"Ice Age", "Shrek", "Zootopia"... These and other cartoons won the hearts of not only children, but also adults. Why don't we try to use them not only to brighten up the gray days, but also to learn English? In this article, we will tell you why learning English from cartoons is effective and how to do it, as well as on which sites you can watch cartoons in English for free.
Why is it effective to learn English from cartoons?
Where can you watch cartoons in English for free?
1. English for Children
A series of cartoons in English for beginners about the little dragon Gogo. They are suitable even for students studying at the Beginner level. In short cartoons you will listen to how simple phrases sound in live English speech. In addition, you will receive basic knowledge of English grammar, hear how this or that rule is applied in practice.
2.EnglishCentral
Here you can not only watch cartoons or trailers for them with subtitles, but also learn new words that you come across in the video. Register on the site (it's free) and have fun. Please note: all videos are short, so the resource is ideal for even the busiest people.
3. Multimedia-English
This site contains the most famous cartoons in English: Peppa Pig, Charlie and Lola, Winnie the Pooh, etc. Native English teachers advise watching these videos for learning, considering them to be a model of classical English. However, fans of modern cartoons with a good level of knowledge of the language can find completely new cartoons here. All videos are provided with subtitles or transcript (text for the video).
4. BookBox
This channel makes simple animated cartoons for language learners. To learn British English use this playlist, for American - this. All fairy tales are read by professional speakers with good pronunciation. The text is written at the bottom of the screen, so if you have difficulty listening, you can peek at the text.
5. Vasabi.tv
Although the resource vasabi.tv cannot boast of a large amount of material, it is still worth your attention. Here are cartoons in English in good quality with subtitles. There are animated series - “South Park” and “Adventure Time”, which have already won the hearts of millions of television viewers. We assure you that watching them in the original will be even more interesting.
6. LearnEnglish Kids - British Council
Funny cartoons from the British Council, although they are in the “children’s” section, will also be interesting for adults. Interesting stories can be heard or watched with subtitles. Each cartoon is accompanied by a document with tasks and answers to them. You can test how well you understood the words of the characters.
7. Cartoons On
A site where you can watch cartoons in English for free. Of course, the newest cartoons are not here, but the choice is still very wide. There's a mix of modern day fun, Kung Fu Panda, and the classic 1961 cartoon, 101 Dalmatians, that will bring back nostalgia and childhood memories. There are no subtitles for the video, but in many animation masterpieces the characters speak quite clearly, and the picture will help you understand the essence of their dialogues.
8. Magic English
A channel that will help you learn English using your favorite Disney cartoons. The videos are sets of excerpts from the familiar “Lady and the Tramp”, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Mowgli”, “101 Dalmatians”, etc. In each video, phrases of the characters recommended for study are written on the screen. They will easily be remembered by you thanks to the cute plot. In the third part of our article we will tell you how to work with such a video.
Watch cartoons and learn English with your favorite characters. In fact, there are many more sites with cartoons in English. But the easiest way to find the cartoon you need is on YouTube: it's fast and free. We would recommend that people with below-average knowledge try watching the following cartoons in English: Franklin, Olivia, Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Arthur - these are classics of the genre. And for those who have already reached an intermediate level of knowledge of the English language, you can diversify your speech with phrasal verbs, idioms and slang from the cartoon The Simpsons.
How to learn English from cartoons at beginner and advanced levels
At the initial stage, one of the main tasks is to expand your vocabulary. And we suggest you learn not individual words, but entire phrases from the following video.
At the beginning of the video we see an excerpt from the cartoon "Lady and the Tramp". It contains the phrases They want to eat (They want to eat), They’re hungry (They are hungry) - these are excellent examples of using the Present Simple tense. Moreover, you can clearly see that in the first example, after the pronoun they, the verb is written without the ending -s, and in the second example we use the shortened form to be (‘re = are), because there is no main verb in the sentence. Further in the cartoon you will see the phrases He wants to eat (He wants to eat) and He’s hungry (He’s hungry) - a living example of using the pronoun he with ordinary verbs and to be in the Present Simple.
The video also presents simple sentences in the Present Continuous, for example, He’s eating. In addition, the video mentions the names of some food products, so your vocabulary will be replenished with both useful phrases and various concepts.
