The contribution of movies and series to English learning among pre-intermediate students

Resumen

Many students currently struggle to learn English because traditional classes can be repetitive or lack dynamism. Furthermore, while some students know vocabulary and grammatical rules, they have difficulty understanding spoken English and communicating naturally. Movies and TV series can be useful tools to address this challenge, as they allow students to hear English in real-life situations, learn new words, and familiarize themselves with various pronunciations and expressions. However, these resources are often used solely for entertainment rather than as a language-learning strategy. For this reason, there is a need to explore the use of movies and series as educational tools to enhance English learning, particularly for intermediate-level students. Learning English is becoming increasingly important, yet it can be challenging for many students-specially when it comes to understanding and communicating in real-life situations. Therefore, this project proposes using movies and series as educational tools to strengthen English learning for PRE intermediate-level students. Through audiovisual content, the aim is to improve listening. Although students often study vocabulary and grammatical structures, they frequently fail to communicate or express ideas fluently because they lack interaction with native speakers or opportunities to use the language in real-life situations; this can lead to confusion or a regression in their English proficiency due to a lack of practical application in their daily lives. For this reason, movies and TV series in English serve as valuable audiovisual aids for improving speaking and listening skills. This study aims to determine how the use of films and series can support English language learning among pre-intermediate students. The theoretical foundation is Stephen Krashen’s "input hypothesis," presented in his book Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition (1982), which states: "We acquire language when we understand messages that contain structures slightly more advanced than our current level" (p. 21). This theory also supports the use of audiovisual resources for understanding English conversations and vocabulary within a given context.