Do you find studying a new language complicated and tedious? The good thing is there are ways to make it enjoyable and simple. One such method is to learn a language with movies and TV series. Why and How? Let’s take a look.
We all know that speaking a foreign language opens the door to new worlds of possibility.
Watching films in another language can provide an excellent learning experience.
Movies usually have a bad rap, as most suggest we stop wasting time and become more committed to the task before us.
However, movies can’t be as bad as some might consider.
However, flicks can effectively and efficiently teach people a new foreign tongue.
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Why can TV series and movies help you learn a language?
If someone asks who shouted, “I am the king of the world, Woohooo….”, I’m sure that Leonardo DiCaprio in “Titanic” will come to your mind.
It is because cinemas offer memorable contexts, especially foreign-language movies. This will bring you closer to converting important language information into a memory that will last long.
You can quickly memorize words from a talkie rather than randomly selecting them from any list.
We tend to be more productive in memorizing and remembering words with some context. This is why most vocabulary words are enriched with examples.
It will show us how it can be used in grammar, sentences, phrases, and real-life scenarios.
These practical contexts are automatically present in a movie through adoring characters, engaging plots, and epic conversations. The humorous scenes, sudden twists, killer lines, and captivating musical scores all are icing on the cake.
All these are very crucial for effective memorization, like complete dialogues.
However, learning a different language through films requires watching the movie a couple of times actively.
Jotting down vocabularies, predicting dialogues, checking out scenes, and listening to lines are all part of active watching that can help you become familiar with several essential vocabulary words, phrases, and the use of the language.
Can you speak fluently just by watching movies and TV shows?
I don’t recommend that only by watching films and TV series, you try to learn a new language entirely.
Movies in foreign languages are just like supplements to acquire a new language.
You must first understand, and then only you can learn.
Viewing a foreign language movie without knowledge of the language makes learning difficult.
You can indeed consider foreign language courses and other vital resources like books and audio lessons, to name a few.
As a beginner, it may seem overwhelming at first.
But gradually, when you reach a higher level of understanding of the language, you can sit back, watch movies, and learn much.
Benefits Of Learning A New Language Through Movies
There are countless perks associated with choosing to learn a new language through movies. Some of them are:
- Language is a culture, and you can witness the best of it in motion pictures. You will become aware of new cultural conditions — an entertaining way to immerse yourself.
- Films provide an excellent method of observing different body languages and other oral and non-verbal cues.
- The vocabulary in flicks is far more authentic than those in textbooks.
- Learning a language by watching movies or television shows makes you a great listener. You develop an ear for accents, diction, slang, varieties, pronunciations, dialects, etc.
- It lets you learn new idioms and techniques for quickly expressing new ideas. It also helps you retain the words you’re trying to pick up.
- Movies reveal languages used in real-life situations. You hear natural expressions—in the same way that natives speak them.
- When you view a film, you’re in total control of the learning speed. You can fast forward, rewind, make it in slow motion, or even pause for a while.
- Language education needs not be dull. Watching movies and television series are just a few things you can do and enjoy by yourself.
Valuable resources on language learning through Movies & Tv-Series
Movies and television series are increasingly available through video-on-demand, online streaming apps, and TV channels.
1. Netflix
Netflix provides several international movies with super subtitling options. You can toggle the English and your target language subtitles on or off.
Other magical options than the English subtitle can be discovered, such as enabling reading along when listening for easy word recognition.
Netflix is the most popular online streaming movie channel in the world.
2. Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is one of the most popular online streaming video channels.
It offers widespread visibility of your favorite movies and TV series in several languages worldwide.
Prime Video has a massive library comprising the latest films, TV shows, documentaries, original shows, and more. You can conveniently watch whenever you want.
3. iTunes Movie Trailers
This service offers thousands of international movie trailers via iTunes.
These trailers are subtitled in English, which makes them easier to follow. Since most are just a few minutes in length, they are usually less overwhelming.
