Video Comedy Course

Do you like to watch Friends, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and other similar programs? Perhaps you already enjoy these programs. Many students of mine do, but I can practically guarantee that they are not understanding all of the jokes, especially if they are reading the subtitles the first and only time they watch an episode.

Obviously, these shows were not designed for learning English (that’s the beauty of learning from authentic materials!). If you want to combine entertainment and English learning, then this course is for you.

I have created exercises that accompany episodes of these sitcoms that will help you understand the episodes without reading subtitles. These exercises respect the way we listen in the real world, by focusing on the main idea first, and then details second. In class (both online and face to face), we begin by speaking about topics related to what we will see in the episode. After the episode is over, there is a vocabulary review and role plays.

The goal here is for you to challenge your listening comprehension, increase your vocabulary, understand more of the jokes!, and discuss the content (with your teacher and/or in the forum in this section).

You do NOT need to follow the units in order. Just choose the sitcoms/episodes you like.

To practice vocabulary, use the glossary and flash card exercises in each unit.