Your addiction to binge-watching series is not just a problem. It can also help you study. By choosing your series wisely, you can study the language of Shakespeare while having fun. As long as you choose well... Follow the guide!
We've all been there during revision periods: "Just one episode of a series and then I'll start." 3 hours and 45 minutes later, with eyes bigger than your stomach, you've devoured the last episodes of New Girl and you're thinking, "Shit, you'll never pass your exams." In reality, series can really help you review your English. English only, because don't think you'll become a doctor thanks to Grey's Anatomy or succeed in law thanks to Suits.
It's useful for 3 reasons.
#1. Series immerse you in a specific universe and allow you to enrich your vocabulary.
#2. They areAn excellent example of putting the rules of grammar into practice! They will be useful for learning to pronounce and recognize words and also for distinguishing accents.
So here is our selection of cool series to watch in the original version, of course! (Okay, subtitles are fine but in English, right?!)
The iconic Friends! As soon as the theme song starts, you'll be smiling because this series, besides being iconic, is super funky. Phoebe, Joey, Rachel, Ross, Monica, and Chandler are the friends we all want to have, funny, caring, and a bit crazy. So yes, Friends is more of a 90's thing, but who cares. The English hasn't changed;)
© snopes.com
Extra little bonus: the characters are not chatterboxes so you can easily follow along
And its little sister How I met your mother
For many reasons (including learning English), HIMYM should be watched in its original version. Firstly, because its French title is awful ("comment je l'ai rencontrée"). Also, know that most of Barney's jokes in English are untranslatable to French. Lastly: this series will really keep you up to date with common expressions. Hype what?!
© critictoo.com
Extra bonus: the original voices are great (who needs French dubbing...)
Breaking Bad to become an English expert
In addition to being an excellent way to brush up on your Shakespearean (or Uncle Sam's) language, Breaking Bad is surely one of the best series of all time. Drugs, psychological more than physical violence, manipulation, tensions... there's a lot going on in the lives of the ordinary chemistry teacher and the small-time criminal.
© hollywoodreporter.com
Extra bonus: justice, crime, commerce, physics,... it's a goldmine for expanding your vocabulary
The excellent House of Cards
You'll find a Kevin Spacey cold and ruthless in a race for the presidency. A rather dark series about politics ("they're all corrupt we tell you") very well done. We still advise you to hold on tight because the dialogues can be a bit lengthy.
Extra bonus: Kevin's deep and slightly sensual voice (love you K)
Homeland to stay informed about the Middle East
A former prisoner of war, the soldier Nick Brody returns to the United States completely shaken by this painful experience. Was he turned by jihadists during his capture? CIA spy Carrie Mathison will try to find out... Yes, there is suspense in this great series where the tension is palpable. Once again, the original voices are fantastic.
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Extra bonus: you will have all the vocabulary you need to apply to the CIA's anti-terrorism unit
Lots of Laughs in The Office
The excellent Steve Carell cracks us up in this series that is so true to life: we should always laugh at the jokes of the guy signing our paychecks. Here we find the corporate world, with its ups and mostly downs. So crazy, so American!
Extra bonus: it's funny, it's short (22 minutes per episode), it's relaxing
The Walking Dead or how to survive a zombie attack
There's tension, there's suspense, there are zombies (gross but super cool) and there are survivors running around to save their lives. In short, it has everything we look for in a series and especially some interesting dialogues on humanism and solidarity (because you need it to escape the little monsters).
Extra bonus: zombies' language is universal, not very complicated ("euhhhhggrrrrrrrr")
Geek out in Silicon Valley
If you're a computer engineer,Community manager or simply passionate about social networks and "the Internet", we strongly recommend this series. In Silicon Valley, 4 programmers try to break through with their algorithm. But nothing goes as they hoped. A cool, 2.0 and super fun series.
© cinechronicle.com
Extra bonus: you will learn all about geek language
British touch with Peaky Blinders
It's definitely THE series of the moment. In 1920s England, a group of brothers returned from the Trenches War formed a real mafia in the city of Birmingham. Bribes, violence, deals between friends, rigged bets,... the Peaky Blinders will do anything to succeed in their "business". A favorite!
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Extra bonus: their British accents and Cilian Murphy's performance
A feast for the eyes and ears with Vikings
We end with the handsome men of Vikings. In 8th century Scandinavia, young warrior Ragnar Lodbrok is hungry for adventure and conquest. We swoon over his Nordic style, his "ice blue" eyes, and the somewhat strange Viking rituals. There may be some violence, but it's cleverly justified.
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A little extra: the body... um the voice of Ragnar to listen to again and again!
