Learning Languages by Movies

[Dieselfit]

I think this is a great way to learn a new language. Whether it's a foreign language or something that you need to refresh yourself with. Movies are great for just that. It's a great way to learn new words and perhaps some slang in the language. Sometimes it isn't the best source for grammar and such. Communication is probably the most you'll learn from a movie. Have you ever learned a language from a movie?

[caparica007]

Most movies here in Portugal are in English and that helps a lot to acquire new vocabulary and to work on the accent. Sometimes I also watch the German channels do that I can practice a little and don't forget the language.

[pftsusan]

In MO if you watch them without the subtitle, you may learn the language better. For subjects that interest me like Martial Arts, I will choose the films in Spanish or Chinese to pick up the flow of the language.

This is a good start, although I really would have to learn the verbs and nouns later. By the way, I know of some people who live in Portugal, who speak better Native American English as their second tongue, more clearer than me. :-)

[jessfun]

I think it's a great way to get exposure into the pronunciation, tone, and delivery of some of the words.

When I was in high school and was learning french, we would often watch french videos, or learn by listening to audiotapes.

Having exposure through movie watching should be used in conjunction with active studying of the grammar and vocabulary to ensure proficiency in the language.

[polybus]

Movies are a great source of listening practice and new vocabulary for me. The problem is if I want to enjoy the movie then I like to turn the subtitles on so that I can follow the movie, but if the subtitles are in English then I can't help but look at them and then I don't pay enough attention to the target language. If I leave subtitles off then it is better listening practice, but if I don't know the language well enough I miss some of the plot. If I have lots of time I watch the movie once with subtitles and then once or more without.

[mareebaybay]

I am very familiar with learning languages by movies. One of my old Spanish teachers use to have us learn Spanish by watching movies. Although learning Spanish by watching movies is a easier way to learn but I myself do not prefer to learn this way.

[Miya]

I watch a lot of foreign movies and I can definitely say it helps. Not only does it help you get used to hearing the language, but if you turn on the subtitles, you can also see the characters and (somewhat) follow along.

I always tell myself I'm "studying" when I watch Japanese movies 

[GearZ]

I have not used this technique myself, but I have a good friend who is Hungarian who told me this helped him greatly in learning English.  His English is quite good these days, so I think there is something to it.  I still help him with some of the idioms, but he's well on his way to fluency.

[wannalurnspanish]

I haven't had a lot of luck learning this way because I always wuss out and turn on the subtitles. I can read the language way better than I speak and hear it, so I really should just be listening to it, but if the Spanish is "fuzzy" (not really clear) I'll just go and turn them on. For some reason I can't really remember any of the new words I do see on the screen when I'm reading subtitles, or that's when the words spoken don't match up with the words written, and I can't guess the meaning,

[Xikro]

I think it's a great way to get exposure into the pronunciation, tone, and delivery of some of the words.

I agree. Movies/TV shows can be a great way to get a grasp on pronunciation but I don't think it's possible to learn a language just from movies if that's what the OP had in mind.

The reason I say that is because I've been watching anime (Japanese cartoons) since I was incredibly young, and I don't think I've learned much Japanese from them, aside from a few words here and there. I think movies/tv shows can be a great tool in addition to your learning, but solely relying on learning from movies, I'm not too sure.

[LauraM]

I have found movies without the subtitles helpful.  For me it was part of the immersion process when I was learning Spanish.  I also listened to a lot of radio, as background sound, and also watched some television.

Movies would draw me in, as I would be captivated by the images and the unfolding narrative.  Hearing words and sentences in context helped me to understand them, and I would sometimes jot words down to look them up later on. 

It's a great language learning process, I think, but yet at the same time does not feel rigorous or intensive.  It plays upon our curiosity to learn more and know more, and to want to know, just what are they talking about!

[MyDigitalpoint]

While I have to agree that movies are of great help to learn English, I would like to point at pronunciation.

If you like to watch movies from the 1940s-1950s, the pronunciations sounds neat and English is easy to understand. The 1960s-1970s are still comprehensible but at this stage we begin to listen to idiomatic expression and different accents whether if the movies if a USA production or from the UK.

From the 1980 and onward, there are time when it's hard to understand what people says, and not just for English learners, but also for many English speaking natives.

However this is a good hearing training because one way or another you will find in real life people that talks English in too many ways and speaking speed.

[DiesIrae]

Movies and shows help me out by giving the pronunciation and then being used in ordinary sentences that aren't being introduced in language lessons. It also gives me an idea of the social context of which some words are used. So, it's really a mixed bag of learning.

[JoeDirt]

That's how I did it, but just watching is not enough, you need to listen carefully and try to understand to build your english vocabulary, subtiles help a lot because you get to know what every word means, then you don't only learn the word, you also learn its meaning.

[Red151]

For one year in high school i took an Italian classes because i already knew Spanish. One of the primary teaching methods was showing movies in Italian and taking notes on the speech patterns. I found it extremely helpful watching movies that i've already seen in English in Italian. We watched Shrek and a few others.

[resilientsage29]

This is probably one of the best ways to learn a new language. You get to know how to pronounce the words as well as how people use it in sentences to convey what they mean. It will easily make you recall words and pronunciation from the movies you've watched.

[GetFresh]

It's an interesting way to learn, that's for sure. You're going to need subtitles for sure tough. It's hard just listening to dialogue alone without words to help you out.

[lizbeth19hph]

I believe watching movies in the language one is learning is also one effective way to get used to the language. I often tell my students who were learning English to watch English movies and programs so they can be familiar with the expressions and conversations.

[justusforus]

For one year in high school i took an Italian classes because i already knew Spanish. One of the primary teaching methods was showing movies in Italian and taking notes on the speech patterns. I found it extremely helpful watching movies that i've already seen in English in Italian. We watched Shrek and a few others.

That sounds like a great idea to see movies that you have already seen.  I have watched foreign language films but never thought of that aspect.  I think overall watching movies is a good and entertaining way to learn.

[Champollion]

Movies are a good way to get language practice but I do recommend subtitles for beginners.

However, they can be really demoralising if the dialogue is too fast and full of idioms, so it's also a good idea to choose your film carefully: something not too fast and also something you like. If you don't like one type of movie  you're just going to get bored, and that's bad for learning.

IMHO I prefer documentaries. They speak more slowly, the images are related to the dialogue, and you learn stuff about any subject you like. There are some good webpages like www.youtubedocumentaries.com with lots of choice.