hear Joey, who has a New York accent,
which is different from Rachel, who has a more standard American accent.
Watching a TV show like this will help you get used to different styles of
speaking. Also, watching TV programs can help you learn about American culture and
customs. This is something that's important in social situations and in understanding the context
of conversations. For example, if you watch a sitcom like How I Met
Your Mother, you can learn about American holidays like Thanksgiving and Halloween, and
even American customs like tipping in restaurants or how to order food in a diner.
By the way, one of the best ways to learn about culture and
customs firsthand is with a teacher. I've recently had some lessons on Prepley,
a one to one tutor platform where you can really learn how to communicate better,
faster, and more confidently in your second language. I'm having a great
time with my tutor during our live one on one lessons, and you can
choose from over thirty two thousand online tutors to find the perfect fit like me.
In addition to being a student there, I'm excited to be teaching English
and American culture on Prepley. There you can enjoy structured learning and keep track
of your learning progress. And with Prepley you can take lessons anytime. Just
find the perfect time for your busy schedule and book lessons in seconds with their
desktop, side or mobile app. It's really easy. Click the link in
this podcast episode and use promo code Michael fifty to get fifty percent off your
first lesson at prepley dot com. You can also talk with your tutor about
the TV shows you're watching. Those can also help you improve your pronunciation skills.
You can pay attention to how the characters pronounce words and then try to
imitate them. For example, if you watch an episode of the Big Bang
theory, you can learn how to pronounce words like algorithm or hypothesis, and
that brings us to vocabulary. TV programs can expose you to a wide range
of vocabulary, including colloquial expressions, idioms, and phrasal verbs that are commonly
used in everyday conversations. When you watch a TV show like Seinfeld, you'll
learn about expressions like YadA YadA or close talker, which are commonly used in
American English. In these days, it's really easy to find the scripts of
your favorite TV shows online, which you can use as a textbook to improve
your English skills. When you have the script, you can read along while
watching the episodes and learn new vocabulary and expressions. You can also practice you're
speaking with a script. Just read along while watching the show and read some
of the lines with the characters. Well, I hope you find these tips
today helpful. Remember TV programs can be a useful and fun tool for improving
your English skills. Let me know what TV programs you like to watch in
English. Well that's it for today's lesson, and YadA, YadA, YadA.
I hope it was helpful to learn more. Just visit my Happy English
dot com and choose podcast Lesson six sixty one. Remember learning another language is
not easy, but it's not impossible, and I'm here to help you on
your journey. This podcast is brought to you by Happy English. Please visit
my happy english dot com. Show your support for Happy English by leaving us
a review. Get English, Get happy, Happy English