Watching movies to learn English is a true combination of business and pleasure, isn't it? Let him who has never used this strategy to test himself and prove that language classes were worth it cast the first stone!

Knowing this, the blog of the CCAA prepared a list full of fun and easy to understand movies to help you expand your English vocabulary, train your understanding of sentences and learn in a relaxed way.

Grab your popcorn and keep reading to check out our recommendations!

5 films to learn English and practice listening

We have put together a list of options to please all audiences, and you can also get other ideas similar to the alternatives we are going to mention.

If you are interested in the world of cinema, be sure to check out our post on what is it? plot twist where we talk about this concept used in productions and cite examples of works that have large plots!

1. Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)

The first release in the franchise has a 96% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes – a globally recognized platform for evaluating audiovisual works – which still generates a huge fan base. Even though it is an older film, it guarantees hours of distraction and learning for those who are using this form of study.

In the plot we follow Luke Skywalker entering an adventure full of ships, battles and unexpected allies while Princess Leia is kidnapped by the forces of the imperial army commanded by Darth Vader. In addition to having a simple vocabulary to understand and an exciting story, The films in this saga are marked by catchphrases that won't leave your head.

Even though we're considering the first volume of the Star Wars series as an option for learning English, it's worth continuing to watch the sequels (or do you want to be left without knowing how the story ends?!). There are two different orders for watching the complete saga: according to the releases or by the chronology of the plot.

To save you time searching for the next movie you should watch, we've brought you the title sequence in both ways. Check it out!

• Release order:
  – Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope;
  – Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back;
  – Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi;
  – Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace;
  – Star Wars – Episode II: Attack of the Clones;
  – Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith;
  – Star Wars – Episode VII: The Force Awakens;
  – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story;
  – Star Wars – Episode VIII: The Last Jedi;
  – Star Wars – Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.
• Chronological order:
  – Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace;
  – Star Wars – Episode II: Attack of the Clones;
  – Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith;
  – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
  – Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope;
  – Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back;
  – Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi;
  – Star Wars – Episode VII: The Force Awakens;
  – Star Wars – Episode VIII: The Last Jedi;
  – Star Wars – Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.

Then you just have to decide whether you will defend the dark side of the Force or join the Jedi in this war, always taking the opportunity to raise a few levels in your understanding of English!

2. Enchantment (2021)

The Pixar animation that became a favorite among audiences – and the Oscars – mixes English and Spanish at times and has a moving story accompanied by songs that won't leave your head.

Here you will follow Mirabel and the Madrigals, a family in which each person has a different power, with the exception of the protagonist. The story is built when the characters begin to have problems in their daily lives and Mirabel is looking for a solution.

The vocabulary is easy to understand and There is a lot to learn from the film's soundtrack. So add this option to your favorites and start practicing! And oh, this movie has a 93% approval rating on Roten Tomatoes!

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

In this film, you will follow the life of the shy Charlie, a protagonist who doesn't have many friends, but meets two brothers who change his life. Even with the new things, the character still can't leave behind some facts from the past and needs to face his fears to keep moving forward.

As the story that pleased audiences 89% on Rotten Tomatoes revolves around teenage issues, the vocabulary is still very current, it has slang and it helps a lot to understand how young natives communicate.

4. Mean Girls (2004)

How could we not mention the classic that gave rise to the iconic line “On Wednesdays we wear pink”? In this film, Cady Heron is the main character, a teenager who recently moved from Africa and has to face the adaptation in a new school where the popular Regina George is in charge.

In addition to being fun to watch, this story with 83% audience approval brings simple dialogues, with a young vocabulary – the ideal combo for those who want to learn English by watching movies. If you like this type of classic, also try “The Devil Wears Prada” and “13 Going on 30”.

5. The Batman (2022)

Did you really think we wouldn't include action films on this list? As we said, this genre may not be ideal for beginners, but those who already have a basic understanding of the language will have no trouble following this production.

The first Batman film with Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne takes up the story of the millionaire and introduces the public to the new DC universe in cinema. This film achieved 84% approval ratings on RT and has well-constructed dialogues, but with accessible vocabulary.

Like other superhero movies, there is excitement in several scenes, but the exchange between characters doesn't complicate things too much for anyone reading the subtitles while watching.

Well, that was our selection of movies to learn English. Enjoy watching a movie at home and apply the tips we gave you at the beginning to make this study technique more effective. Check out the others too posts that we have here in blog from CCAA to see everything that can help you achieve fluency!