Thus, thanks to a short video with funny cartoons, we expand our vocabulary with simple but useful phrases and words on the topic “Food”.
Now let's look at how you can teach English using cartoons to people with an Intermediate level of knowledge and above. For example, we'll take the following video from Frozen.
At first it seems that the song is simple and uncomplicated, but if you look closely, you will find material to study. The nouns in the song are really very simple, so we won't pay attention to them. But there are two frequently used expressions: I don’t care (I don’t care, I don’t care) and the break of dawn (dawn). If you still don’t know them, quickly write them down in a dictionary and learn them: we assure you that the heroes of almost every English film resort to them.
But the verbs from this passage are even more interesting. Moreover, among them there are ordinary, and there are phrasal verbs, which can be difficult to study. The Oscar-winning song will help you remember some of them.
| Word/Phrase | Translation |
|---|---|
| to glow | glow, sparkle |
| to howl | howl |
| to conceal | hide, hide (feelings) |
| to slam | slam (door) |
| to flurry | suddenly come upon (about snow, wind, rain) |
| to keep in | hold back, don't let go |
| to let in | admit |
| to hold back | hold back, conceal |
| to turn away | turn away |
| to break through | to break through, to get beyond |
| to rage on | to rage, to rage |
Also pay attention to the ways in which Elsa talks about future actions. She communicates her plans with a phrase with the construction to be going to: I don't care what they "re going to say (I don't care what they are going say). But the girl makes her promises using the Future Simple tense: You "ll never see me cry (you you'll never see my tears), I "ll rise like the break of dawn (I I'll rise like the sun at dawn).
Agree that it is very interesting to analyze the speech of the characters: now you can compare the original and the Russian translation, sometimes they are completely different. In addition, you will hear the voices of English-speaking characters, we are sure you will be surprised.
As you have seen, learning English from cartoons is an easy and very enjoyable experience. Feel free to use these seemingly childish ways of learning a language, because it's always nice to return to childhood. Let English thanks to cartoons become your pleasant and useful hobby, a great pastime!
Well, in addition to channels, I will advise you to download and watch cartoons in English.
I am sometimes asked:
Is it normal that a child does not understand everything in a cartoon?
Yes, this is absolutely normal. When a child is born, he does not understand a word of his native language. And only the fact that he hears his native speech every day allows him to eventually begin to understand adults first, and then speak on his own. Adults teach children some words by showing and saying “This is a ball” or “This is a dog”. And about the meaning of many words and phrases, children simply guess from the context when they hear a word or phrase many times in a similar situation and begin to understand what it means.
Moreover, obtaining information in the language in large quantities helps children to deduce the patterns of the grammatical structure of the language. After all, by the age of 5-6, a child perfectly builds sentences in his native language, without taking up a single rule. This is due to the fact that in the previous years of his life he listened a lot to what adults say and learned from them.
It's the same with cartoons in English. At first, children do not understand everything by ear, but only certain words and phrases that were taught in the classroom. This is not scary, because the meaning of a children's cartoon is usually clear from the video sequence, and watching them, even without fully understanding the speech, is a great pleasure for children. Gradually, the child begins to guess the meaning of some words from the context and sometimes even use them in speech. In addition, when learning something new in class, children often remember that they have already heard it and such words are remembered and brought into speech much faster.
Are all cartoons suitable for learning English?
No, not all. An hour and a half cartoons that are shown in cinemas are not suitable. They are too long and complex for a child just beginning to learn the language. You should start with short cartoons of 3-5 minutes for children under 5 years old and 5-10 minutes for children older.
Examples of cartoons for children
Here are a few cartoons that I recommend to my students. If you wish, you can find and download them all, and some even have coloring pages and assignments.
Maisy Mouse— cartoons about Maisie the mouse. These are educational cartoons for native children, so speech is slow and clear. Each episode lasts only 5 minutes. Suitable for children 3-6 years old. On the website Maisyfunclub.com you can download coloring pages and tasks with cartoon characters.
Pocoyo- children's educational cartoon with episodes of 7 minutes. Suitable for children 3-8 years old. Additional materials can be found on the cartoon’s website (the site’s language changes to Russian if necessary).
Tom and Keri- a simple educational cartoon, after which new words are perfectly remembered.
Gogo Loves English— educational cartoon with subtitles for children 6-10 years old learning English. Each series is devoted to a separate lexical or grammatical topic and you can watch them not in order, but in relation to the material covered in class.
