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 individuals suggest that we stop wasting time and become more committed to the task before us.
However, movies can’t be as bad as some might consider.
But as a matter of fact, flicks can be as effective and efficient in teaching people a new foreign tongue.
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Why TV-Series and Movies can 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 than just randomly selected from any list.
We tend to be more productive in memorizing and remembering words that have some context. It is the reason most vocabulary words enrich with examples.
It will enable us to see how it can be used in grammar, sentence, phrase, 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 with no knowledge of the language makes it difficult to learn.
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 the language, you can then sit back, watch movies and learn a great deal.
Benefits Of Learning A New Language Through Movies
There are countless perks associated while 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 — it’s an entertaining way to immerse yourself in it.
- 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 the ones provided 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 enables you to gain new idioms and techniques for expressing new ideas quickly. 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—the same way that natives speak them.
- When you view a film, you’re in total control of the speed of learning. You can fast forward, rewind, make it in slow motion, or even pause for a while.
- Language education needs not be boring and 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
Today, movies and television series are increasingly available through video on demand, online streaming apps, and tv channels.
1. Netflix
Netflix provides several international movies having super subtitling options. You can toggle the English and your target language subtitle on or off.
Other magical options than the English subtitle can be discovered, enabling reading along when listening for easy recognition of words.
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 across the world.
A massive library comprising the latest films, TV shows, documentaries, original shows, and more are available on Prime Video. You can conveniently watch whenever you want.
3. iTunes Movie Trailers
This service offers thousands of international movie trailers via iTunes.
These trailers come subtitled in English, which makes them easier to follow. Since most of these trailers are just a few minutes in length, they are usually less overwhelming.
4. Other streaming sites
Besides Netflix and Prime, several websites and apps like 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 necessary information required in the film before viewing.
You can also check out the rating and description on other review sites like Rotten Tomatoes, Guardian, NYTimes, and Yahoo Movies.
7 Proven ways to learn a language with Movies & TV-Shows
Learning a foreign language can be quite 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 pretty tricky, especially if you are still new to listening practices.
An incredible way 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 any 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 what the cinema portrays, the flick’s level to ensure it can work well with your expertise.
For instance, beginners can opt for children’s movies. At the same time, intermediate-level learners can choose thriller, action, musicals, and simple romantic stories.
Professional speakers can opt for dramas, biography, and dark humor.
Also, don’t forget to make sure the lexicon is valuable.
You can go for romantic or comedy 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. Doing 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 that comes from 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 plays a crucial role in most language training, it should also be employed when learning through movies.
Re-watching these small segments will also be very easy and provide more understanding since they are just a few minutes in length.
Once you have fully grasped a particular section, you can then proceed to the next one.
5. Pen down new phrases and vocabularies
Did you discover any new words and expressions when watching a movie or tv shows?
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 its meaning whenever you come across it 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 various possibilities and express your opinions in your target language. It will help you improve your language learning skills without wasting any second.
7. Modify your subtitle options
Let me admit, watching foreign movies without subtitles is a daunting task.
So, you can become familiar with the film by initially using the English subtitle.
But make sure you don’t focus too much on the subtitles because it can easily distract you from experience at play.
But as time goes on, you can either select the subtitle option for your preferred language or switch off the subtitle option.
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 are required to view the foreign film 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?
