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Are you still forcing your child to learn English? There is a better idea: to do it in an unobtrusive way and with the whole family. For example, on weekends, watch cartoons without translation. So the language ceases to be just a school discipline, enters ordinary life and is associated with something pleasant, and this is the best motivation. Together with Skуеng Kids teachers, we chose Pixar cartoons that are interesting to watch in English.
For the little ones
“VALL-E” (WALL-E)
The beauty of this cartoon is that you can watch it not only in English, but also, say, in Swahili, if you need it for some reason. In WALL-E, they hardly talk: the heroes are robots, they only call each other by name and give commands. Despite this, a touching story of love and friendship unfolds before the eyes of the audience, understandable to both children and adults. I think that’s what they call movie magic. Of course, English cannot be learned from this cartoon, but for the first immersion in the world of a new language, that’s what you need.
“The Good Dinosaur” (The Good Dinosaur)
Another picture that even first-graders can watch without translation. The main characters are dinosaurs and prehistoric people who have not yet learned to express their feelings in any language. Dinosaurs, by the way, will give people a head start: it is quite possible to draw several parental wisdom from their speech. And children will definitely like the colorful world and the friendship of a human child with a dinosaur child. Such stories need no explanation.
For good students and excellent students
“Finding Nemo”
The language in this cartoon is not so complicated, the peculiarity is that the inhabitants of the underwater world speak at their own pace. Dory talks too fast, the whale, on the contrary, draws out his words and changes the tone several times. When they vied with each other to give advice to the lost baby Nemo, even the English teacher wants to ask them to speak more slowly. But even if the child does not have time to catch all the words, he will learn to understand a lot from the context, and this is an important skill in any language environment.
The Incredibles
Everyone loves superheroes: children, teenagers, and even parents, although they do not always admit it. In this cartoon, all family members live an ordinary life and, only when the planet begins to be in danger, they go on the warpath. Wise quotes about good and evil, witty pearls – what you need for those who are bored with school English. And after watching the first part of the cartoon, you can immediately go to the second – the child will only be happy with the “extra lesson”.
“Puzzle” (Inside Out)
“What’s on your mind?!” – parents exclaim every now and then, especially to their teenage children. Pixar answered this question perfectly, showing how Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust coexist in the head of the most ordinary girl. To make it easier to watch the cartoon, it is better to remember in advance more English words that describe emotions. For adults, “Inside Out” is a great chance to better understand their children, and for children – to learn that mom and dad only wish them well, and you should always talk about your feelings in any language.
“Toy Story” (Toy Story)
This summer, the fourth part of the legendary cartoon comes out, but for now, you can prepare and review the first three. Most likely, it will not be easy without translation: astroranger Buzz Lightyear, cowboy Woody and other characters here do not just chat – they endlessly quarrel, develop an escape plan and often face a difficult moral choice. But children are definitely aware of how important it is to learn English in order to understand their favorite characters, and adults can also improve their language.
“Up” (Up)
Perhaps the most difficult of the Pixar cartoons: you need a good level of English, and the theme is such that adults have to get handkerchiefs. A story about aging, loneliness and love that does not end even after death – all this, of course, is designed specifically for parents. Children, on the other hand, will surely be amused by the situations in which the young scout finds himself, funny dogs, talking birds and much more. And if something in the cartoon is completely incomprehensible, you can always turn on English subtitles.
For those who are not afraid of difficulties
The Secret of Coco
Perfect English is only on the pages of textbooks, but in life people often speak with an accent, and learning to understand them is very important. Learning the Spanish accent from The Secret of Coco is not an easy task, but the story is so engrossing that you and your kids may not even notice that you missed a few words that you didn’t understand. And another plus: Coco is one of the best films about the value of family in our lives, so watching it together is much more than just an English lesson.
Ratatouille
A typical French “r”, the most unexpectedly placed accents – “Ratatouille” will definitely become an English-French puzzle for you. But the more interesting! And then, even if the main character – a street rat – could become a cook in a French restaurant, then you can definitely watch this cartoon without translation. And children, even if they don’t understand everything, will endure an important thought: you need to believe in yourself and do what you really love, and success will come one day.
Brave
The story of a brave Scottish princess cannot be told without a Scottish accent, and it is considered one of the most difficult: some of the sounds are not there at all, and those that are are not pronounced the way we are used to. Even the British can’t always make out what a Scots friend is saying to them. Try to turn browsing into an exciting game and look for familiar words. The need to wade through the jungle of accent unites. And when in the final it turns out that you understood most of the cartoon, you and your child will be able to be proud of yourself.