Modern films and serials for Pre-Intermediate learners

Learning English through favourite serials and films is one of the most engaging and effective ways. It enlarges students’ vocabulary, hones their listening and speaking skill and of course, revives interest in learning English. While it is quite easy to find some movies for Intermediate and higher levels, the same cannot be said about lower-level students. Taking into account the great demand for such films, in this article, we will be presenting the list of must-watch movies and series suitable for adults and teenagers of Pre-intermediate level.

The Breakup

Another American romantic comedy-drama film is The Breakup. Gary Grobowski and Brooke Meyers meet during a Chicago Cubs game and begin dating. Gary is a tour guide and works in a family business. Brooke manages an art gallery owned. If your students are keen on a light romantic comedy, they will definitely like this film.

The Perfect Date

The Perfect Date is a 2019 American teen romantic comedy film based on the novel The Stand-In. Brooks Rattigan is a high school senior, who dreams to get into Yale, but his father wants him to go to the University of Connecticut with a full scholarship. He works at a sub shop with his best friend, programmer Murph. One day Brooks gets a chance to make some extra money by posing as the boyfriend of his classmate’s wealthy cousin Celia. At the party, he meets Shelby and falls in love with her.

Now, his main goal is to win her over. To earn more money Brooks and Murph launch an app, selling himself as the plus-one for all occasions. The film is not very full of slang, and it is good for understanding teens’ conversational English.

Knives out

Knives Out is a 2019 American mystery film about a famous detective who investigates the case of the patriarch’s death after a family gathering. It is a great movie full of suspense, mystery and comedy. Wealthy mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey invites his family to his mansion for his 85th birthday party. The next morning, Harlan’s housekeeper finds him dead, with his throat slit. Though the police think it was suicide, Benoit Blanc comes to investigate the case. The film is really useful for detective lovers, as it helps to enlarge learner’s vocabulary on the topic of “Murder and mystery”.

The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy is an American television series about superheroes. The series is based on the comic book written by Gerard Way. It is set in a universe where 43 women around the world give birth simultaneously on October 1, 1989, despite none of them showing any sign of pregnancy. A billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves adopts seven of the children and turns them into a superhero team. He calls this team «The Umbrella Academy». Hargreeves doesn’t name the children but only gives numbers. However, they are soon named by their robot-mother, Grace.

One of the greatest advantages of this series is that characters speak quite clearly and not too fast, there is no slang and it is really easy for English learners to understand their speech.

Timeless

Timeless is an American science fiction television series. The main characters work as a team to stop a mysterious organization from changing the course of history through time travel. An experimental time machine is stolen, and a history professor, a soldier and an engineer have to work together to find the criminal. They soon learn, that the culprit is going to rewrite American history and that each of them has a connection to his plan. The actors have clear pronunciation which makes it easier to understand their speech and the topic of their conversation. So, if your learners are interested in time and history, this series will turn out to be quite engaging for them.

Supergirl

One more fascinating TV series about superheroes and superpower is Supergirl. 2015. It is based on the DC Comics character Supergirl, created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, and stars Melissa Benoist. She is one of the last surviving Kryptonians and Superman’s cousin. Supergirl is sent to Earth to protect her cousin and rescue humans’ lives. Despite all the obstacles Supergirl faces, she never gives up and keeps doing her mission and overcoming all difficulties. Of course, there may be some complicated structures and phrases in the series, but it will not hinder to understand the main idea, to enjoy characters’ perfect acting and to enlarge students’ vocabulary on the given topic.

Into the Night

Into the Night is a Belgian apocalyptic science-fiction drama thriller television series. The series follows a group of people who are hijacked while onboard a red-eye flight from Brussels. The hijacker was an Italian NATO soldier. He forces his way onto the commercial aircraft and demands an early take-off. The handful of people in the aircraft becomes some of the survivors from a deadly global event that results from exposure to sunlight. The plane heads west to survive this catastrophe that kills all living organisms during daylight hours. The serial will be suitable for students who are interested in aeroplanes, airports and catastrophe. They will learn lots of new and useful words on the given topic.

To sum up, just remember to be careful while choosing a movie to watch with your students. Take into consideration their age and interests. When you have made the right choice, the luck will be on your side and your students will hone their language skills while enjoying their favourite movie.

We continue recruiting teachers for short 15-minute Speaking lessons, Talks, for students at Skyeng online school.
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– Speak without a strong accent, you can grade your speech to the student’s level (from Elementary to Advanced),
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