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Q

Dear Daniel,

I am crazy about the TV series Friends. However, my mom only cares about how it can improve my English. I wrote a letter to her to show her the advantages of watching it, but she thought it was a waste of time. What can I do?Saida H

A

Dear Saida,

I also enjoyed Friends! The first two seasons were like nothing else on TV at the time. I don’t know if it’s true, but I’ve read that it’s the most popular TV show worldwide for people learning English. This doesn’t surprise me. Most EFL speakers I know say they watched it to learn English. It’s especially popular with women. Maybe that’s because the female characters live independently.

As for your problem: Normally, I would say talk to your mom and try to compromise (妥协). It sounds like you already tried this with your letter. Sorry to hear it didn’t go well.

I don’t completely understand your mom. Is she against TV in general? Or is she only against Friends? It sounds like she will let you watch it for studying. If that’s the case, great! You have already reached a compromise.

Here’s how to get the most out of it: Use English subtitles (字幕), NOT Chinese. People pronounce words differently than a perfect textbook voice recording. You need to connect the words actors say to the written words you know. I have used this strategy (策略) with my EFL students. Watch the same episodes (集) over again, two or three or four times. Watch a single scene a few times. Then watch without the subtitles and see how well you understand the situation.

Keep a notebook close by. Whenever they talk about something unfamiliar, write it down and forget about it. Look it up later.

This will get your mom off your back and keep you watching your favorite show.

Daniel