15 movies to help you learn English

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Expand your vocabulary, learn to comprehend spoken language and just enjoy a good movie.

Together with expert Anastasia Ivanova, we chose 15 interesting films for learning English and divided them into groups depending on the level of difficulty. Choose a video with original voiceovers and turn on subtitles if necessary.

Elementary

1. Up

• Cartoon, comedy, adventure.
• USA, 2009.
• Duration: 96 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

A kind and instructive cartoon from Pixar, which tells the story of the friendship of an old man and a boy. Together they set off on a journey to a mysterious waterfall. But they will fly there not by plane, but in a house with balloons.

A wonderful cartoon for beginners. There are few dialogues in it, but there are a lot of short statements like “Let me in”, “It likes me”, “Get up!”, Which will be useful in real life. Much is clear without words. Music, gestures, facial expressions provide all the necessary context for those who have just started watching in the original.

Anastasia Ivanova

2. The Jungle Book

• Fantasy, drama, adventure.
• UK, USA, 2016.
• Duration: 105 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 4.

A classic Disney tale about a boy who grew up in a pack of wolves. Fleeing from the tiger Sharkhan, Mowgli will go to the village to the people. And on the way, he will meet heroes familiar to us from childhood.

Besides the fact that The Jungle Book is a rare opportunity to listen to Scarlett Johansson rather than watch her, it's also a familiar plot. Despite the fact that there are few dialogues in the picture, you will come across useful phrases: “Man is forbidden”, “Jungle is no longer safe”, “I’ll never forgive myself”. And you will also learn how "hibernation" will be in English and what is nap.

Anastasia Ivanova

Pre-Intermediate

3. Exchange leave

• Melodrama, comedy.
• USA, 2006.
• Duration: 138 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

A romantic story about how two single women from the English province and the west coast of the United States decided to exchange houses.

When you master the Pre-Intermediate level, it will be interesting: is there a difference between British and American English? Yes, you will feel it just in this film. Especially when the British speaks to the American and vice versa. At the same time, you will learn a few euphemisms for the phrase "having sex", both British and American.

Anastasia Ivanova

4. Outcast

• Drama, melodrama.
• USA, 2000.
• Duration: 143 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

Chuck Noland gets into a plane crash and finds himself on a desert island. He has no connection, only supply boxes and an insane desire for life. Chuck is smart and uses any means to survive.

If you already know Schwarzenegger's classic phrase “I’ll be back,” this film will add “I’ll be right back” to your vocabulary, which is less dramatic and more daily. Secondly, you can listen to how Americans speak Russian ("thank you" and so on). But seriously, since the film is mainly about one character and his ball, you will hear a lot of Present Continuous and a little Present Perfect.

Anastasia Ivanova

5. Forrest Gump

• Drama, melodrama.
• USA, 1994.
• Duration: 142 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 8.

Forrest Gump does not have a high IQ, but he has a good heart. Fate strikes Forrest one blow after another, and thanks to his vitality and staunchness of character, every time he comes out the winner with a prize in his hands.

One of the most cited films in the English speaking community. Yes, not only we use phrases from films for communication, such as “Good boots, we must take”. Americans often quote just Forrest Gump, especially "Life is like a box of chocolates". Watching this film will help you pass, if not for your own, then at least for a cultured person.

Anastasia Ivanova

6. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

• Fantasy, adventure.
• USA, UK, 2001.
• Duration: 152 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

The story of Harry Potter - the boy who survived. The Philosopher's Stone is dedicated to the first year of study at Hogwarts.

A trap movie, but we're all happy about it. Has anyone only watched Philosopher's Stone? No, everyone then goes to revise the "Room" and further down the list. And this is good! If you watch films over and over again, but in English, an increase in the level of knowledge is inevitable. Also, everyone knows what happened in the translation of Hagrid's speech in the books. In the film, you have the opportunity to hear that he does not speak like an eternally drunk plumber, but simply in another English - called brummie, sounds interesting.

Anastasia Ivanova

Intermediate

7. Diary of Bridget Jones

• Drama, melodrama, comedy.
• UK, France, USA, Ireland, 2001.
• Duration: 97 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 7.

Nice romantic comedy. The picture is full of dialogues on everyday topics, so you will have an excellent opportunity to tighten up spoken language.

The British are simply experts in using bright and juicy obscene words to the place and out of place. In addition to obscene words and a few phrases for flirting with your boss, you will learn that it is quite possible to learn how to speak like British. Are you aware that Renee Zellweger is American? She taught the British accent specifically for the role - so you can!