The Baby Triplets- wonderful educational cartoons that are suitable for both the youngest and older children just starting to learn English.
Wizadora- a rather old, but children's favorite educational series about the sorceress Vizadora. You can find a book online with tasks for each series. Suitable for 6 - 9 years old.
Muzzy in Gondoland- also quite old, but a very good educational cartoon for children 6-10 years old. You can also find a booklet with tasks for the cartoon.
Humph-6-7 minute cartoons about a cute monster. The language is quite simple and understandable.
LeapFrog- a series of educational cartoons for introducing numbers, the alphabet, basic reading and basic vocabulary.
Disney Magic English— educational cartoons with Disney cartoon characters in episodes of about 30 minutes, which can be watched in parts.
Peppa Pig- a great cartoon about Peppa Pig and her family for children 6-10 years old. Each episode is only 5 minutes.
Kipper the Dog— a cartoon about a dog named Kipper and his friends. Episodes are 10 minutes long. Suitable for children 8-10 years old.
Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom- a cartoon about elves and fairies. Also good for kids 8-12 years old or even older.
Max and Ruby - a kind children's cartoon about Max the rabbit and his sister Ruby. There is a site with games.
Postman Pat- a very beautiful cartoon about a postman with episodes of 15-20 minutes.
I hope you found this article helpful. If you have any additions, please write in the comments. Good luck in learning English!
With knowledge of the English language, all doors to the modern world are open to a person: after all, English is a generally accepted way of international communication. Therefore, it is not surprising that caring parents want to teach their children English from a very young age. Even teachers confirm that learning English is much easier in childhood. The main thing is to choose the right format of classes. One of the most effective ways is to watch cartoons in English for children with your baby. Therefore, in today’s material we present to you a selection of educational English cartoons for different ages. But first, let’s briefly talk about the benefits of the method and the format of the work.
Children are very impressionable and inquisitive, but fickle. Kids get tired quickly, begin to get bored and lose interest in what is happening. Therefore, for children, English should first of all be a non-boring activity, and only then useful. How to combine these two concepts? Easily! There is no need to reinvent the wheel, everything was invented before us: educational cartoons will introduce your child to English and will never make you bored. Why is this method so effective?
- Concentration – bright pictures and funny characters capture all the attention of the kids.
- Visualization - thanks to the video sequence, the children grasp the meaning of words literally on the fly.
- Simplicity - cartoons speak a language that children can understand.
- Interest - children will never get bored of following the adventures of the heroes.
- Development of several skills at once - the baby learns to perceive English speech ( hearing), learns new words ( vocabulary), reads them ( reading) and repeats lines after the characters ( speaking and pronunciation). And also the guys get an idea about the construction of phrases, i.e. about basic English grammar.
Thus, the usefulness of cartoons as a way of teaching English is beyond doubt. We would even recommend watching cartoons in English for adult beginners. An accessible form of presenting the material will allow beginners to master the basics of the language and quickly advance “from scratch” to a more confident level of knowledge.
How to learn English from cartoons
English for children requires a special teaching methodology. It is necessary to get children interested in foreign languages and conduct lessons regularly, but in no case should they force them to learn. The first and most important thing is the child’s interest. The entire teaching methodology is based on it.
So, first you need to choose interesting cartoons in English for your children. It all depends on age and hobbies. It may be that in order to find “your” cartoon you will have to try several options, but the baby will really look at the screen with enthusiasm and absorb the information. The only thing we note: at first, try to choose short English videos with a minimum of vocabulary. This will make it easier for the baby to get used to the new language.
When a suitable educational cartoon has been found, you can call your child and start learning with him. It is very important that the parent also takes an interest in the lesson; you cannot just sit the children in front of the screen, turn on a cartoon and go about your business. Delve into the plot with your child, discuss the characters, repeat their words, phrases and actions. Show that English is interesting to you, and children will follow the example of their parents.
Other English topics: How to teach a child to read English
Now we will give a couple of recommendations on the format of classes. The parent, unlike the child, must understand that we are learning English. And studying implies a thoughtful approach and repetition. Therefore, we don’t just watch a video, but work with it according to a certain scheme. Let's look at the stages of the lesson using the example of a cartoon about colors in English.
