Types of Television Format

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

 Broadcast TV (NBC, CBS, PBS): This type of television is available

through airwaves and is typically free to access.
 Cable TV (HBO, ESPN, MTV, CNN): Cable TV requires a paid
subscription. Hundreds or even thousands of channels may be
available to purchase and view.
 Streaming / Internet TV (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime): Streaming
television requires a subscription and an internet connection, and
it often features a mix of older, newer and original shows.

Types of TV Shows
 Comedy
 Drama
 Sports
 News
 Animation (cartoons)
 Reality (This includes many subgenres, such as game shows,
dating shows, home improvement shows, music and dance
competitions, etc.)

Exercises and Activities

Common TV Phrases
The following phrases will help your students discuss their TV likes and
dislikes and will also equip your students with questions they can use to
begin conversations with classmates and others.

 What TV shows do you like to watch?

 I enjoy / like watching _____.
 What is your favorite TV show?
 My favorite TV show is _____.
 Did you see _____ last night? / What did you watch on TV last night?
 The new season of _____ is good / bad.

Use these phrases to carry out a conversation exercise in the classroom:

1. Write the common TV phrases on the blackboard and then ask the
class for other questions and phrases that can be used when
talking about TV.
2. Once you have a decent list on the board, put students into pairs
and give them approximately one minute to ask and answer TV
questions with their partner.
3. After the minute is up, have students switch partners.
4. Continue this process for as long as you'd like, then bring the class
together to discuss how the conversations went and what
language challenges they faced.