How to Improve Your English Skills with Netflix (Step-by-Step Guide)

Improve English with Netflix (The Fun Way!)

Discover how to improve listening, speaking, and vocabulary using Netflix shows. Includes study tips, show ideas, and a free printable worksheet.

Learning English doesn’t have to feel like homework. What if improving your English could be as relaxing as watching your favourite Netflix series with a cup of tea?

Good news — Netflix can be a powerful English-learning tool when used the right way.

In this guide, you’ll learn simple, practical strategies to turn your Netflix time into real English practice, especially for adult learners at Pre-Intermediate level and above.

🍿Related Post:

👉Talk About Movies in English: ESL Dialogue - Listening & Vocabulary Practice   

Why Netflix Is Great for Learning English

Netflix offers something textbooks often can’t:

• ✅ Real-life conversations

• ✅ Natural pronunciation & accents

• ✅ Everyday vocabulary and expressions

• ✅ Cultural context (humour, relationships, lifestyle)

It’s especially helpful for improving:

• Listening skills

• Speaking confidence

• Vocabulary for daily life

• Understanding natural sentence structure

Step 1: Choose the Right Netflix Shows for English Learners

Not all shows are learner-friendly. Start with clear speech and everyday topics.

Beginner - Pre-Intermediate Friendly

• Feel-good dramas

• Romantic comedies

• Cooking & lifestyle shows

• Family-friendly series

Intermediate–Upper Intermediate

• Workplace dramas

• Mystery & crime (great for modal verbs!)

• Travel and lifestyle documentaries

💡 Tip: Avoid very fast-paced or heavily slang-based shows at first.

📚Need to review?

👉The Ultimate Guide To Modal Verbs in English

Step 2: Use Subtitles Strategically (This Is Key!)

Try This 3-Step Method:

1. English audio + English subtitles

   👉 Focus on matching sound with words.

   
   

2. English audio + NO subtitles

   👉 Train your listening skills.

   
   

3. Rewatch short scenes

   👉 Notice pronunciation, stress, and intonation.

⚠️ Avoid subtitles in your first language — they stop your brain from thinking in English.

Step 3: Turn Netflix Watching into Active Learning

Instead of just watching, try these easy habits:

✍️ Keep a “Netflix English Notebook”

Write down:

• New words or phrases

• Useful expressions (e.g. “That makes sense”)

• Interesting grammar patterns

🎧 Shadow Speaking

Pause the show and repeat sentences out loud, copying:

• Accent

• Rhythm

• Emotion

This is excellent for speaking confidence.

Step 4: Focus on Everyday English (Not Perfection!)

Netflix 'teaches':

• How people really speak

• Polite vs casual English

• How tone changes meaning

You’ll learn things like:

• How to disagree politely

• How to make small talk

• How people express feelings naturally

These are essential skills for real-life English — especially at work or while travelling.

♿ Bonus Tip: Use Netflix Audio Description to Improve Listening Skills

Did you know Netflix has a special narration feature for visually impaired viewers?

It’s called Audio Description (AD) — and it can also be a powerful listening tool for English learners.

🎙️ What Is Audio Description?

Audio Description adds a calm voice narration that explains what’s happening on screen, such as:

• Actions and movements

• Facial expressions and emotions

• Scene changes and settings

This narration plays between the dialogue, helping viewers follow the story even without watching the screen closely.

🎧 How This Helps English Learners

Audio Description can help you:

• ✔ Improve listening comprehension

• ✔ Learn descriptive vocabulary

• ✔ Understand stories without relying only on visuals

• ✔ Practise focusing on spoken English

This is especially helpful if:

• You want to train your ears

• You struggle to understand fast scenes

• You prefer listening-based learning

🛠️ How to Turn It On

1. Start playing a Netflix show or movie

2. Open Audio & Subtitles

3. Choose an audio track labelled “Audio Description” or “AD”

👉 Not all titles have this feature, but many Netflix originals do.

💡 Learning Tip

Try this method:

• Watch a short scene with Audio Description ON

• Listen carefully to the narration

• Write down new adjectives or action verbs

• Replay the scene without visuals (audio only)

This is a great way to build listening confidence, especially for adult learners.

✨ Perfect Pairing

Combine:

• 🎬 Netflix + Audio Description

• 📄 Your Netflix English Study Sheet

• 📘 Structured practice from British Council English Online or FluentU

This creates a balanced routine: exposure + understanding + practice.