- First viewing – we watch the entire video, monitoring the child’s attention and interest.
- Repeated viewing - we pause at each new word and explain their translation to the child. Here are examples of items of this color.
- We take a break from the cartoon - mind our own business, walk, play, eat, but periodically recall the learned words with the baby. For example, we call any object in Russian, and in English we say its color.
- Another viewing of the cartoon - we watch without pauses, we monitor how much the child understands the material.
- We do practical exercises - turn on the cartoon and pause the video before the announcer says a word. The children's task is to remember the name of the color and independently say the English word.
Now that you are sure that your child has learned colors in English 100%, you can move on to a new cartoon. Otherwise, the baby will begin to get confused in different cartoons and will not remember anything. Also, after a couple of weeks, it’s worth remembering the name of English flowers again, just to make it more interesting, it’s better to choose a new video on this topic.
As you can see, the lesson plan consists of several stages. But it’s hard for children to study for a long time, so they study one cartoon in 2-4 lessons. Moreover, each lesson lasts no longer than 15-20 minutes for children and 30-40 minutes for children over 6 years old.
So, the benefits and format of cartoon lessons are clear to us, which means it’s time to move on to practice. Below are popular educational cartoons in English for children of all ages.
English cartoons for kids aged 3-4 years
For the youngest polyglots, cartoons should be small, light, colorful and, most importantly, fun.
Nursery rhymes compilations
For children under 4 years of age, video formats are ideal for learning. nursery rhymes, i.e. The video sequence is superimposed on rhyming poems, songs, and lullabies. In this form, the words are remembered by themselves, and the classes are very fun!
Short cartoons with a musical component will teach kids about colors, letters of the alphabet and numbers, and will also introduce children to popular English words and phrases. In addition, some songs can be used as lullabies: then the baby will fall asleep to English speech and better get used to it. There are also moving nursery rhymes, with which you can perform entertaining gymnastics or fiery dances, and at the same time learn the names of movements and body parts in English.
The nursery rhymes format is very popular and thousands of videos can be found online for this request. We propose to work with an hour-long selection, which contains the most popular educational cartoon songs on various topics.
Videos from Busy beavers
This website and YouTube channel offers children a lot of colorful educational cartoons in English. The material is presented in a fun and playful manner, and pleasant music attracts attention and helps to quickly memorize words. In general, what can I say, you need to turn it on and try to learn. We present to your attention a selection of videos from Busy beavers, which contains 11 different songs about colors in English. Now you will definitely never be bored while studying this topic!
English for kids – Meow-Meow series
An educational cartoon about the adventures of a little girl and her friends. The video is intended for children under 3 years old and is notable for the fact that the entire plot is told entirely in Russian, only some phrases are given in English. Thus, children learn the language together with a Russian-speaking hero, which makes the lessons more interesting, because every child begins to imagine himself in the place of this cheerful girl.
Other English topics: Exercises on irregular English verbs for different levels
With Meow Meow, the kids will visit the zoo, a picnic, an amusement park and other exciting places. At the same time, kids will learn useful words and phrases on everyday topics, and will also learn correct English pronunciation.
Cartoons in English for children 5-7 years old
At this age, you can already learn English with your child more seriously: begin to develop independent reading and writing, and generally devote more time to classes.
Educational cartoons (author Robert Saakayants)
This cartoon is a real storehouse of knowledge. It contains more than a dozen topics: here is the alphabet, reading rules, numbers, animals, and colors in English. Moreover, all this is explained to children in Russian! A very useful cartoon, which we recommend studying in small parts, because... There is really a lot of information in the video and it is simply impossible to absorb everything even in 2 sittings.
Baby first impressions
A series of English language videos designed specifically for preschool learners. These are not even really cartoons, but rather small educational films. The videos will teach the children about counting, geometric shapes, animal names, food symbols, etc.
The material is presented entirely in English, but we are confident that any child will understand the meaning of the phrases, because Babyfirstimpressions– this is a video for children and about children. All explanations of the rules are very accessible, detailed and clear. Also, a lot of different kids starred in the videos, and the kids will probably be interested in watching their peers from other countries.
Maisy Mouse
If you study from childhood, then by the age of 7 children can start watching English animated series. Long videos are good because the child will be familiar with the characters, and the desire to see new adventures of their favorite characters will increase interest in learning English.
