TV Shows to learn a language based on proficiency level

Have you ever asked someone speaking a second language how they learned, only to hear: “I watched a lot of TV shows or movies”? Watching TV shows in your target language is an excellent, often overlooked way to help gain exposure and train your ear to hear rhythm, tone, pacing, slang, and even cultural nuance. However, how do you use TV shows in a way that helps you grow in fluency alongside your language exchange?

The key is progression.

If you’re a beginner, you need structured input and repetition. If you’re intermediate, you need natural but manageable dialogue. And if you’re advanced, you need speed, nuance, and complexity.

Below, you’ll find a curated progression for learning a language based on proficiency level in some of the most popular languages on Tandem.

German

Beginner: Extra auf Deutsch

If you're just starting to learn German, authentic TV can feel discouragingly fast. Extra auf Deutsch was designed with language learners in mind (and is part of the premise of the show), making it an ideal bridge between structured lessons and real media.

The show follows an American man who moves in with two German roommates. The storylines are exaggerated and repetitive, with simple misunderstandings and everyday scenarios driving the humor.

Why it works at a beginner level:

• Slower, clearly articulated speech
• Repetition of key grammar structures
• Everyday vocabulary (introductions, hobbies, dating, errands)
• Strong visual context that reinforces meaning

Intermediate: Türkisch für Anfänger

Once you can follow basic conversations, you need to hear how German actually sounds in real life. Türkisch für Anfänger centers around a blended German-Turkish family navigating cultural differences, teenage drama, and daily life. Despite the title, it’s entirely in German, not Turkish.

The language feels modern and conversational, but the emotional context makes it easier to follow than darker, faster-paced dramas.

Why it’s ideal for intermediates:

• Natural spoken German
• Casual speech and light slang
• Dialogue-heavy scenes
• Clear social and family dynamics

Advanced: Dark

If you're ready to push your listening skills, Dark is a serious step up. This time-travel thriller is layered, philosophical, and emotionally intense. The dialogue goes beyond daily life and into abstract concepts, fate, morality, and complex relationships.

Why it challenges advanced learners:

• Abstract and philosophical vocabulary
• Formal and informal register shifts
• Fast-paced emotional exchanges
• Dense, layered storytelling

Spanish

Beginner: Extra en Español

For beginners, structured repetition is everything. Extra en Español follows a similar learner-focused format to its German version, offering exaggerated scenarios and controlled language. The pacing is intentionally slower than conversational Spanish, giving you time to process sentence structure and natural pronunciation.

Why it works:

• Clear, deliberate articulation
• Repeated grammar patterns
• Common everyday vocabulary
• Predictable storylines

Intermediate: La Casa de las Flores

This Mexican dramedy follows a wealthy but dysfunctional family managing their flower shop while dealing with hidden scandals. The emotional themes and family dynamics create strong contextual clues, helping you understand dialogue even when you miss a word or two.

Why it’s strong for intermediates:

• Contemporary Mexican Spanish
• Conversational pacing
• Family and relationship vocabulary
• Humor balanced with drama

Advanced: La Casa de Papel

This fast-paced Spanish heist drama pushes listening stamina. The story follows a group planning an elaborate robbery, with emotional intensity driving much of the dialogue. However, speech is rapid and often layered with slang and regional expressions.

Why it’s ideal for advanced learners:

• Fast European Spanish
• Slang and informal phrasing
• High emotional intensity
• Complex narrative structure

French

Beginner: Extra French

When you first start learning French, dialogue often feels impossibly fast; that’s completely normal. Extra French was created specifically to help learners bridge the gap between textbook audio and native media.

The show follows two French roommates whose lives are disrupted when a charming but clueless foreign friend arrives. The situations are exaggerated and predictable, which is exactly what makes them helpful at this level.

Why it’s effective for beginners:

• Slower-than-natural pacing
• Clear pronunciation with less reduction
• Repetition of essential grammar patterns
• Everyday French vocabulary (apartment life, relationships, hobbies)
• Strong physical humor that reinforces comprehension

Intermediate: Dix Pour Cent (Call My Agent!)

Once you can follow structured learner content, you need to hear how French sounds in real-life professional and social situations. That’s where Dix Pour Cent comes in.

