English Learning, Lifestyle

Struggling with English? Start with These Films

by Keisha Centa Putri

Do you feel that your English learning methods are too boring? Feeling demotivated and now you’ve taken a pause in your learning? Well, maybe what you need is to mix up your learning method with a more enjoyable activity–one that doesn’t feel like you’re learning. Instead of sticking to books or articles, try watching movies as a medium for English learning!

Watching movies is one of the ways you can incorporate learning into your daily lives. Learning doesn’t have to be done in a class. Instead, try finding things around you that can be used as a medium for learning. On that note, let’s see some movie recommendations to start your English-through-movie journey!

Finding Nemo
Swim with Nemo and feel the adventure!

Let’s start with Finding Nemo, which tells the story of Marlin, a fearful and overly protective clownfish who explores the vast ocean to save his son, Nemo. Almost everyone on Earth knows about Finding Nemo. In fact, this movie has clear dialogue, a moderate pace, and many emotional phrases, showcasing fear, excitement, and reassurance. From this movie, you can add new vocabularies and expression nuances that can be used in everyday conversation. Try repeating the dialogues and imitate the intonation to practice pronunciation and rhythm!

Paddington
A small bear in a big city.

The second highly recommended film is Paddington, about a friendly and polite little bear from Peru who travels to London in search of a new home. We highly recommend this movie for its use of polite and appropriate language in everyday life and for training your understanding of the context of situations. Through this film, you will learn many expressions such as asking for help, polite responses, and many more. The sentence structure in this film is relatively clear and easy to follow, which is ideal for building a foundation in listening and increasing your vocabulary.

Home Alone
When they forget him, the chaos begins.

Try watching Home Alone for a more lively and spontaneous dialogue. This movie tells the story of a boy named Kevin McCallister who is accidentally left alone at home while his family left for Christmas vacation. This movie has visuals that support the context of the situation, helping you understand vocabulary and context without having to understand the meaning of every word spoken. In addition, with clear accents and a moderate tempo, you can hear and understand each word more clearly. Apart from that, this film has a familiar storyline so you won’t be too confused by a complicated plot, which actually helps you focus more on understanding the dialogue.

Toy Story
They come alive when you’re not looking.

Next, Toy Story is perfect for expanding your knowledge of idioms and new expressions that are useful for enriching your language skills. Not only that, but each character speaks with clear intonation and articulation, making it easier for you to pick up vocabulary and understand the context of the story.

Despicable Me
From supervillain to superdad.

This fifth movie is a must-see. Despicable Me tells the story of Gru, a supervillain who intends to steal the moon but instead becomes a loving father to his three adopted orphan girls. Try to pay close attention to the pronunciation of Gru and the three girls. Look for the differences and nuances in accents between the girls and Gru. Since the three girls have standard American English accents, try focusing on them first. Once you can hear every bit of their dialogue clearly, paying attention to Gru’s unique accent, which often speaks with very clear stress and intonation. This will greatly aid your learning. Focusing on Gru and the three girls ensures that you, and especially learners who are still at the beginner level, can absorb clear vocabulary before encountering other accents.

The Pursuit of Happyness
A fight for a better tomorrow.

Finally, level up with The Pursuit of Happyness, about Chris Gardner’s real-life struggle from homelessness to becoming a successful stockbroker for the sake of his son’s future. This film, which features many realistic professional and emotional conversations, can help you learn vocabulary related to work, ambition, and resilience, as well as new idioms.

Ultimately, learning English does not always have to come from books; movies can also be an effective and enjoyable way to learn if you watch them actively, by listening, understanding, taking notes on new knowledge, and imitating the characters’ dialogues. Consistency is key in this method, which will help your listening and speaking skills develop more naturally. If you feel bored or stuck, don’t stop. Try new methods and keep learning!

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