To get started, we recommend trying the popular animated series Maisy Mouse. There are more than 150 episodes, with the average length of videos being 20 minutes. Regular viewing of new episodes of Maisy Mouse will definitely turn your child into a budding polyglot and bilingual.
English in cartoons for schoolchildren
When learning English at school begins, home lessons become a useful addition to school lessons. In the classroom, children are not always able to immediately understand the topic, and a calm home environment will help eliminate shortcomings and gaps in knowledge. And cartoons are perfect for learning English at home.
Collection of Easy Dialogue
This video consists of situational mini-dialogues on everyday topics. Using the cartoons of this series, the children will learn phrases on the topics of getting to know each other, talking about yourself, nutrition, games, seasons, etc. The video has built-in English subtitles, so by watching the cartoon, schoolchildren improve several skills at once: pronunciation, reading, vocabulary and grammar.
What educational videos do your kids watch? Share in the comments 😉
If your children often watch cartoons, there is no need to be upset and scold them for it. Better turn this activity into training.
English is very popular nowadays. Therefore, young mothers are often interested in their children studying it from a very young age, writes Intermarium.
And here is a selection of interesting cartoons that will help your children learn English easily and simply.
1. Gogo.
1. Gogo.
This cartoon consists of several episodes, each has subtitles. The main character is the dragon Gogo, who gets into funny situations.
2. Super Why!
Let us immediately warn you that this cartoon is designed for those children who are already familiar with English. Therefore, it should not be chosen as the first lesson.
The characters of this cartoon teach grammar and introduce your child to new words.
3. Meow-meow.
According to the plot, the girl and her dog learn new words, learn to count and speak English correctly.
4. At the zoo.
Informative animated film about a visit to the zoo. Such a video will be interesting for children who know the written language, because the cartoon is accompanied by subtitles.
5. Cartoons from Robert Sahakayants.
While watching a cartoon, a child can learn letters, numbers, body parts, names of animals and birds, colors and much more.
6. Hello Happy Rhymes.
Cartoon in English with musical accompaniment. It has a lot of funny rhymes and songs that you can learn and sing with your baby.
7. English for kids.
Designed for children aged 5 years and older who already have an understanding of the English language. In these cartoons, a child can listen and learn the construction of words and their sounds.
8. English for the little ones.
In this cartoon, the bunny gives lessons and teaches the alphabet, as well as how to say hello and goodbye in English.
Excellent cartoons by difficulty levels
Cartoons for learning English are an ideal option for both beginners and people with a high level of knowledge. You can study starting from the Elementary level. Many cartoons use simple vocabulary, and the characters speak clearly and slowly, making them a great place to start getting used to speaking English. You can watch them in the company of a child or on your own, because now there are a lot of films that even adults can’t get enough of.
We have made for you a selection of cartoons in English for different difficulty levels. Dividing into levels, we focused on vocabulary, rate of speech and grammatical structures. Be sure to turn on subtitles so you don’t miss anything and be able to translate an unfamiliar word or unclear phrase.
All cartoons in English can be viewed at Ororo.tv. Register and get access to a huge database of films with Russian and English subtitles (with built-in translation)
Cartoons for the Elementary level
Lady and the Tramp / Lady and the Tramp
A touching cartoon about the love between a beautiful spaniel named Lady and a homeless dog Tramp. The cartoon will be interesting and useful to watch in English for children and adults with an Elementary level.
You can even try to watch it with a solid Beginner level. The speech of almost all the characters is slow and very clear, so it will not be difficult to hear every word. Lady and the Tramp is the perfect cartoon for those who are trying to watch something in English for the first time.
The Prince of Egypt / Prince of Egypt
The cartoon is based on the biblical story about the life of the prophet Moses and Ramses, his brother, who became the prince of Egypt. When Pharaoh ordered the extermination of all Jewish babies, one young woman, in order to save her child, put him in a basket and sent him sailing down the Nile. The basket with the baby ended up in the palace. Pharaoh took pity on the child and adopted him. The ruler raised the foundling, whom he named Moses, together with his own son Ramses. When the brothers grew up, a completely different fate awaited them. One became the ruler of Egypt, the second had to confront his brother in order to save the Jewish people.
