Episode 64: Movies for Intermediate English Learners

[00:00:00] Welcome to English, please, the podcast where we explore interesting topics in under 10 minutes in clear, intermediate English. I’m your host, Christopher. I live in New York City, and I’ve always been passionate about languages and how we learn them. Whether you’re listening on your way to work, or while cooking dinner at home, this show is designed to help you with your English listening and comprehension skills.

Thanks so much for being here!

Before we begin, a quick note. Starting with this episode, every newsletter I send will include one movie or series recommendation. This came directly from your requests, so I wanted to make it a regular part of the newsletter going forward. I’ll give you [00:01:00] something specific to watch, and I’ll explain why it’s good for improving your English. If you haven’t subscribed yet, sign up at comullen.com/newsletter. It’s free, and it’s a good reason to join.

Back in episode 46, we talked about how to watch movies in English without subtitles—how to start small, train your ears, and build confidence over time. A lot of you responded to that episode, and the most common question was simple: “Okay, but which movies do I watch?”

Well, that’s what this episode is about.

I’ve put together a list of six movies that are genuinely good for intermediate English learners. They’re not all easy, and they’re not all from the same period. Some have a lot of dialogue, some have very little. But every one of them has something that makes it [00:02:00] useful for listening practice, and every one of these is a good film, which matters. If you’re not enjoying what you’re watching, you won’t keep watching.

Let’s go through them.

Forrest Gump. This is probably the most famous movie on the list, and there’s a reason it comes up again and again for English learners. The main character, Forrest Gump, speaks slowly and clearly. His vocabulary is very simple and very direct. The story moves through decades of American history, so you get a lot of cultural context along the way. If you haven’t seen it, start with this movie.

Catch Me If You Can. This is a Steven Spielberg film with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. It’s based on a true story about a young man who pretends to be a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer, and he gets [00:03:00] away with it for years. The dialogue is fast and confident, but it’s always pretty clear. DiCaprio’s character is charming and easy to follow, and the story pulls you forward so you stay engaged, even when the language is a little challenging. This is a great movie for learners who are ready to push themselves a little bit.

The Truman Show. Jim Carrey plays a man whose entire life is a television show, but he doesn’t know it. Since the world around him is designed to be perfect and easy to understand, the dialogue is unusually clear and deliberate. There’s very little slang and very little mumbling. It’s a fascinating film too, which helps. You’ll want to keep watching.

La La Land. This is a musical, but don’t let that stop you. The songs are in English and the dialogue [00:04:00] is natural and relaxed, and there’s a lot of space in the conversations—pauses, reactions, moments where you have time to process what you just heard. The story is simple: two people in Los Angeles are chasing their dreams and falling in love. The language is modern, everyday English, and the film is beautiful to watch.

The Intern. Robert De Niro plays a seventy-year-old man who becomes an intern at a startup run by Anne Hathaway. The dialogue is workplace English, professional but conversational. People talk the way they actually do talk in an office. If you’re learning English for work, or you want to understand how English is used in a professional setting, this is the movie to watch.

Knives Out. This is a mystery film, and it’s one of the best on [00:05:00] this list for listening practice for one specific reason: you must pay attention. The story depends on small details, which means you’ll naturally focus on what people are saying. The cast is large, but every actor speaks clearly, and the dialogue is sharp and engaging. There are now three films in this series: Knives Out, Glass Onion, and Wake Up Dead Man. So if you enjoy this first one, you have more to watch.

So there you have it. Six movies, different tones, different eras, different levels of difficulty. Start with Forrest Gump if you want something accessible. Push yourself with Catch Me If You Can or Knives Out. And remember what we talked about in episode 46: let your ears do the work.

And don’t forget, starting with this episode, every newsletter includes [00:06:00] one movie or series recommendation. This came directly from your requests, so I wanted to make it a regular feature. One pick, every episode, with a reason why it works for your English.

The link is in the description, or go directly to comullen.com/newsletter. It’s free.

If you want to build your vocabulary at the same time, my workbook with audio is at comullen.com/listen. Ten lessons, real English, seven dollars. I’m Christopher. Thanks so much for listening.

See you soon!