Set inside a Parisian talent agency, the show follows agents managing celebrity clients, workplace crises, and personal drama. It’s dialogue-heavy and culturally rich, but the plotlines are grounded enough that you can follow along even if you miss a word here and there.

This series is particularly valuable because it exposes you to multiple registers of French:

• Professional and formal speech in business settings
• Casual banter between colleagues
• Emotional conversations in personal conflicts

Advanced: Lupin

If you’re ready for fast-paced, culturally layered, and idiomatic French, Lupin is an excellent challenge. Inspired by the literary character Arsène Lupin, the series follows Assane Diop, a modern gentleman thief navigating revenge, deception, and strategy in Paris. The storytelling is layered and clever, with dialogue that moves quickly and often relies on subtext.

Why it challenges advanced learners:

• Rapid, natural Parisian French
• Idiomatic expressions and slang
• Emotional intensity and tonal shifts
• Strategic dialogue with implied meaning
• Minimal linguistic “hand-holding”

Italian

Beginner: La Melevisione

If you’re just starting Italian, you want something clear, expressive, and structured, but not so fast that you feel lost. La Melevisione is a long-running Italian children’s fantasy series set in a magical forest filled with storytellers, elves, and whimsical characters.

While it’s aimed at children, the language is more natural than dubbed cartoons and exposes you to authentic Italian pronunciation and intonation. Because the show revolves around storytelling, emotions, and simple moral lessons, dialogue tends to be expressive and clearly delivered.

Intermediate: Un posto al sole

Once you feel like you’ve mastered the simplified dialogue, the next step is watching an Italian show that uses the language as it’s actually spoken in everyday life. Un posto al sole is a good option for this transition. It’s technically a soap opera, and with over 6,000 episodes, this show gives you plenty of opportunities to pick up Italian vocabulary and regional Italian dialogues. It also helps intermediate learners with:

• Natural conversational Italian at a manageable pace
• Exposure to informal speech and conversational fillers
• Dialogue centered on everyday situations and emotions

Advanced: Strappare lungo i bordi

Created by Zerocalcare, Strappare lungo i bordi is an animated series that follows the narrator’s internal monologue as he reflects on friendships, anxiety, adulthood, and a trip with friends. It blends humor with existential reflection, and much of the story unfolds through rapid, introspective dialogue.

Unlike crime dramas that rely heavily on regional dialect, this series presents contemporary Roman Italian filled with slang, sarcasm, cultural references, and fast-paced narration.

Why it challenges advanced learners:

• Rapid-fire conversational Italian
• Heavy use of slang and colloquial expressions
• Internal monologues packed with nuance
• Cultural references and wordplay

Korean

Beginner: Pororo the Little Penguin (뽀로로)

If adult K-dramas feel overwhelming right now, that’s completely normal. Korean has distinct sentence endings and politeness levels that take time to internalize. Pororo provides a safe entry point.

This animated children’s series follows Pororo and his friends as they navigate simple, everyday adventures. The storylines are short, visually clear, and repetitive, which is exactly what you need early on. The dialogue also tends to use straightforward sentence structures and consistent speech levels, making it easier to recognize patterns.

Why it’s effective for beginners:

• Clear, slower pronunciation
• Frequent repetition of key grammar endings
• Basic Korean phrases and vocabulary (friends, feelings, activities)
• Short episodes that prevent overload
• Strong visual cues that support comprehension

Intermediate: Extraordinary Attorney Woo (이상한 변호사 우영우)

Once you’re comfortable with basic listening and common structures, it’s time to hear more natural adult speech. Extraordinary Attorney Woo is an excellent transition.

The series follows Woo Young-woo, a brilliant attorney on the autism spectrum, as she navigates courtroom cases and workplace relationships. Because of her personality and communication style, her speech is often precise and carefully articulated, which can actually make certain sections easier to follow than typical fast-paced dramas.

The show also exposes you to multiple speech levels:

• Formal legal language in court
• Polite professional language in the office
• Casual speech in personal relationships

Advanced: My Mister (나의 아저씨)

If you’re ready for subtlety, realism, and emotional depth, My Mister is a powerful next step. This drama explores adulthood, economic hardship, workplace tension, and personal resilience. Unlike exaggerated or high-energy dramas, much of the power comes from what’s not said outright.