Anastasia Ivanova

8. Groundhog Day

• Melodrama, comedy.
• USA, 1993.
• Duration: 101 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Correspondent Phil Connors travels to a small Pennsylvania town to celebrate Groundhog Day and finds himself in a time loop. Now for him every day is the second of February.

You will learn from the film that some Americans do not know the meaning of the word “déjà vu” (from a joke: “Mrs Lancaster, do you have déjà vu? - I don’t know, but I can check with the kitchen”). And you will finally understand the difference between the articles. a and the … In a conversation about God, the main character says: "I’m A god, not THE god." And in colloquial speech, English-speaking people use the name of the film - groundhog day - just like we do when we complain about Groundhog Day.

Anastasia Ivanova

9.500 days of summer

• Melodrama, comedy.
• USA, 2009.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

A melodrama for all time. You can study English with your significant other, because this movie is enjoyed equally by women and men.

Although the trailer for the film says that this is not a love story, you will still learn a few phrases for meeting the opposite sex, expressing your sympathies and relationship status (for example, how will you “date”? Certainly not meet). And also pull up the past tense when the characters tell each other about their lives.

Anastasia Ivanova

10. Pirates of the Caribbean

• Fantasy, adventure.
• USA, 2003.
• Duration: 143 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Cheerful captain Jack Sparrow wanders the sea in search of his ship "Black Pearl", which was stolen from him by Captain Barbossa. The daring pirate will stop at nothing to get the coveted ship.

The chance to learn the pronunciation of the name Elizabeth, as well as the words "captain" and "pirate" in English is almost 100%. Other than that, a couple of catchphrases from Jack Sparrow. Oh, Captain Jack Sparrow. You will inevitably remember the absolutely meaningless word "Savvy?" We translated it as "Dare?" And this is brilliant, because both words are outdated a million years ago. But as an adjective savvy very much even used - google it!

Anastasia Ivanova

Upper Intermediate

11. Matrix

• Science fiction, thriller.
• USA, 1999.
• Duration: 136 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 7.

A story about a world in which people are locked in a program. Only a few of them are able to see and accept the truth.

A good film for those who do not really understand conditional sentences. It contains a lot of “if only if only”, which helps to understand the context of unrealistic reflections: “But if you could, would you really want to?”.

Anastasia Ivanova

12. The king says

• Drama.
• UK, USA, Australia, 2010.
• Duration: 118 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

This film is as if it was made for learning English. The King of England has speech problems. He cannot clearly explain what the whole kingdom is suffering from. To make a good orator out of the monarch, a speech therapist is hired for him.

The perfect movie for those who think it is easy for native speakers to speak English. Here is the king, he stutters. Take note of several ways to train your speech apparatus, listen to the excellent British English Colin Firth and the rest of the actors.

Anastasia Ivanova

13. Bachelor Party in Vegas

• Comedy.
• USA, 2009.
• Duration: 96 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

Comic situations in this picture will never stop making you laugh. And if you look in the original, you will not only lift your spirits, but also improve your English.

After watching this film in the original, you will find out that it is actually called "The Hangover", and not "Bachelor Party" at all. In the picture there are many male jokes and insults with love. Douchebag - the most affectionate word with which the heroes communicate. And there are a lot of simple past tense, because the whole film the heroes remember what happened last night.

Anastasia Ivanova

Advanced

14. Pulp Fiction

• Thriller, comedy.
• USA, 1994.
• Duration: 154 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 9.

Watching Tarantino's films in the original is like reading Chekhov or Dostoevsky. Tarantino is a master of dialogues, and it is a real pleasure to follow them in your native language. In "Pulp Fiction" there is a very lively speech, many aphorisms and catchphrases.

In addition to the classic phrase "English, motherfucker, do you speak it?" all English learners can learn from the film: how to invite someone to dance, which is more in modern English ain't how aren’t or isn’thow to make one sound from a phrase. Samuel Jackson can pronounce "What are you having?" like "apchi". If you learn to understand everything that he says for the film, you are not Advanced, but just a genius!

Anastasia Ivanova

15. Social network

• Drama, biography.
• USA, 2010.
• Duration: 120 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

The film tells the story of the development of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg's hard road to success and wealth.

A great movie to remember the phrases associated with online communication: “get an e-mail”, “forward a letter”, “social network”, “upload” and “download”. Lots of past tense and legal English. Douchebag is also there. If you watch this film after the "Bachelor Party" - now you definitely remember.

Anastasia Ivanova