One of the best ways to create motivation for learning English is watching movies, especially the animated ones. Because cartoons have lively sound, funny content as well as simple words, you can easily grasp the main content and memorize the context where the phrases in the film are used. Below is a list of some animated cartoons that significantly help you improve your English skills, especially speaking and listening skills.
1) Aladin – 1992
Aladdin is a 1992 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was produced and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, and is based on the Arabic folktale of the same name from the One Thousand and One Nights. The cartoon is about a young man named Aladdin who accidentally acquires a magic lamp, thanks to the funny genie, the orphan Aladdin has everything he dreams of, including both wealth and a beautiful princess.
The success of Aladdin would have not been achieved without the voice of Robin Williams, greatly contributing to creating a cute and funny genie, who is even more popular than the main character- Aladdin. Whenever the genie appeared, he overshadowed all the other characters with his comical magic.
This is a suitable film for you to learn English because of the compelling content, intimate language and especially the film’s song “A Whole New World”, which was selected as one of the best songs in animated cartoons of Disney. All of them will make you watch movies not only to study English but also to entertain yourself.
2) Brave – 2012
Brave is a 2012 American computer-animated fantasy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The story is by Chapman, who drew inspiration for the film’s story from her relationship with her own daughter.
Set in the Scottish Highlands, the film tells the story of a princess named Merida who defies an age-old custom, causing chaos in the kingdom by expressing the desire not to be betrothed. After asking an elderly witch’s help, Merida unintentionally turned his mother into a wild bear, unable to speak but still retaining most of her human consciousness. Merida returns to the witch’s cottage with Elinor, only to find it deserted, and discovers a message from the witch: unless Merida is able to “mend the bond torn by pride” before the second sunrise, the spell will become permanent.
Brave premiered on June 10, 2012, at the Seattle International Film Festival, and was released in North America on June 22, 2012, to both positive reviews and box office success. The film won the Academy Award, the Golden Globe, and the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Feature Film. The film is extremely ideal for you to study English and learn the lesson about the bravery of this very brave, talented and intelligent princess.
3) Cinderella – 1950
Cinderella is the 12th animated film of Walt Disney Pictures. Produced in 1950, it is based on the 1982 version of the fairy tale Cinderella (1967) by the Grimm Brothers.
Cinderella marked the great success of Disney in producing animated films. The film also helped Disney enter the golden age, with the diversification in the production process, which dates back to the 1940s. In addition, the film is also considered one of the symbols of Walt Disney.
You can easily memorize each dialogue in the film because the content of the film is very close to us and tightly linked to each individual’s childhood. Please repeat the conversations in the movie after watching it, this can be very effective studying English method.
4) Happy Feet – 2006
Happy Feet is a 2006 computer-animated musical comedy film directed, produced, and co-written by George Miller. The movie is about Mumble, who is unable to sing, but can tap dance instead. Happy Feet was produced in Sydney first, then widely released in USA and Eurasian countries.
The film is about a penguin named Mumble who lives in a cold country, where social classes are divided by their vocal. Sadly, Mumble sings very badly, although his father- Memphis and his mother- Norma Jean are very great singers. Yet Mumble is still loved by his parents. One secret here is that if Mumble does not know how to perform the song Heartsong well then he will never find his mate, his love. The other sorrowful thing is that Mumble has a very close friend, Gloria, who, in contrast, is regarded as the most talented singer of her age. And that’s what makes these close friends conflict with each other.
Because of his bad voice, Mumble also became a thorn in the eyes of many other penguins in the kingdom. One of them is the leader of the kingdom – Noah Penguin. That is why one day, Mumble was evicted from the kingdom. He wandered for a long time and finally came to the kingdom Adelie Amigos – the kingdom where the penguin’s voice does not matter. It was the place that gave Mumble very happy moments.
Happy Feet received generally positive reviews from critics, becoming the recipient of the inaugural BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, and the fourth non-Disney or Pixar to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It was nominated for the Annie Award for Best Animated Feature and the Saturn Award for Best Animated Film. A sequel, Happy Feet Two, was released on November 18, 2011.
5) Kung Fu Panda – 2008
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated wuxia comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by John Stevenson (in his directorial debut) and Mark Osborne.
The film is about a panda, Po, who extremely loves Kung Fu. However, he is unable to pursue his dream of learning kung fu as he has to help his adoptive father, Mr. Ping the goose, in his noodle restaurant. Then, on one occasion, he has the chance to learn Kung Fu with a master of Kung Fu, along with other famous peers. Then interesting things happen to the voracious but hopeful panda- Po.
The stories in the movie are quite simple and if you can not catch a few words, you can still grasp the full content of the story. The words here are also quite basic to use, and if there are any words you do not understand, make sure you always have a notebook by your side to quickly record and use them next time!
Hope this article is helpful for you in the process of learning English. You should also refer to other ways to learn English through cartoons. I wish you find happiness in watching animated movies and make significant improvements in studying English!
