Learning English means having the ability to speak the language, and there is no better way to practice than by watching television programs. Watching drama series, American in particular, offers several advantages over the special educational movies. For the tutor, it is the perfect opportunity to expose students to the desired spoken English level and instantly raise the expectations from them. In addition, it is a fun and interesting way to learn the language when, away from the seemingly boring textbooks, you have to "decode" the actors' speech and try reaching their level.

Choose the correct drama series, according to the students' age and language level. For example, a crime investigation series is not appropriate for little viewers and contains too many technical terms for them. In addition, American series are better for this task, as the actors' accent won't be a huge hurdle, as opposed to British series.

Focus on specific parts. Small one-minute dialogues are what you need to begin discussing the type of sentences used and the pronunciation of the on-screen characters. Show your students the correct way of greeting, asking, replying and expressing various feelings, such as concern or anger, based on the actors' performance.

Discuss each little part of the series, as if you were film critics. Find out why the characters act as they do, what are their on-screen problems, what may happen next. It's like bringing an American cafeteria dialogue between friends right inside the classroom, contributing greatly to students' ability to engage in informal conversations.

Do not answer directly to questions regarding unknown words. Instead replay the part and let them understand from the context. Be sure to notify them of any slang words and the proper occasions of using them.

Create role plays. Watch a part and then ask students to recreate it, altering the plot at some part to prompt them to improvise and improve their speaking ability. For example, the girl does not kiss the boy, instead she wants to leave the house. The dialogue from then on would be completely different, and it would be up to the students to find ways to continue the story.

Ask the students to write a summary, after each full episode, to practice their writing skills. Prompt them to include their personal opinions, as well, to evaluate how well they express their own thoughts and feelings.