Anyone with an advanced English level knows that one of the best ways to maintain – and improve! – their language skills is to watch movies in English.
This activity is incredibly valuable for your learning experience, mainly because of two factors:
- exposure to everyday, natural language;
- focusing while listening.
That said, the idea of watching an entire movie in English can feel a bit intimidating – especially if your comprehension level is still low to intermediate.
To make the experience more productive, enjoyable, and less stressful, here are four useful tips.
1. Turn on subtitles (yes, in English!)
Most streaming platforms give you the option to watch movies in the original language with English subtitles.
Using subtitles can help you relax, because it gets rid of those intrusive thoughts such as: “What did they say? What was that word? I didn’t catch it… should I rewind?”
So why not use subtitles in your own language?
Because the real secret is full immersion.
While subtitles in your own language may seem helpful, they often create a barrier between what you hear and what you read.
In other words, you end up focusing on reading instead of listening and you lose the benefits of this powerful learning tool, even if you understand the plot perfectly.
If you watch a movie in English with English subtitles, you might not understand every line right away, but I promise that the benefits for your listening and comprehension skills will be much greater.
2. Choose a movie you’ve already seen (at least to start)
This is something I often recommend to my lower-intermediate students.
Choosing a movie you already know well is a great way to reduce stress. Since you’re already familiar with the story, you can focus entirely on the language without worrying about following the plot.
If you really can’t stand rewatching the same movies, you can choose films with simple plots and limited dialogue (why not watch a good action movie with lots of explosions and few lines of conversation?).
But be careful – this isn’t a long-term solution.
Sooner or later, you’ll need to move on to new and more complex content if you want to keep improving.
3. Avoid movies with overly complex or unnatural language (at least at the start)
Okay, I might make a few enemies here.
The ideal mix for a good movie session in English is simple: everyday language and familiar situations.
In other words, it’s best to avoid films where the language or setting requires extra mental effort.
Don’t hate me, but…
Genres like fantasy, science fiction, or certain historical films can make learning more difficult.
Complex worlds, made-up vocabulary and scenarios, or outdated terminology can turn listening into a frustrating experience – sometimes killing your motivation completely.
This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy The Lord of the Rings trilogy in English. In fact, it would give you hours of practice – but it might not be the best place to start, unless you already know the story well.
I also usually advise against children’s movies.
When we think of “kids’ movies,” we imagine simple plots and “easy” language. But we forget one important detail: these films are made for children who are native speakers!
That means creators often include imaginative storylines, songs, made-up words, and exaggerated tones of voice – all of which can be surprisingly difficult for language learners.
In many cases, a children’s movie can actually be harder for an adult learner to follow and may not provide the most useful vocabulary for everyday conversations.
5. Have fun!
This is my final tip – and definitely the most important one.
Using movies to learn English works mainly because… it’s fun!
That’s why it’s essential to choose something that not only matches your language needs, but that you genuinely enjoy watching.
When you do that, it won’t even feel like practice. It will just feel like spending a relaxing couple of hours, the same way you normally would at the end of a long day.
When we engage with content in another language, we let our brain do the work – absorbing expressions, rhythm, and vocabulary without even noticing. Learning becomes more passive, less tiring, and more effective.
So yes, it’s important to choose the right kind of content – but it’s just as important to watch something you truly like. That’s the best way to stay focused and keep improving.
