What Stuart Carson-Gravé says to watch to learn British English
Watch something you genuinely enjoy. I get to know what each learner is into and build the listening around that, and I ask them not to try to understand every word: real listening is about following meaning, tone and intention.
Intermediate
3 picks
BBC News
Clear, careful, standard British English, and every clip comes with a written version of roughly the same story. Read it first, then listen, and you will hear far more than you expect.
Intermediate
Friends
Six people, one apartment, and twenty two minutes an episode of the small talk you actually need. The situations repeat enough that you start predicting the language before you hear it.
Intermediate
Naturally English (Stuart's own channel)
Stuart's own business English videos: the meeting, the interview, the presentation, and the tone that gets you taken seriously at work.
Intermediate
Intermediate-Advanced
2 picks
Breaking Bad
A chemistry teacher turns to cooking meth, and the tension does half the work of keeping you listening. Slower and more deliberate than most drama, with long stretches where nobody says anything at all.
Intermediate-Advanced
Keeping Up Appearances
Hyacinth Bucket insists it is pronounced Bouquet, and the whole joke lives in how British people say things rather than what they say. Slow, clearly spoken, and a short course in politeness and class all at once.
Intermediate-Advanced
How I use these with learners
I would recommend watching something you genuinely enjoy. In my one to one sessions I get to know what each learner is into, then build the listening around that, which is why this list runs from Marvel and Breaking Bad to Keeping Up Appearances and the Last Night of the Proms.
Use short clips, and watch each one more than once.
- The first time, follow the overall situation and the message. This is listening for gist and intent.
- The second time, listen for useful phrases, for pronunciation, and for the way people naturally connect their ideas.
Most importantly, do not try to understand every word. Real listening is about following meaning, tone and intention. When the content is relevant to you it is much easier to stay engaged and build confidence, and mixing where the clips come from helps enormously with different accents and cultures too.
For learners who need English for work, I do exactly the same thing with business interviews, presentations and workplace situations.
Stuart Carson-Gravé teaches British English at Naturally English. These are their own recommendations, shared with Reelang. Found this useful? See picks in other languages.