The author, a medical practitioner in the United States, looks back upon his experience as an international graduate student and the role that television played in helping him improve his speaking skills. In this testimony to the motivational value inherent in "entertaining" programs such as animated features for children or situational comedies for adults, the author points out for teachers and students alike various factors that can positively influence the effectiveness of using televised broadcasts to improve the language learner's speaking ability, most notably pronunciation skills.
