British TV and film recomendations for people learning English
April 8, 2017 2:31 AM Subscribe
I am teaching English and I have been asked to recommend some TV and films specifically with British accents. I'm a bit stuck and would love some recommendations!
My students are mainly Arabic speakers, aged between 20 and 40. All of them have a university background. The level varies from beginner/intermediate to pretty much fluent. I'd like to find some options that cater for a few levels. I've got David Attenborough documentaries and Fawlty towers on my list so far. I'm a bit stuck with films. It would be great to hear of anything you found useful if you learned English as a second language. Bonus points if it is also available on YouTube.
My students are mainly Arabic speakers, aged between 20 and 40. All of them have a university background. The level varies from beginner/intermediate to pretty much fluent. I'd like to find some options that cater for a few levels. I've got David Attenborough documentaries and Fawlty towers on my list so far. I'm a bit stuck with films. It would be great to hear of anything you found useful if you learned English as a second language. Bonus points if it is also available on YouTube.
Whilst I love John Cleese FT would not be my first choice for language development.
2nding period dramas.
There is a lot of good crime/ police drama which may not be as well known overseas but is generally easy to follow.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:22 AM on April 8, 2017
2nding period dramas.
There is a lot of good crime/ police drama which may not be as well known overseas but is generally easy to follow.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:22 AM on April 8, 2017
I suggest some clever comedy sketch shows: A Bit of Fry and Laurie, especially, and That Mitchell and Webb Look. The comedy ranges from clever verbal games and puns to more visual and simple gags so there should be something for everyone. You may also want to look at panel shows like Would I Lie to You, Have I Got News For You and QI. Those shows tend to involve people with a range of British accents, but there's always a couple of people with classic cutglass English accents that are easy for non-native speakers to follow.
posted by Aravis76 at 4:31 AM on April 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Aravis76 at 4:31 AM on April 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
A woman who spoke at an AWP panel a while ago that taught ESL in the Emirates told us that her students loved the Jane Austen adaptations.
posted by brujita at 8:48 AM on April 8, 2017
posted by brujita at 8:48 AM on April 8, 2017
Try some older sketch comedy shows, like The Two Ronnies, or Morecambe and Wise. There's lots of this material on YouTube.
posted by monotreme at 10:06 AM on April 8, 2017
posted by monotreme at 10:06 AM on April 8, 2017
I think Foyle's War might work well.
Some of the documentaries of Michael Wood might be good, and some are findable on youtube.
posted by gudrun at 10:23 AM on April 8, 2017
Some of the documentaries of Michael Wood might be good, and some are findable on youtube.
posted by gudrun at 10:23 AM on April 8, 2017
My students liked The King's Speech.
Kind of meta since it focuses on the act of speaking.
There was a steamy BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibility which might capture some attention too.
For something more naturalistic, Casualty?
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 4:39 PM on April 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
Kind of meta since it focuses on the act of speaking.
There was a steamy BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibility which might capture some attention too.
For something more naturalistic, Casualty?
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 4:39 PM on April 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
As a native English speaker growing up in Africa, I found Morecambe and Wise incomprehensible as a youngster. Their accents are quite strong and their use of language allusive, so it's very hard to get the references. I think British comedy in general is not straightforward enough to be good TEFL material.
You don't say what country you're based in. If it's Britain some of the old programmes that play on the telly in the afternoon have very well-articulated language and clear, easy-to-follow plots: anything with Felicity Kendall or Penelope Keith. Available on Amazon uk: The Good Life, To the Manor Born, Rosemary and Thyme. Those series have a style that's old-fashioned now but their clarity of language is meticulous, like an essay written in script form. In modern series the language tends to be more naturalistic and impressionist.
Well! I'd have recommend Midsomer Murders but each episode is two hours long. Or The Avengers with Patrick McNee and Diana Rigg (cut-glass accents) only they can be quite surreal, like The Prisoner. Or The Professionals, except all the baddies tend to be Arab... why yes, I do have a thing about mannered vintage British television...
posted by glasseyes at 2:17 AM on April 9, 2017
You don't say what country you're based in. If it's Britain some of the old programmes that play on the telly in the afternoon have very well-articulated language and clear, easy-to-follow plots: anything with Felicity Kendall or Penelope Keith. Available on Amazon uk: The Good Life, To the Manor Born, Rosemary and Thyme. Those series have a style that's old-fashioned now but their clarity of language is meticulous, like an essay written in script form. In modern series the language tends to be more naturalistic and impressionist.
Well! I'd have recommend Midsomer Murders but each episode is two hours long. Or The Avengers with Patrick McNee and Diana Rigg (cut-glass accents) only they can be quite surreal, like The Prisoner. Or The Professionals, except all the baddies tend to be Arab... why yes, I do have a thing about mannered vintage British television...
posted by glasseyes at 2:17 AM on April 9, 2017
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In my experience, having the subtitles on helps enormously.
posted by Kwadeng at 3:10 AM on April 8, 2017 [1 favorite]