ESL TV Vocabulary

Instructor: Matthew Hamel


Television is a topic your ESL learners are likely to know a lot about. This lesson provides common TV vocabulary and phrases as well as exercises designed to reinforce the new terminology.

Let's Talk TV

Television can be a big topic. After all, most children watch at least some television every single day. So, it's important to teach ESL students about television vocabulary and the practical use of this vocabulary. This includes the primary ways people access television, the more popular genres of TV shows, and phrases that can be used to discuss TV.

Let's look at the kind of TV vocabulary you might teach your ESL students. Once you feel your students have a good grasp of the basic TV vocabulary, use the activities in the second half of this lesson to reinforce proper usage and pronunciation.

TV Vocabulary

In this section, television vocabulary is divided into types of television format and types of television shows. Many people access television in a variety of ways. Chances are that, while your learners may not know the correct English terminology, they are likely to be familiar with the different genres of television shows and how they are accessed.

When you explain the following vocabulary to your learners, be sure to give specific examples and tailor the definitions to an appropriate English level. It's also important to write the vocabulary on the blackboard to emphasize proper spelling, and be sure to review correct pronunciation as you introduce each word or phrase.

Types of Television Format

Remember to write the bolded terms on the blackboard, and use the names in parenthesis as examples.

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