Why 5 Lessons from Mr Deeds is Not Enough to Improve Your English
Language learning is a journey, and every episode is a part of the big whole. Mr. Deeds reminds you of something bigger than money.
When you watch Mr. Deeds, you’ll fall in love with the charming character of the supposedly naive local champion from Mandrake Falls, New Hampshire. But more than that, you’ll enjoy how this film helps you improve your English in numerous ways.
The first best part of watching this film for me was noticing how Preston Blake pronounced the word VACATION.
It reminded me of how people around me (myself included) said VER-KAY-SHUN. Oh my! We were pronouncing it wrongly.
So when I learned the correct pronunciation after high school, I knew I had found my life’s purpose – to help other people speak English correctly and confidently.
What made this film even more exciting?
Longfellow Deeds never knew he had an uncle. So when he found out about the $40 Billion he inherited, he sure was shocked. Who wouldn’t be?
Which is why he screams (on the flight to New York, “What’s up, New York? It’s an honor to come to the greatest city in the world.”
English breaks your heart sometimes. We say:
- This place is a hospital, not a church.
- You can find a hotel just around the corner.
- They need to invest in a good home.
So why does the word “honor” take the article “an” instead of “a”?
Some words in English have a silent ‘h’. Apart from honor, you have “hour,” “heir,” and “honest.”
Would you believe I didn’t know I wasn’t articulating the ‘h’ sound correctly until my kids started watching Ms. Rachel’s videos on YouTube?
The sound /h/ makes a puff when you push air from your throat – so it sounds like you’re heaving out loud.
And this is one word that reminds me to “hang in there” when I’m learning or trying something new.
Jan used this phrasal verb with Deeds while they exchanged messages on his computer.
He was sad about the ugly reports the news had about him – no thanks to the reporter, Mac MacGrath (performed by Jared Harris, the same man who played King George VI in The Crown).
Jan had discouraged him from wanting to fight back. She said, “Don’t stoop to their level.”
What’s the point of the story title?
As you get on your language learning journey, you’ll discover that films are a great way to make learning English fun and relatable.
You get lost in the world of the actors and pick their pronunciation, expressions, and tone with ease and naturalness.
That’s what makes learning engaging and real.
Yes, watching native speakers speak English is not an automatic ticket to speaking English confidently.
But it’s a start.
And if you’d like to enjoy the full 13 English lessons that I have on the film, Mr. Deeds, consider becoming a patron of my podcast.
You’ll get:
- 4 lessons on vocabulary and correct pronunciation
- 4 lessons on idioms and their meanings
- 2 lessons on phrasal verbs
- 1 lesson on article usage
- 2 lessons on colloquial expression
- Plus other personal life lessons related to learning English and languages in general.
Are you looking for a more enriching English learning experience where you can watch English films while also getting the real gist behind these words and expressions?
Click here to join my Podcast Patreon Club and enjoy exclusive content today!
Improve Your English with 3 English lessons from Spanglish and 3 English lessons from Emily in Paris.
Listen to the 5 Lessons from Mr. Deeds on my podcast.
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