British English has become trendy and widely valuable among teenagers. From the classy, unique British accent and pop culture to social media and classic British culture there is a lot to learn that allows teenagers to express individuality and connect with global communities. I will give you a teen guide on the importance of learning British English and some tips and fun ways you can engage with the language to help with your studies or encourage your enthusiasm for the English language.
Why Learn British English?
British English has a global importance through the media, education and careers. Mastering the language can give you an abundance of opportunities that you may not otherwise gain in your chosen career path and make your way up the ladder in international companies. As well as furthering your career, it can also aid personal growth where you can develop confidence by being bilingual and give you more opportunities to travel the world and gain more cultural insight and awareness. Being able to communicate in English can connect you to British history, literature and pop culture to give you an insight into our daily living and who the British people are.
Fun Ways to Engage with British English
British Shows to watch:
Doctor Who - Sci-Fi - follows a time-travelling alien ''Doctor Who'', including imaginative storytelling and a mix of accents.
Sherlock - Mystery - a modern take on Sherlock Holmes, including intelligent dialogue with a mix of formal and conversational English.
The Great British Bake off - Reality - a baking competition, including a mix of accents and classic cultural quirks.
Downtown Abbey - Drama - A historical drama that follows an aristocrat family in the early 20th century.
British films to watch:
Harry Potter - Fantasy - Iconic fantasy series featuring a mix of accents and dialects.
Paddington - Family comedy - A heart-warming story about a Peruvian bear in London, it's charmingly British.
Love Actually - Romantic Comedy - Multiple storylines and a mix of accents.
Billy Elliot - Drama - A classic moving story about a boy pursuing ballet in Northern England.
The Chronicles of Narnia - Fantasy - A fantasy series with clear British narration and dialogue.
British YouTube channels:
BBC Learning English - specific for English leaners, with videos on vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.
English Addict with Mr Steve - focuses on English slang, idioms and culture.
Ali Abdaal - Informal and clear British English by a Cambridge graduate who shares tips, hacks and vlogs.
The Slow Mo Guys - Fun and engaging science experiments with clear, casual commentary.
Sorted Food - a group of friends hosting a food channel using conversational English.
Tom Scott - he explains a variety of facts about the world using clear and precise English.
Zoella - she's a lifestyle vlogger who delivers a light and easy to follow channel.
Slang
Below is a list of common slang words used in British English.
Chuffed - Very pleased or happy with something.
I'm chuffed I passed my exams.
Knackered - Extremely tired/exhausted.
I stayed up late studying last night, today I'm knackered!
Cheeky - Being mischievous.
He's a cheeky boy, he's always making jokes in class.
Gutted - extremely disappointed or upset.
I was gutted when I failed the exam.
Buzzing - to be extremely happy about something.
I graduated university with top marks, I'm buzzing.
Lad - informal term for a boy, usually described as fun or outgoing.
What a lad, always up for a laugh.
Dodgy - unreliable or suspicious
I won't eat in that restaurant, the food looks dodgy.
British books to read
Harry Potter series - A magical, fantasy and engaging story with clear, descriptive language. Suitable for intermediate and advanced learners.
Roald Dahl books - Matilda, The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Fun, imaginative and easy to read - Great for all ages and levels.
The Chronicles of Narnia - Fantasy series with simple but beautifully descriptive language. Suitable for intermediate learners.
The Curious Incident of the dog in the Night-Time - A mystery novel with clear and direct language. Suitable for intermediate to advanced learners.
Goodnight Mister Tom - A touching story set during World War II, suitable for intermediate learners.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - A powerful story set during the holocaust, suitable for advanced learners.
The Hobbit - A fantasy adventure using simple language, suitable for intermediate to advanced learners.
Anne Fine books - Flour Babies, Madame Doubtfire, Bill's New Frock - Humorous, thought-provoking books with relatable characters, suitable for beginner to intermediate learners.
Social media
DanTDM (Daniel Middleton) - YouTuber specialising in gaming content, particularly Minecraft. He uses family-friendly commentary which is simple to follow for ESL teenagers.
Zoe Sugg (Zoella) - A lifestyle vlogger creating content on beauty, fashion and daily life. Zoe uses a conversational style of language which exposes you to classic British expressions and culture.
Joe Sugg (ThatcherJoe) - Known for his vlogs and pranks, including humorous and videos which showcase several aspects of British culture and language.
Ella Woodward (Deliciously Ella) - Ella uses YouTube and Instagram to post about lifestyle, wellness and health related videos.
British Music
Ed Sheeran - Pop, acoustic, folk
Adele - Pop, soul
Little Mix - Pop, R&B
Lewis Capaldi - Pop, ballads
Coldplay - Rock
Tips for Teenagers to Learn British English
To fully immerse yourself into the British language you have to find the materials interesting and fun. When engaging with something fun, you will remember and retain what you read or hear with much more interest which you can use in the future.
When reading books, try using audiobooks also, this will help with listening skills but also pronunciation. Pause often and imitate words or sentences to help.
When watching films, social media and shows, use subtitles until you feel comfortable and confident to stop, pause often also and imitate words and sentences to help with pronunciation.
Listening to songs can be great for increasing vocabulary, particularly in different contexts. Find the lyrics to the songs to help you sing along, then find the meaning or main theme of the song.
Make English part of daily life, use the above engaging ways to learn English naturally and improve vocabulary and listening skills.
Practise speaking everyday, speak to friends, family or English platforms to engage with native speakers. Read aloud and don't forget it's okay to make mistakes, it's all part of the learning process.
Set short and long term goals and targets, whether that's weekly, daily or monthly and when you reach that goal, celebrate. Keep yourself motivated by celebrating the small wins.
At Ace English, we want to help you to achieve your English dreams so if you want our help, search our tutors for one-to-one tuition, take a look at our courses to improve at your own pace, or read our selection of blogs for detailed advice and guidance on how to improve specific skills.
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