7 Shows for Listening to British Accents
This is a selection of more up to date series you can find on TV, netflix and youtube.
Watching them on netflix is good because you have full access to the subtitles which are usually quite good, whereas watching on youtube and TV, the subtitles will not be as good and maybe not even available.
Try to watch them objectively: don’t just put it on and watch it. Try to define a scene that you don’t understand and watch it repeatedly with subtitles, and without subtitles to make sure you are making progress. After a few repetitions most people will understand the scene without subtitles.
Do not be embarrassed about watching the same thing over and over. It is good practise, and one day it will it be as necessary.
When watching on TV, don’t worry if you are not understanding everything. Try to focus on context.
I have done this exercise with many students… watch the scene with no subtitles and no audio. Just try to figure out what is happening on-screen, and that is your context sorted. Once that is done, build on it with intonation. Then put the words on top of that, and study any new vocab you find in the subtitles.
It’ll all fit into place eventually. But no one said it would be easy, right?
The Crown — London (RP)
Based on an award-winning play (“The Audience”) by showrunner Peter Morgan, this lavish, Netflix-original drama chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940s to modern times. The series begins with an inside look at the early reign of the queen, who ascended the throne at age 25 after the death of her father, King George VI. As the decades pass, personal intrigues, romances, and political rivalries are revealed that played a big role in events that shaped the later years of the 20th century.
EastEnders — London (Cockney)
The working-class residents of Albert Square, a fictional place situated in the East End of London, struggle to face the challenges of everyday life.
Emmerdale — Yorkshire
Several families from a tight-knit community in the Yorkshire village of Emmerdale face various ups and downs in their lives and strive to overcome their problems.
Coronation Street — Manchester
People from the working class living on a street in Weatherfield, Manchester, England go through with their daily lives and deal with the hardships caused by their personal and professional lives.
Peaky Blinders — Birmingham
Tommy Shelby, a dangerous man, leads the Peaky Blinders, a gang based in Birmingham. Soon, Chester Campbell, an inspector, decides to nab him and put an end to the criminal activities.
Outlander — Scottish
After serving as a British Army nurse in World War II, Claire Randall is enjoying a second honeymoon in Scotland with husband Frank, an MI6 officer looking forward to a new career as an Oxford historian. Suddenly, Claire is transported to 1743 and into a mysterious world where her freedom and life are threatened. To survive, she marries Jamie Fraser, a strapping Scots warrior with a complicated past and a disarming sense of humour. A passionate relationship ensues, and Claire is caught between two vastly different men in two inharmonious lives. `Outlander’ is adapted from the best-selling books by Diana Gabaldon.
Shameless — Manchester
Frank Gallagher is the head of a working-class family in Chicago. His six children suffer because he is a heavy drinker and Fiona, the eldest daughter, has to look after everyone in the house.