The cartoon has very good clear speech and simple vocabulary, which makes it an excellent tool for practicing English listening comprehension for elementary level students. Sometimes you may come across complex words, but their meaning is clear from the context, and subtitles will help you see the meaning of the desired word.
Pinocchio / Pinocchio
The famous fairy tale about a wooden boy who dreams of becoming a real one is also worth watching in English for those who have only recently started learning English. As in the two previous cartoons, the speech of the characters in Pinocchio is clear and the vocabulary is simple. The cartoon is kind and instructive, so it’s perfect for watching with children.
Song of the Sea / Song of the Sea
A charming Irish cartoon, nominated for an Oscar in 2015. Song of the Sea is based on the Irish legend of the selkie people, whose people could turn into seals. The main character is a little girl named Saoirse, the last representative of the selkie. She, along with her brother, who slightly dislikes her, sets out on a journey to save her wonderful world from destruction and learn the story of her past.
The vocabulary is simple, there is a slight Irish accent, which nevertheless does not interfere with understanding what the characters are saying.
Cartoons for Pre-Intermediate level
Brave / Braveheart
A cartoon about a princess who does not want to live the way society imposes on her. Mirinda does not want to marry the one her parents choose and follow all the established rules. An active and brave princess wants to shoot a bow, run and frolic, without constantly thinking about her high status. However, the Queen does not share her daughter's views. One day, Mirinda finds the old witch's house. Naturally, the girl enters it and asks the old woman to make her wish come true. But, as it happens, the desire is translated into reality in a completely different way than desired.
“Brave” will be interesting not only for children, but also for adults. The speech is simple and understandable, although a little faster than in the cartoons above. The grammar is also a little more complicated, which is why the cartoon is best watched by those who have already reached the Pre-Intermediate level.
Howl's Moving Castle / Howl's Moving Castle (Metamorphosis)
In the city where the young girl Sophie works, a mysterious castle appears, the prototype of which was a Russian hut on chicken legs. The owner of the castle is a charming young wizard, known as the stealer of ladies' hearts. One day he saves Sophie from the military who were molesting her, and the girl falls in love with her savior. An evil witch turns Sophie into an old woman out of jealousy towards the wizard. Now the girl has to return to her real appearance before it’s too late.
The cartoon lasts 2 hours, so if you find it difficult to watch something in English for a long time, break it into several parts. The plot is really very interesting and unusual. Suitable for adults and children over ten years of age.
https://youtu.be/2Nau7JNvxig
Balto / Balto
"Balto" is a cartoon based on real events. The main character is a dog that was half husky, half wolf (by the way, in reality the dog was a purebred husky). A small town in Alaska was hit by a diphtheria epidemic. Many children got sick. There is an urgent need to bring medicine, and all the roads are covered in a blizzard. Medicines can only be delivered by dog sled. Of course, the strongest and most resilient dogs are chosen for this purpose. However, trouble happens: the dogs go astray. Balto comes to the rescue, thanks to whom he still manages to deliver the necessary medicines to the town.
Vocabulary and speech are a little more complex than in previous cartoons, but will be understandable to those who have reached a solid Pre-Intermediate level.
Shark Tale
Lenny the shark is very different from his relatives. Unlike his family, Lenny has a very kind and gentle character, and he is also a vegetarian. This kind-hearted shark hides from his family what he really is. Lenny's father wants to transfer the family business to him after a tragedy occurred - Lenny's brother died. Thanks to this misfortune, the fry Oscar, who works at the whale wash, gained fame - he was the only one who saw how the shark died, and took credit for other people's achievements. By a twist of fate, Lenny and Oscar became friends. This friendship helps them both become stronger. But in order to sort out the problems, friends have to go through a number of oddities
Shark Tale is a great tool for learning modern spoken English. There are some phrasal verbs and popular slang here, so it's worth understanding how to recognize them and where to look for translations.
Cartoons for Intermediate level
Sing/Beastly
An amazing cartoon about a singing competition organized by the koala Buster Moon to save his theater from ruin. There are many animals participating in the show, each with a unique character, voice and style, but only one can win. The contestants, and Buster himself, have to endure many misadventures for the show to take place. The cartoon is perfect for adults: it not only has a lot of funny moments, but is also full of descriptions of different life situations that only adults will understand. By the way, the cartoon is damn inspiring, so if you’re feeling down, it’s time to get some inspiration. And you will be doubly proud of the fact that you watched it in English :)
The vocabulary is relatively uncomplicated and modern, just ideal for an intermediate level. There are very useful phrasal verbs that you need to memorize to improve your spoken English. Some characters speak clearly, some are more difficult to understand, but just at the intermediate level you need to learn to get used to understanding the speech of different people, so train your ears, rewind and listen to the dialogues several times if necessary.
