Learn a Foreign Language with The Big Bang Theory: The Best Episodes According to Data Science

Using data to find which 279 Big Bang Theory episodes are the best for you to learn a foreign language.

Image created by author in Canva. Image of Kaley Cuoco and Jim Parsons via Amazon Prime Video

The Big Bang Theory is a good TV series to increase your vocabulary in a foreign language. Throughout 12 seasons, it covers a good number of topics by using cultural references in their dialogue and telling jokes that include lots of sarcasm! In this article, I’ll analyze the dialogues in 279 Big Bang Theory episodes to find the best episodes to start learning a new language. I’ll also compare the vocabulary used in this sitcom with other shows such as Friends and Game of Thrones to know which TV show would be the best option for you to improve your language skills.

Bazinga! The words not included in the dictionary

Before you start watching this sitcom in your target language, keep in mind that — like in any comedy — you’ll find vocabulary that isn’t in the dictionary but is used by the main characters. You won’t need most of those words in everyday conversations, but you need to recognize them to understand the dialogues (especially the jokes). The wordcloud below contains the most common words spoken in The Big Bang Theory, which…