­　　We often talk about how important it is to watch movies without subtitles to really maximize your oral comprehension and vocabulary。 But as I say in my article The Best Movies to Watch to Improve Your Spanish， we have designed a method using TV shows for learning English。 American researchers have concluded that watching movies with subtitles helps comprehension （except for ultra beginners）。 Personally， I alternate between movies and TV series without subtitles， but I think that series have two distinct advantages：

­　　我们常常谈论，看不带字幕的电影对最大程度扩大提升口语理解和词汇量是何其重要，但是正如我在《最佳电影：提升的你的西班牙语》一文中所说的，我们设计了一种通过电视剧来学习英语的方法。美国研究者总结道，观看配字幕的电影有助于理解（对于完全初学者来说除外）。就我而言，无字幕的电影和电视连续剧我轮流着看，但我认为电视剧有两大明显优势：

­　　TV series are ideal for learning step-by-step： we start with subtitles in your language， which are eventually replaced after a few seasons by subtitles in English。 Eventually， you watch the show with no subtitles。 With series， you can take the time to get used to characters’ voices and accents。 The situations often involve repetition， and little by little， your understanding improves。

­　　电视连续剧有助循序渐进地学习：从选择母语字幕开始，几季之后换英文字幕。最终你可以不用字幕就看剧。看电视剧的时候，你有时间适应角色的嗓音和口音。电视情景时有重复，渐渐你的理解力会提升。

­　　Series are engaging and often create a “dependence effect”： If you choose a good series that fits your taste， it’ll be hard to stop watching！ You’ll be exposed to hours upon hours of a language without even noticing how much you’re learning。

­　　连续剧引人入胜，时常营造出“依赖效应”：如果你选的电视剧合你胃口，你想停下来也难！置身语言环境数小时，你不知不觉间便受益匪浅。

­　　Like I do for movies without subtitles， I will periodically publish lists of shows to watch to improve oral comprehension。 Below is a list of series in English that I particularly enjoy。 They are all educational in a certain respect， too：

­　　和对无字幕电影一样，我会定期列出剧目清单，帮助人们提高口语理解能力。以下就是我列出的我特别喜欢的英语电视剧的清单。从某种程度上说，都颇具教育意义：

­　　TV Sitcoms for Learning English

­　　为英语学习者推荐的情景喜剧：

­　　Comedic series known as “sitcoms” （like Friends） are easier for beginners：

­　　电视情景喜剧（比如《老友记》）对于初学者而言较为容易：

­　　The episodes are not long， so you can stay focused， despite any problems you may have understanding。

­　　每一集都不会很长，因此，尽管你在理解上可能会遇到问题，但是你也能够集中精力。

­　　There are usually not a lot of characters， but the ones who are in the show have a lot of dialog。 You get the chance to get used to their voices and accents。

­　　情景剧中通常不会有许多人物角色，但是在剧中的人物都会有大量的对白。因此你就有机会去适应他们的声音和口音。

­　　The vocabulary is from everyday conversations。 It’s more useful to learn common vocabulary， obviously， as opposed to more specialized jargon。

­　　情景剧中的词汇来自日常生活的对话。显然与学习专业术语相比，学习常用词汇更为有用。

­　　I had formed a bad impression of sitcoms。 I never really had followed one。 The automated laughter and poor quality of some can be a turn off。 But a few years ago， I forced myself to watch the first 5 episodes of Friends。 Since then， I’ve really learned to appreciate sitcoms， to the point of not being able to turn them off sometimes。 And I can tell you that my English has considerably improved。 Now， I truly believe in the power of TV shows for learning English or any other language。

­　　我之前对情景喜剧印象并不好，从未真正追过哪一部。自动化的笑声和部分低质量的作品实在倒胃口。但就在几年前，我强迫自己去看了《老友记》的前五集。自此以后，我真正学会了欣赏情景喜剧，到了无法自拔的地步。而且我可以告诉你，我的英语水平大幅提高。现在我真的相信电视剧的力量，有助英语和任何其他语言的学习。

­　　Friends

­　　《老友记》

­　　[United – States – 1994/2004- 10 seasons – Sitcom/Comedy] Few people don’t know Ross， Rachel， Chandler， Monica， Joey and Phoebe， the famous cast of Friends。 The story follows the lives of a group of New Yorkers in their 30s。 With 10 unbelievable seasons， the show is full of wit and laughter。 It’s perfect for a relaxed evening。 You quickly get attached to the 6 people， and I will admit that I felt rather sad when I watched the last episode of the last season。

­　　[美国-1994/2004-10季-情景喜剧/喜剧]很少会有人不知道罗斯、瑞秋、钱德勒、莫妮卡、乔伊和菲比吧——《老友记》中演员阵容脍炙人口。故事围绕着一群而立之年的纽约人的生活展开。不可思议的是，这部剧诙谐机智、笑声不断，共拍摄了十季，妙得令人难以置信，非常适合心情放松的夜晚。你会很快爱上这六个角色，我也不得不承认，观看最后一季最后一集时我很难过。

­　　Language Concerns

­　　语言要点

­　　Like Friends， the English is not too difficult （although there is a lot of slang）。 You get plenty of practical vocabulary relevant to socializing。 Other sitcoms： There are loads of different sitcoms for every taste。 If you don’t like shows like Friends， take a look at this list。 I also suggest The Simpsons， The Office， and Modern Family。

­　　和《老友记》一样，剧中英语不难懂（虽然有大量俚语）。你能学到许多和社交有关的实用词汇。其他情景喜剧：对于不同的喜好都有各色各样不同的情景喜剧。倘若你不喜欢《老友记》这样的剧目，可以看看这张单子。我还推荐《辛普森一家》、《办公室笑云》和《摩登家庭》。