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- Does watching movies in diffe…
Does watching movies in different languages help to learn?
I'm listening to the Dr. Horrible soundtrack right now, and I was wondering if watching movies or listening to songs in different languages actually helps to learn the language better?
28 Comments
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True. It only takes a short while before you hear the gaps between the words and a short while later before you hear the gaps between the syllables.
I find it useless at the beginning, but once you can hear 25% of the words or more, it would speed up your learning process because you can start figuring out the missing words. The trick is to know which movies are good for you at what stage of your learning. Most beginners just watch whatever they can find, and that's not helpful.
I don't agree. While it's definitely much more beneficial, it's not useless either. My approach is to dive into the language and it's worked for me so far. Actually, consuming content in your target language before studying helps you a lot with pronunciation since you have a vague idea about how it should sound. Surrounding yourself with the language from day 1 is the best method.
I agree. When I learned Arabic, music and TV helped. Repeating what you hear, even if you have no idea what it means or can't read a new alphabet yet - helps with intonation, inflection and overall phonetic confidence. Being insecure about pronunciation is one big reason why people quit foreign language study.
When I was little I got into the habit of watching subtitled TV in my own language, and I'd write down any word I didn't know. I continued this habit with other languages and it helps a LOT.
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I can tell you that it works, in my case, most part of my English I learned watching TV shows and always put the closed caption to know the words and what they say, maybe my English is not 100% good but now I can hear someone talk in English and I understand very well, actually I'm learning Danish using English because Danish is not available for Spanish speaker so I have no choice just use English. In conclusion watching movies, TV shows and listening music it works a lot and then you have to practice.
I agree. I did the same thing, even in my native English, and improved my Spanish with music, and my French with subtitled TV. In another example, all Arabs know Levantine and Egyptian Arabic dialects because of the popularity of Lebanese and Egyptian music & TV. In contrast, Arabic from the Gulf and from the Maghreb isn't widely understood and it's because Gulf music isn't popular outside of the Gulf (with the exception of Morocco) and they choose not to represent their culture in film/TV. Artists from the Maghreb tend to conform to the Egyptian style and don't popularize their dialect, so people don't know it. I think it's sad, because failing to adequately represent yourself allows others to misrepresent you.
I've got Connie Francis singing in Spanish more or less on loop at present, thanks to YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCnM3LWxUH4
I prefer pure listening to watching stuff since I can half listen while doing something else.
Yes it does! I watch movies in German and in Spanish. And I am amazed how having the vocabulary in context helps.
Especially if you are familiar with the movie already, it can be extremely helpful! For example, I've got a serious love for the movie The Shining, and I pretty much know exactly what they are saying at any given point, so listening in another language is fairly easy. (vs. using subtitles) I love to watch the DVD in French or Spanish to strengthen those skills once in a while. Just listening to a language you're working on (even if you don't know exactly what the translation is) can get your brain moving in the right direction. :)
Absolutely! My favorite strategy is to watch movies I've already seen (hello Disney) both dubbed and subbed in my target language. However tempting, I've found it's not very helpful to have either the dubs or subs in your native language, because it really interferes with your absorption of the target language.
Most language courses also tend towards the formal, and watching movies helps you get a better sense of how people actually speak.
I think it does as a supplement, but it can't be the only thing. It is a useful exercise in listening and comprehension, though, and it's amazing how much films rely on visual cues and things that don't require language. It's a good way to appreciate film, as well as learning a language.
Interestingly, I had a real test the other day when I watched a movie in a language I didn't know at all, with subtitles in the language I'm trying to learn. It was quite the experience - I think I got most of the movie, though!