Videos/TV shows are great source of ‘real-life’ English language and the pictures will help your child to understand what is being said.
Videos/TV can also help children to:
- become familiar with different accents
- watch facial expressions, body language and gestures used in different cultures
- develop their understanding of the world and ‘real’ situations outside the classroom.
Most of all, children love learning through videos/TV. It can be a great source of motivation – one of the most important factors in language learning.
Choosing what to watch
Try watching a video/TV series – the episodes are usually much shorter than films. Your child will become familiar with the characters and how they talk. This repetition is really useful for learning.
The best videos/TV shows for learning English will have:
- lots of visuals that illustrate what is being said
- clear pronunciation, spoken not too fast
- lots of language repetition
- good picture and sound quality.
If you need some ideas, here are some of the top-rated children’s TV shows. For example, check out these TV shows that promote literacy and TV shows that promote communication.
Remember, film trailers can also be very motivating as they are often short and exciting.
Learning tip for 5–12 year olds
Choose videos/TV shows aimed at your child’s age group. These shows often have lots of repetition and opportunities for children to join in, repeat language and copy actions.
Young children love to hear their favourite stories, songs and videos/TV shows again and again. It’s fine to watch several times. This will help build their understanding and their confidence to repeat language.
Learning tip for 13–18 year olds
Watch some different film trailers with your child. Ask them to:
- talk about what happened in each trailer
- compare the films – what was similar/different
- decide which one they would prefer to watch.
As an extension, they might also like to invent an ending to the film and act it out.
This activity could lead on to the writing of film reviews, which would help them prepare for Cambridge English Qualifications such as B2 First.
Watching without subtitles
Your child may need some support before they’re ready to turn off the subtitles. For example, when watching a video/TV series, you could try:
- watching an episode in your own language, so you become familiar with the characters.
- watching an episode in English, with English subtitles for additional help.
- watching an episode in English, without any subtitles.
Learning tip
Try not to pause all the time. Practise ‘listening for gist’. This means listening to get a general idea of what’s being said, without needing to understand every word.
Encourage your child to keep a notebook next to them. Ask them to write down any new words and expressions that they want to look up later.
English learning activities – before watching the show
The aim of these activities is to prepare your child for the English they are going to hear. Then when they watch the video/TV show they will have a better understanding of what is happening.
Learning tip
Read the title of the video/TV episode. Ask your child: ‘What do you think will happen in this episode?’ Then watch the show to see if their predictions are correct.
Alternatively, you could also try:
- brainstorming vocabulary related to the topic of the show
- reading some fun facts or a storybook related to the topic of the show
- looking at the video/TV show’s website, as they often have free learning activities.
English learning activities – while watching the show
During the show, the aim is to develop listening skills, in particular ‘listening for general gist’.
Learning tip
Before the show started you might have asked your child: ‘What do you think will happen in this episode?’ Now pause the episode and ask your child: ‘Were you right?’
Use questions to check understanding. For example:
- ‘What just happened?’
- ‘Why did they do that?’
- ‘How do you think they feel?’
- ‘What do you think will happen next?’
English learning activities – after watching the show
Any chance to hear English is helpful. But if you want your child to improve all four English skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening), try doing some additional learning activities. A follow-up activity can make all the difference and ensure that it becomes a learning experience.
This could be as simple as a discussion. Ask your child about their favourite episode. Encourage them to tell you, in English, about their favourite parts.
Learning tip for 5–12 year olds
Speaking activities:
- If your child has a puppet or toy from the video/TV show, tell your child that this toy only understands English. Have a conversation with the toy yourself to encourage your child to do the same in private.
- Encourage your child to act out their own version of the video/TV show.
Listening activities:
- Find an interesting picture from the video/TV show. Let your child look at it for 30 seconds. Remove the picture and ask questions such as: ‘What colour is the flower?’, ‘What is the boy wearing?’
- Print out photos of your child’s favourite characters. Spread them out on the floor/table. Choose one photo, without saying who it is, and describe it. Your child must guess which one it is. Reverse roles.
Writing activities:
- Ask your child to draw their favourite characters and add labels to show things like colours, body parts, what they can/can’t do, and so on.
- Find some pictures from the video/TV show. Ask your child to use these to write a story.
Reading activities:
- Read a storybook or fun facts related to the topic of the video/TV show.
- As an extension, you could ask your child to compare the book to the video/TV show.
Learning tip for 13–18 year olds
Create a voice-over. This activity is a fantastic way to integrate all four skills. Ask your child to:
- choose an exciting part of a programme
- watch the scene to get a general understanding
- watch the scene a few more times and write down key words
- watch the scene without sound – tell them they are going to create their own script
- write a simple script – this doesn’t need to be the same as the original and can simply be a series of key points
- read/act out their script while the scene is played without sound.