We've all been there during study time: "come on, just one more episode and then I'll start." 3 hours and 45 minutes later, with eyes bigger than your stomach, you've devoured the latest episodes of New Girl and you're thinking, "shit, you'll never pass your exams." But in reality, TV shows can really help you review your English. English only though, don't think you're going to become a doctor thanks to Grey's Anatomy or succeed in law because of Suits.
It's useful for 3 reasons:
#1. TV shows immerse you in a specific world and help you enrich your vocabulary
#2. They're a great example of grammar rules in action
#3. They are useful for learning how to pronounce and recognize words and also to distinguish different accents
Here is.So here is our selection of cool series to watch in the original version of course! (Okay, subtitles are fine, but in English then?!)
The iconic Friends
As soon as the theme song starts, you'll have a smile on your face because this series, in addition to being iconic, is super funky. Phoebe, Joey, Rachel, Ross, Monica, and Chandler are the friends we all wish we had - funny, caring, and a little quirky. So yes, Friends is pretty 90's, but who cares? The English hasn't changed.
© huffingtonpost.com
Extra 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. First because its French title is terrible ("how I met her"). Also, know that most of Barney's jokes in English are untranslatable in French. One last thing: this series will really help you stay up to date on common phrases. What's the hype about?!
Extra bonus : the voices in the original version are great (who cares about French dubbing...)
Breaking Bad to become a master... of English
In addition to being an excellent way to brush up on the language of Shakespeare (or Uncle Sam), Breaking Bad is surely one of the best series of all time. Drugs, psychological violence more than physical, manipulation, tension... It's a lot going on in the life of the ordinary chemistry teacher and the little thug from the hood.
© ohmymag.com
Extra little bonus: justice, crime, commerce, physics,... it's a goldmine to brush up on your vocabulary.
The excellent House of Cards
We find a cold and unscrupulous Kevin Spacey 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 are sometimes a bit long.
Extra little bonus: Kevin's deep and slightly sensual voice (love you K).
Homeland to stay up to date on the Middle-East
Former prisoner of war, the soldier Nick Brody returns to the States.The United States completely shaken by this painful experience. Was he swayed by the jihadists during his capture? CIA spy Carrie Mathison will try to find out... Suspense, yes, in this superb series where the tension is palpable. Once again, the original voices are fantastic.
© digitalspy.com
Extra bonus : you will have all the vocabulary necessary to apply to the CIA's anti-terrorism unit.
Lots of Laughs in The Office
The excellent Steve Carell makes us laugh in this series so true to life: you always have to laugh at the jokes of the guy who signs our checks. Here we find the universe of the workplace, with its highs and especially its lows. So crazy, so American!
© madmoizelle.com
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 butts. In short, it has everything we look for in a series and especially interesting dialogues on humanism and solidarity (well yes, you need it to escape from the little monsters).
Extra bonus: the language of zombies is universal, not very complicated ("euhhhhggrrrrrrrr")
Get your geek on inSilicon Valley
If you are a computer engineer, a community manager, or just passionate about social networks and "the Internet," we strongly recommend this series. In Silicon Valley, 4 programmers try to make it with their algorithm. But things don't go as they hoped. A cool, 2.0, and super fun series.
© cinechronicle.com
Extra bonus: You will know everything about the geek language
The bad boy touch with Peaky Blinders
It's definitely THE series of the moment. In 1920s England, a group of brothers returned transformed from the Trenches War forms 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!
© theguardian.com
Extra bonus: their British accents and Cilian Murphy's performance
A feast for the eyes and ears with Vikings
To top it off, we have the handsome men of Vikings. In 8th-century Scandinavia, the young warrior Ragnar Lodbrok is eager for adventure and conquest. We swoon over his Nordic style, his "ice blue" eyes, and the somewhat strange Viking rituals. There is certainly some violence, but it is cleverly justified.
© meltycampus.fr
Extra bonus : the body... uh the voice of Ragnar to listen to again and again!
