An Analysis on the Use of TV Series- Friends as an Audiovisual Aid in English Vocabulary Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Since Friends released in 1994, it has been the most welcomed TV series in the world. In this sitcom, characters lines are closed to peoples daily life, so it can be treated as an audiovisual aid in English vocabulary teaching and learning. Current vocabulary learning methods mainly focus on rote learning, which is inefficient for college students to comprehensively memorize and use words, thus, vocabulary learning should be combined with contexts, which can be provided by Friends. The paper will analyze lexical phenomena in lines of Friends on the basis of the context theory. It can be found that with the help of the contexts, offered by lines of the series, college students, to some extends, have access to changeable and complex meanings of words, as well as cultural connotations of culture-loaded words. Based on the limitations of this method, some humble suggestions will be offered. For teachers, it should be firstly considered that how to choose teaching materials. In the process of teaching, it may be advisable to assign a learning task in advance of playing the clips, and ask children to organize their notes with the plots of series after class. For self-learners, students should have self-discipline to focus on the English subtitles instead of the plots of series, and then remember to write down notes and memorize them again and again.