Ballerina / Ballerina
This story is about an orphan who dreams of dancing ballet. The girl is ready to work hard to dance on stage, but the highly competitive world of ballet is not in a hurry to welcome her with open arms.
An excellent cartoon that will help improve your English listening skills. In general, the vocabulary is not difficult, but there are a few difficult colloquial phrases. Perfect for watching with a child.
Happy Feet / Happy Feet
Emperor penguins search for mates by singing. However, a little penguin named Mumble cannot sing at all. But he dances well. The only problem is that dancing is strictly prohibited. During graduation, when everyone was looking for a date, singing songs, Mumble could not resist and started dancing. For this, he was kicked out of the “party” and had to watch the event from the ice floe. Absorbed in his grief, the little penguin did not notice how the ice floe on which he was sitting began to be carried away into the open sea.
The characters speak quite quickly, and some of them have difficult-to-understand speech, so watching Happy Feet in English is a great opportunity to learn to hear and understand fluent English spoken by foreigners.
Ferdinand / Ferdinand
A wonderful cartoon about the peace-loving bull Ferdinand, who prefers the beauty of nature to fights. The bull grows up on a farm, where he gets along well with other animals, and the daughter of the farm owner simply dotes on her horned friend. One day, when Ferdinand grew up and became a fairly large bull, the owner of the farm forbade his daughter to take the animal to the annual fair, since people might consider it dangerous. But Ferdinand, despite the ban, still ran away from the farm to accompany his little mistress. At the fair, Ferdinand is caught so that he can take part in a competition to participate in a bullfight.
The calm and kind bull does not want to fight at all, the only thing he dreams of is to return to the farm to admire the flowers again with his mistress. But, ironically, it is Ferdinand who is chosen as the strongest bull for bullfighting.
The words and phrases in the cartoon are simple, but because of the fast speech of the characters, we should watch it if we reach an intermediate level.
Cartoons for Upper-Intermediate level
Loving Vincent / Van Gogh. With love, Vincent
An animated film for those who love art. Here, the life story of a famous artist is told through his paintings, which come to life on the screen. The vocabulary is quite complex, but the speech is clear. Ideal for viewing by those who have reached the Upper-Intermediate level, but who find it difficult to understand fluent spoken English.
Zootopia / Zootopia
Rabbit Judy Hopps dreams of becoming a police officer. But everyone knows that rabbits are rather cowardly and peace-loving creatures, and moreover, they can easily become victims of a predator. This is why no one believes that Judy can become a real police officer. Contrary to the persuasion of her relatives, she enters the police academy, after which she moves to the metropolis to serve in the police. There, no one takes the little bunny seriously, so she is given the simplest job. But one day she gets a chance to prove what she is really capable of.
The speech of the characters is quite fast, there is a little slang in the cartoon - so it is ideal for those who are learning English for everyday communication and want to learn to understand the speech of Americans. There are many comic moments that will make adults laugh heartily.
Surf's Up / Catch the wave!
Another great option for improving your spoken English. Phrasal verbs, slang, abbreviations and fast speech make this surfing penguin cartoon a treasure for those who want to master live vocabulary and understand native English speakers. It's full of funny moments that sound much cooler in the original than in the translation. The secondary character, the rooster, gives the cartoon a special flavor. "Catch the wave!" should appeal to teenagers and adults.
The Congress
Let's say right away: this film is a cartoon for adults, not only because of the storyline, but because of the obscene language that is found here in places. In general, the words are not that difficult, but there are a lot of phrasal verbs and the fact that the characters speak very quickly makes the cartoon suitable for an upper-intermediate level.
In the center of the plot is an aging actress whose son is very ill. She is offered to sign a contract, according to which her image can be used in any film without her participation. The heroes of the film balance between reality and illusions, and it is not so easy to grasp the border between these two worlds.
Choose your cartoon to learn English and enjoy watching and learning new things!
