It’s a well-established fact that TV programs and movies can help a person learn a foreign language. Choosing the right kind of program is obviously crucial for making the experience worthwhile. If you’re interested in learning English or enhancing the language skills you’ve already acquired, you may want to consider the news.

Whether you watch news on TV or try to read in an online journal, you can make this approach work spectacularly well for your needs. Here are a few practical suggestions and actionable tips for making the most of the opportunity. 

Choose the Right Resources 

The term “news” is pretty generic. If you want to expand your vocabulary and learn quality phrases, you have to identify the right news sources.

Certain newspapers and television stations are recognized for the quality of their reporting and the language being used. The Guardian is one example and so is The New York Times. Some media like the BBC, for example, have even gone ahead to develop their own resources for language learners. 

These services are provided by professional assignment writers with an excellent grasp of the English language and its various nuances. Many a time, it’s an online essay writer who has been contracted to write some of the pieces you might find online. From them you will learn not only the mechanics of English, but its poetic and lyrical beauty as well. 

Take some time to read different articles or view news broadcasts. You have to choose a media you can understand. Obviously, your level of English comprehension is going to be important. Start out with simpler opportunities and as you get better, you can get into progressively hard topics, editorials and lengthy opinion pieces (The New Yorker, for example, is known for such texts that can be an excellent choice for advanced language learners). 

Switch It Up between Text and TV/Audio Broadcasts 

Reading the news and listening to the news are both excellent choices.

By using the news, you can increase both your reading and your listening comprehension. This is why you should consider switching things up. While reading a news article is relatively easy and you can use a dictionary to understand more complex words, listening will also be vital for improving your language skills. 

BBC World Service has an excellent global news podcast. 

This podcast is an excellent choice for several reasons. For a start, it features reporters from all parts of the world. The listener will be exposed to different accents and phrases, showing them just how rich and colorful English is. In addition, the podcast is an excellent choice for language learning on the go. 

Time Minute by the New York Times is another good choice. These are brief news videos are usually two-minutes (or less) long and they may present an event overview, a quote or a part of an interview with a politician or a person of interest. 

Read Out Loud 

There’s one aspect of language learning that many people feel uncomfortable with – speaking. Fears about one’s accent, making a mistake and being misunderstood or even ridiculed are grossly exaggerated but most are affected by them.

This issue can be addressed when you’re reading the news. 

When going through your favorite news website, get in the habit of reading the text out loud. If you’re not familiar with a certain word or you don’t know how to pronounce it, you can rely on various online tools. The Cambridge Dictionary has a great audio guide – just input a word and listen to the way it’s pronounced properly by a native speaker. 

You will soon master the difficult phrases. The benefit of using the news for the purpose is that the phrases and terms tend to be common, which means you’ll be dealing with limited phraseology. Focus on news, events and topics that interest you the most in order to expand your vocab in that specific area. World news, sports news and even the entertainment highlights can help you enhance your English skills beyond expectation. 

Create a Daily Routine 

The problem with such self-motivated language learning is that you could lose steam pretty fast. The novelty will wear off after some time, you’ll find yourself forgetting to go through the news or to turn that into an active learning process.

To make the most of the opportunity, you need to create a daily routine. 

The simplest thing you can do is to set up a news/English learning session in the morning. Make yourself a delicious cup of coffee and open your favorite website. Dedicate 30 minutes to reading at least one or two pieces of news. Once you put together such a daily ritual, you will find it much easier to go through the process regularly. 

Make Use of Subtitles When Possible 

Many online videos and broadcasts come with the added benefit of subtitles. These can be particularly beneficial for a person who’s learning English as a second language.

If you’re finding it difficult to understand a presenter or an interviewee, find a news service that allows the toggling on of subtitles. While you should be listening and trying to understand what’s being said, you can rely on the subtitles to learn new words. 

It may be a good idea to go through a certain video several times. Keep the subtitles on the first time around and if you have to, take notes. Next, turn the subtitles off and try to understand everything being said. With time, this exercise is going to get easier and you’ll have no need for the explanatory text. 

Take It Slow! 

Please don’t beat yourself up if the strategy doesn’t work right from the start.

Failing to understand the news can be frustrating, which could make you give up on the opportunity. Try to persevere – the outcome will be worth it. 

If you’re finding it difficult, look for another website or a broadcast channel featuring simpler language. As already mentioned, media are not created equal. Some of them will be much more beginner-friendly. 

Start by reading the news – go through the shortest articles first. In the beginning, you’ll probably be capable of going through just one text and that’s ok. As your vocabulary expands and you understand the phrases better, you’ll get to read a bigger number of articles. Eventually, you’ll make the transition from the written text to the TV or web broadcast.