4. Other streaming sites
Besides Netflix and Prime, several websites and apps, such as Hulu, HBO Go/Now, Disney Plus, Apple TV, YouTube, etc., offer a massive collection of movies and TV series.
Some apps also teach you languages through videos. Check my review → Is Lingopie worth it?
In India, you can watch your favorite movies and TV shows on Hotstar, JioCinema, HOOQ, Voot, BigFlix, SonyLiv, Zee5, Yuvi, Viu, Hungama, Mubi, Tubi TV, and many more.
5. IMDb
IMDb offers several kinds of movie reviews and summaries that make it easy to discover popular foreign movies.
Although these summaries are usually available in English, they provide the information required in the film before viewing.
You can also check out the ratings and descriptions on other review sites, such as Rotten Tomatoes, Guardian, NYTimes, and Yahoo Movies.
7 Proven ways to learn a language with Movies & TV-Shows
Learning a foreign language can be overwhelming since you have to sit back for about two hours or more to grasp every conversation in the movie.
The methods provided here will make the learning process less strenuous and focus more on the film’s language, as the plot alone can divert your attention.
1. Start with small length movies
Starting with a full-length movie can be tricky, especially if you are still new to listening practices.
An incredible way to do this is to start small before migrating to entire films in the future.
You can begin with clips, scenes, or just trailers.
It will give you an idea of watching your preferred movie or TV series in your target language without fuss.
2. Be careful about your movie selection
Make sure your preferred movie is the right option for you.
You can do this by paying close attention to the cinema’s portrayal and the flick’s level to ensure they complement your expertise.
For instance, beginners can choose children’s movies. At the same time, intermediate-level learners can choose thrillers, action, musicals, or simple romantic stories.
Professional speakers can opt for dramas, biographies, and dark humor.
Also, don’t forget to make sure the lexicon is valuable.
You can go to romantic or comedic movies if you are particular about vocabulary.
3. Break the movie into small segments
You don’t have to watch the complete movie all at once.
You can break the flick and episodes into smaller segments. This can be very easy in films, as scenes usually have a beginning and endpoint.
Dividing into small parts is the best way to focus on vocabulary and pronounce it correctly.
It will make approaching the movie less stressful and enable you to concentrate more on the context provided by the plot.
4. Watch the same category twice
Studying something anew helps to retain complete information.
A vital aspect of learning is watching similar scenes all over again.
Since repetition is crucial in most language training, it should also be employed when learning through movies.
Re-watching these small segments will be easy and provide more understanding since they are just a few minutes long.
You can proceed to the next one once you fully grasp a particular section.
5. Pen down new phrases and vocabularies
Did you discover new words and expressions when watching a movie or TV show?
You can write it down and continue watching.
Your movie session can be interrupted if you start looking up new phrases when watching them.
However, writing it down can help you look up the words after watching the film, which will enable you to understand their meaning whenever you encounter them again.
6. Communicate with movies & tv-shows
Watching a movie is usually a one-way mode. The characters talk, and you listen. Fortunately, you can also communicate with the film.
A method of doing this is to pause the motion picture and speak in your preferred language about what you think will happen next.
You can write about various possibilities and express your opinions in your target language. This will help you improve your language learning skills without wasting a second.
7. Modify your subtitle options
Let me admit that watching foreign movies without subtitles is a daunting task.
So, you can become familiar with the film by initially using the English subtitles.
But don’t focus too much on the subtitles; they can easily distract you from the experience of the play.
However, as time passes, you can either select the subtitle option for your preferred language or switch it off.
It will surprise you how quickly you can pick the language.
Takeaway
To take full advantage of watching foreign movies concerning your language-learning endeavors, you must view foreign films and study and memorize them.
You should also treat your approach to watching foreign movies the same way you treat other language learning methods and your efforts.
You can try it out to learn a language with movies, and in the process, you end up learning the language.
Let me know your stories. Which language films helped you learn a foreign language?
