97 billion minutes have been watched, and that number continues to grow.
according to Nielsen, that’s how many people watched the sitcom that changed their lives. Single sitcom that has been nominated for 62 Emmy Awards and won 6 times. The sitcom “Friends” brought fans together all over the world through the screen.
Throughout the 10 seasons of six friends living in New York, a certain demographic of international viewers were able to bond over one thing: speaking English.
pop culture It’s the viral content that “we’re consuming billions of,” according to Alexander O. Philip In his TED talk, “Why Pop Culture?”, he said: Society can communicate our experiences, values, and ideas on the large scale of screens. Expressing conflicts and ideas about a particular subject, people can unite through binge-watch shows like “Friends” and learn how to communicate in completely different languages.
Viewers pick up on conversations in TV shows and bond through the experience of learning English from the show. Tamari Kubota, a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, said she learned English through school and entertainment, so it’s easy for non-native speakers to learn English through pop culture because it’s relatable, humorous, and allows for slow-paced conversations. is easy to learn.
Friends depicts the comedy and complexities of romance, friendship, mental health, education, employment, and more. This show depicts aspects of life that many people can relate to.
according to Nielsenfor the week of Nov. 6-12, “Friends” had 716 million minutes watched. maximum.
“I’ve watched every episode, and some episodes multiple times. Even though I don’t interact directly with the cast, when I think about what happened when the events actually happened, I’m very impressed with the show. You get hooked,” said Monica Brillantes, who has been a fan of the show since it aired in 1994.
Brillantes found solace in her grief by connecting with the show. She immigrated to the United States from the Philippines when she was 16 years old. She wanted to meet her friends right away and wanted to avoid adjusting to her new culture.
“I didn’t think I needed to build any more friendships in America. When I started watching ‘Friends,’ I didn’t want anyone to bother me.” It felt like the main cast were friends,” Brillantes said.
But as Brillantes watched more episodes of “Friends,” she began to apply the behaviors she saw in those scenes to real life and was able to adapt to life in America.
In addition to learning behaviors for interacting with others, she became more insightful in understanding her friends’ thoughts and feelings. As a result, they were able to connect through their common interests even after her show ended.
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“The final episode was very emotional for me as a viewer. I felt like I spent a lot of time with the cast. You become invested because they become your friends. As a mother of a 15-year-old, I have learned to listen and understand where she is coming from instead of scolding her,” Brillantes said.
— Monica Brillantes
This relatability makes the show timeless, as its fan base is multigenerational and it appeals to viewers of all ages.
“I fell in love with the show right away because of the humor, which is unlike any other show,” said Nicholas Kinder, a sophomore at Carlmont High School.
Visual acting gives understanding to the viewer and thus allows the viewer to infer the meaning of the words.
Kubota’s learning through pop culture is language acquisition: The natural process by which people, especially children, learn to understand a language without taking lessons.
Kubota learned the basics of writing, reading, and speaking English through a Japanese school program when he was 13 years old. She watched movies and TV shows outside of her school and further strived to improve her English.
“Language is concerned with the level of emotion, so understanding the emotions of characters in a movie can help you understand how they think and feel. From there, in conversation We will learn how to use these words,” Kubota said.
In fact, according to University of Pittsburghlanguage acquisition theory indicates that one way to learn a language is through indirect contact, where contact between speakers of different languages takes place through media.
According to Kubota, association is key to language learning, as is learning by doing.
“Oftentimes, the most learning happens outside of the classroom,” says Lynette Garcia, Career Education Program Coordinator and English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher at San Mateo Adult High School.
Ms. Garcia encourages her ESL students to interact with the community to practice their English and strengthen their bonds with each other.
“Volunteering opportunities have helped students find job opportunities in the medical field, which is why healthcare in general is projected to grow by about 24% between now and 2032,” Garcia said. .
Learning a foreign language and binge-watching English programs to improve your English comprehension has created more opportunities and connections for people like Kubota, giving her a sense of belonging.
All experiences exhibit unity through television programs.
The TV show has had a huge influence on fashion trends and famous catchphrases. Fans began copying Rachel’s hairstyle and Monica’s outfits, making a lasting impression on her show.
“The show influenced my appearance. I also had hair like Rachel when I was younger,” Brillantes said.
With the rise of these trends, “Friends” continued to have a long-lasting impact and prove its relevance in today’s society. Pop culture continues to revolve around our lives and shape our culture for the better.
“The show uses dialogue and emotions that I don’t encounter on a daily basis. It exposed me to a different side of American culture that I was unfamiliar with, and it helped me understand the culture better.” said Kubota.