Best TV Series for IELTS Listening

Share this post

Using TV series is not a new way of getting comfortable with the English accent. Did you know in India during the call centre boom the employees were actually asked to watch ‘Friends’ as part of their training with the American accent?

Undeniably, the most fun part of preparing for IELTS is how you get to perfect the IELTS Listening section and yes that involves listening to podcasts, audiobooks, watching movies, recordings, and more!

Since the IELTS Listening test is the same for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training in terms of format, questions, and scoring, in this blog, we will make you a common playlist of the best TV series for IELTS Listening. Shall we?

List of best TV series for IELTS Listening

Using TV series to enhance IELTS Listening skills can be tricky. Why, you ask? For starters, it doesn’t end in 2 hours and is strategically binge-able so while you are at it, try not to spend more than 1 hour watching them.

Keeping in mind factors like your current level, personal preferences, and your learning goals, here is a list of the best TV series for IELTS Listening. Let’s go!

1. Friends
2. The Crown
3. MOM
4. Rick and Morty
5. The Big Bang Theory
6. Modern Family

1. Friends

As obvious as it seems various academic studies have shown that Friends is actually a great way for beginners to get accustomed to the English language and Native American accent. The series is entertaining and gives you a plethora of opportunities to test your comprehension in an everyday and social context.

If you already understand the American accent without having to look at the subtitles Friends is not optimal for your learning goals especially because the timeless TV series lacks diversity and any major wordplay (Except for Chandler off course!)

2. The Crown

You may not overly enjoy the Netflix original series ‘The Crown’ but you still need to be able to understand the British accent because you will encounter British accent audio on several IELTS Listening tracks. Also, solo speeches in IELTS Listening are mostly given by British speakers so skipping on learning to understand the British accent wouldn’t be ideal.

Suggested Read: Top methods to improve your IELTS Listening score

3. MOM

      “Challenge yourself by listening to faster speech and a range of native English accents”

Mom is an absolute gem of a series for intermediate to advanced learners and otherwise as well. Although the language used is more on the everyday side, the dialogues however are heavily contextual. If you easily understand the jokes and references used in the series, your chances of acing the first 2 sections of the IELTS listening test are looking pretty good.

4. Rick and Morty

In this list, we have tried to accommodate multiple preferences and one of them is the classic animated series ‘Rick and Morty’. The show takes complex scientific theories or philosophies and explains them in a very funny and accessible way. Rick and Morty is full of idioms, good vocabulary and at the same time shows how the natives use the language in their everyday life.

5. The Big Bang Theory

“Before taking IELTS, make sure you feel comfortable listening a variety of English accents such as British, North American English and Australian/NZ/South African English”

What do you do when you already don’t need subtitles to understand Native American speech? The right answer is to challenge yourself by listening to faster speech (also different accents). And Big bang theory does exactly that (specifically Sheldon Cooper), it is a perfect TV show for intermediate to advanced level listeners. The show is also academic in content and uses scientific vocabulary.

6. Modern Family

Wondering why Modern family is on the list? Well, the IELTS Listening test’s recordings are a mix of monologues and conversations from a range of native speakers and Modern Family with its huge cast serves this criterion perfectly.

The show practically includes members of all age groups. This helps your IELTS listening skills because you hear a variety of accents, voices, and tones. It is an entertaining feel-good series fit for beginners and intermediate-level IELTS aspirants.

Have questions about IELTS preparation or admissions? We can help! Connect with our counselors for a free 15-minute consultation session to get all your questions resolved.

Share this post