Choosing TV Series to improve English skills: Chicago Fire

Pre-intermediate and Intermediate Levels

How to choose a TV series to watch
Watching TV series is a great way to pick up new words and improve your listening skills. But how do you decide which one to watch?
First, go for a series that interests you. If you are into action, a firefighter or police drama might be a good choice. If you’d rather stick to something light, a comedy is a better option.
Second, check if the series comes with English subtitles. This will help you understand better and get used to the way native speakers talk.
Finally, don’t give up if you don’t understand everything at first! The more you watch, the more your brain will catch on to new words and expressions.

The TV series I’m watching: Chicago Fire
Right now, I’m hooked on Chicago Fire. It’s an American TV series about firefighters and paramedics in Chicago. The show follows the daily lives of the team at Firehouse 51. They deal with dangerous situations, put out fires, and carry out rescues. But it’s not just about action—it also looks at their personal lives, showing their friendships, romances, and conflicts.

Why I like it
I enjoy Chicago Fire because it’s exciting and full of emotions. The episodes always keep me on the edge of my seat. One moment, the team is running into a burning building; the next, they are going through personal problems. The firefighters look out for each other like a real family, and you can really feel their bond.

Why it’s good for learning English
I think Chicago Fire is a great choice for English learners for some reasons. Firstly, the characters speak clearly, they don’t speak too fast, so it’s easier to make out what they’re saying. In addition, it’s full of useful vocabulary: you’ll come across words related to emergencies, teamwork, and daily life. Moreover, you can turn on subtitles. Watching with English subtitles helps you work out the meaning of new words.

If you like action-packed stories with strong characters, give Chicago Fire a try! Have you ever watched it? What series are you into right now? Let me know in the comments!

Phrasal verbs corner

Pick up → imparare, acquisire
Watching TV series helps you pick up new words. (Guardare le serie TV ti aiuta ad apprendere nuove parole.)

Go for → scegliere, optare per
If you like action, go for a firefighter drama. (Se ti piace l’azione, scegli un drama sui pompieri.)

Stick to → attenersi a, restare fedele a
If you prefer something light, stick to comedy shows. (Se preferisci qualcosa di leggero, rimani sulle commedie.)

Come with → includere, essere dotato di
Does the series come with English subtitles? (La serie include i sottotitoli in inglese?)

Get used to → abituarsi a
You will get used to English accents over time. (Col tempo ti abituerai agli accenti in inglese.)

Give up → arrendersi, smettere di fare qualcosa
Don’t give up if you don’t understand everything! (Non arrenderti se non capisci tutto!)

Catch on to → capire, afferrare (dopo un po’ di tempo)
After a few episodes, you’ll catch on to their way of speaking. (Dopo qualche episodio, capirai il loro modo di parlare.)

Hooked on → appassionato di, dipendente da
I’m hooked on Chicago Fire! (Sono appassionato di Chicago Fire!)

Deal with → affrontare, gestire
Firefighters deal with dangerous situations every day. (I pompieri affrontano situazioni pericolose ogni giorno.)

Put out → spegnere (fuoco)
They put out a big fire last night. (Hanno spento un grande incendio ieri sera.)

Carry out → eseguire, portare a termine
They carried out a risky rescue operation. (Hanno portato a termine un’operazione di salvataggio rischiosa.)

Look at → esaminare, approfondire
This show looks at the personal lives of firefighters. (Questa serie approfondisce la vita personale dei pompieri.)

Keep (someone) on the edge of their seat → tenere con il fiato sospeso
This episode kept me on the edge of my seat! (Questo episodio mi ha tenuto con il fiato sospeso!)

Go through → attraversare, affrontare (problemi, esperienze)
He is going through a difficult time. (Sta attraversando un periodo difficile.)

Look out for → prendersi cura di, vegliare su
Firefighters always look out for each other. (I pompieri si prendono sempre cura l’uno dell’altro.)

Make out → capire, distinguere
I couldn’t make out what he was saying. (Non riuscivo a capire cosa stava dicendo.)

Come across → imbattersi in, trovare per caso
You’ll come across new words while watching. (Ti imbatterai in nuove parole mentre guardi.)

Turn on → accendere, attivare
Turn on subtitles to help you understand. (Attiva i sottotitoli per aiutarti a capire.)

Work out → capire, risolvere
You can work out the meaning from the context. (Puoi capire il significato dal contesto.)

To be into → interessato a, appassionato di
What TV series are you into right now? (Di quale serie TV sei appassionato in questo momento?)