Boost Your Learning with Structured Online Courses

Netflix is amazing, but combining it with guided learning helps you progress faster.

⭐ British Council – English Online

Perfect if you want:

• Live classes with expert teachers

• Clear grammar explanations

• Speaking practice with feedback

👉 Check out the British Council English Online here

⭐ FluentU – Learn English with Real Videos

FluentU is ideal if you love video-based learning:

• Short clips from movies, shows & interviews

• Interactive subtitles

• Built-in vocabulary practice

👉 Try FluentU here

💡 Combine Netflix for exposure and FluentU or British Council for structure — a powerful learning combo!

Sample Weekly Netflix English Study Plan

Day 1: Watch 20–30 minutes with English subtitles

Day 2: Rewatch without subtitles

Day 3: Write 5 new expressions + example sentences

Day 4: Shadow speaking (10 minutes)

Day 5: Review vocabulary

Weekend: Relax and enjoy another episode guilt-free 😄

Try a Movie Quiz:

👉Are You A Movie Buff? Test Your English With Fun Movie Vocabulary

🎬 Recommended Netflix Shows for Learning English (With Genres)

🌸 Easy & Relaxed English (Pre-Intermediate)

1. Emily in Paris

Genre: Romantic Comedy / Lifestyle

Why it’s good:

• Clear pronunciation

• Short episodes

• Everyday conversations (work, friends, dating, travel)

  
  

2. Queer Eye

Genre: Reality / Lifestyle / Self-Improvement

Why it’s good:

• Natural but supportive speech

• Emotional vocabulary

• Great for listening + empathy language

3. The Great British Baking Show

Genre: Reality / Cooking

Why it’s good:

• British accent exposure

• Clear, polite English

• Perfect for food & descriptive vocabulary

🌿 Everyday & Workplace English (Intermediate)

4. The Crown

Genre: Historical Drama

Why it’s good:

• Clear British pronunciation

• Formal & polite English

• Excellent for listening accuracy

5. Suits

Genre: Legal Drama / Workplace

Why it’s good:

• Professional English

• Negotiation and persuasion language

• Realistic workplace conversations

  
  

6. The Good Place

Genre: Comedy / Fantasy

Why it’s good:

• Short, clear dialogues

• Humour + philosophy vocabulary

• Repetition of key phrases

🧠 Listening Challenge (Upper-Intermediate)

7. Stranger Things

Genre: Sci-Fi / Drama

Why it’s good:

• Natural teenage & adult English

• Emotional reactions and storytelling

• Informal expressions

8. Sherlock (availability varies by region)

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Why it’s good:

• Advanced British English

• Listening for detail

• Modal verbs & deduction language

9. Mindhunter

Genre: Crime / Psychological DramaWhy it’s good:

• Slow, clear speech

• Analytical vocabulary

• Serious tone = easier focus

🎯 How to Choose the Right Show (Quick Guide)

✔ Choose clear speech over fast action

✔ Start with rom-coms or lifestyle shows

✔ Rewatch short scenes instead of binge-watching

✔ Focus on understanding, not every word

Best Netflix Genres for Learning English

• Romantic comedies → everyday phrases

• Lifestyle & reality → natural speaking

• Workplace dramas → professional English

• Cooking shows → descriptive vocabulary

📥 Perfect Pairing with Your Free Printable

👉 These shows work beautifully with your FREE Netflix English Study Sheet, helping learners:

• Note useful phrases

• Practice speaking

• Build confidence naturally

💭Final Thoughts: Make English Part of Your Lifestyle

Learning English works best when it fits naturally into your life.

Netflix helps you:

• Learn without pressure

• Stay motivated

• Enjoy the process

Pair it with simple study habits and trusted online courses, and your English will improve faster than you think.

✨ Remember: consistency beats perfection.

🔔 Practice More:

Want to improve your listening and speaking skills?

🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel Playlist:

🔗ESL Listening Practice With Engaging Stories https://tinyurl.com/37rf8e23     

🔗Learn Grammar Through Engaging Stories https://tinyurl.com/bvwvckfu

🔗Quick and Easy Vocabulary https://tinyurl.com/44chnrb9

📚Prefer reading?

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Thank you for reading. Happy learning!