The dialogue is natural and understated. Characters speak in ways that reflect age, social position, and emotional restraint. You’ll hear shifts in politeness levels, moments of hesitation, and indirect expressions that require careful attention.

Why it challenges advanced learners:

• Nuanced adult conversation
• Subtle shifts in honorifics and speech levels
• Emotional restraint that relies on tone
• Less repetition and more implied meaning
• Realistic pacing that mirrors real life

Japanese

Beginner: Shirokuma Café (しろくまカフェ)

This slice-of-life anime follows animals running a café and engaging in relaxed daily conversations. The pacing is gentler than many anime series, so it’s great for beginners.

Why it works:

• Clear conversational Japanese basics
• Everyday topics
• Manageable speech speed
• Repetition of common structures

Intermediate: Terrace House (テラスハウス)

This reality series captures unscripted conversations between young adults living together. It exposes learners to filler words, pauses, and real conversational flow. It’s also great for practicing everyday Japanese vocabulary and learning more about social nuances in Japan.

Advanced: Shin Godzilla (シン・ゴジラ)

This political monster film features rapid government meetings and technical discussions, with dense and formal dialogue. It’s also an important show to help learners practice listening for Japanese conjugations in spoken word, and can be challenging because it includes:

• Formal and bureaucratic language
• Technical vocabulary
• Fast-paced exchanges
• Minimal repetition

Russian

Beginner: Masha and the Bear (Маша и Медведь)

If authentic Russian feels overwhelming right now, that’s completely normal. Russian pronunciation can be very different from how words look when written, especially with unstressed vowel reduction. Masha and the Bear offers a controlled and visually supportive starting point. This animated series follows the mischievous Masha and her long-suffering friend, the Bear, through short, comedic adventures. The episodes are highly visual and structured around simple, everyday scenarios.

Why it works for beginners:

• Clearer pronunciation than most adult shows
• Repetition of simple phrases
• Everyday vocabulary
• Strong visual storytelling that supports meaning
• Short episodes that prevent cognitive overload

Intermediate: Kitchen (Кухня)

Once you can follow simpler dialogue, you need exposure to real conversational Russian. Kitchen is a workplace comedy set in a busy Moscow restaurant, following chefs and staff navigating personal and professional drama. It’s a faster pace without the intensity of more advanced shows, while still providing exposure to some humor and sarcasm.

Advanced: To the Lake (Эпидемия)

If you’re ready for emotionally intense, fast-paced, and socially layered Russian, To the Lake is a powerful challenge. It follows a group of people fleeing a deadly epidemic across Russia. The tension is high, and the dialogue reflects that. Characters interrupt each other, speak emotionally, and shift tone rapidly.

Why it challenges advanced learners:

• Fast, emotionally charged dialogue
• Minimal linguistic repetition
• Regional accents and speech variation
• Natural vowel reduction and rapid consonant blending
• Complex social dynamics

How to progress through TV shows based on your proficiency

Watching TV in your target language can accelerate your listening skills, but only if you approach it intentionally.

The goal isn’t to “understand everything.” It’s to challenge yourself at the right level and gradually increase difficulty over time. You shouldn’t start with the fastest, most slang-filled drama when you’re building foundational vocabulary, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get there. Here are some tips to help you progress strategically and use TV shows to complement language exchange.

• Choose content that’s slightly above your comfort zone so you understand about 60-80% of what’s being said.
• If you feel like you’re below 50% comprehension, move down a level; if you’re near 100% comprehension, level up.
• Adjust subtitles strategically, but try to avoid English (or your native language) whenever possible.
• Instead of watching five new episodes in a row, try rewatching one episode twice, maybe once using subtitles (in your target language) and then once without.
• Replay difficult scenes or pause to repeat sentences out loud.
• Consider writing down useful phrases from each episode.
• Listen for patterns rather than individual words.
• Focus on training your ear to recognize rhythm and structure rather than just vocabulary alone.
• Turn passive input into active output, such as by discussing the show with your language exchange partner.
• Level up when you feel comfortable, but try to avoid jumping too far ahead.

One of the most effective ways to use TV shows in your language learning journey is discussing them with a language exchange partner. If you already have one, great! Otherwise, download Tandem, create a profile, and find your new language partner today.