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Using subtitles from foreign movies to learn a new language


Preya_M

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I don't know the methods that others use when attempting to learn a new language, but I use movies and videos with subtitles. By reading the subtitles I can learn what the said phrases mean and I can mimic the way they are said. One example would be Japanese, the language is so vast with so many grammatical and pronunciation rules; when you hear it from simple shows you can understand how to use them.  Do you use subtitled videos as well to learn new languages?

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To tell you the truth I hate movies with subtitles. I do not think that i would learn from a movie. I would get irritated and just not learn anything. However, I would recommend the method to my friend interested in Chinese.

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I watch movies with subtitles, but I don't use it to learn a new language. I just do it because I like the movie but not for other reason. I watch korean movies, french movies and japanese movies. I'm using subtitles everytime I watch those kind of movies.

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I think it's a good method to learn languages, at least for a first approach as with more complicated subjects there are usually expressions that don't translate very well from language to language and the subtitlers just use a similar expression, not the one used.

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I think it's a good method to learn languages, at least for a first approach as with more complicated subjects there are usually expressions that don't translate very well from language to language and the subtitlers just use a similar expression, not the one used.

That's true some of what they say don't translate well with subtitles. I think it's great for learning the basics of a language, like saying greeting and parting phrases. You can also pick up on many words like this. I find it very helpful with Hindi movies and Japanese animation shows; you can pick up on the language pretty fast.  :smile:

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Hey Preya, do you learn Hindi too?  :grin:  Anyway I think that it depends on your level in the language, you can pick up some things with subtitles, but I don't think you can learn a whole new language just on that. You will need textbooks, grammars and workbooks and listen to native speakers and reading in the language. But it deffintly can't hurt to watch movies with subtitles, when I first started learning Hindi I watched movies with subtitles. I turn off subtitles now because I think now it hurts more than helps because I get lazy reading them and not trying to understand. But in the beggining it is a great way to hear the language and get used to it. It helps improve your accent and you will pick up on words! :D

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I have heard of plenty people who use that method to learn languages. I myself could use such a method to learn languages, because I already do something similar. Every week I read Manga, which is a Japanese comic. I also watch Anime which is in Japanese and is subbed in English.

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I think watching subtitled movies can be very helpful, as part of an immersion process.  I always found it fascinating to hear how the language was used in real-life situations, or at least least as "real life" as a movie might be.  Even if you can't pick up all of the language and/or they are using unfamiliar dialects, colloquialisms or idioms, it's still useful because it can help you get used to hearing the language spoken.

But I agree with others who note that it can't replace the disciplined study of the language.  It can be a good supplement.  I also think it's gratifying as you progress in language study to be able to understand more and more.  I was quite excited as I got more proficient in Spanish to be able to get more absorbed in watching a movie and not have to spend as much time following subtitles and sometimes missing a bit of the action. 

So that's very motivating, to get to the point where subtitles are not needed as much or, ultimately, not at all. :)

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It can be useful. Especially of you are already familiar with the movie in English. I remember that we watched Lion King in my spanish class. I new that movie so well that I was able to connect the Spanish parts to the english parts in my mind. It was a really awesome way to learn!

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I actually do this and find it really useful. I want to learn Japanese. I play video games and watch anime and I use subtitles to help me understand the dialogues and learn the characters at the same time. I used to do this just because I find it fun, but when I decided that I really want to learn Japanese, I took it more seriously.

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Hey Preya, do you learn Hindi too?  :grin:  Anyway I think that it depends on your level in the language, you can pick up some things with subtitles, but I don't think you can learn a whole new language just on that. You will need textbooks, grammars and workbooks and listen to native speakers and reading in the language. But it deffintly can't hurt to watch movies with subtitles, when I first started learning Hindi I watched movies with subtitles. I turn off subtitles now because I think now it hurts more than helps because I get lazy reading them and not trying to understand. But in the beggining it is a great way to hear the language and get used to it. It helps improve your accent and you will pick up on words! :D

I haven't actually taken a Hindi class, but I'm pretty sure that I could learn it if I actually sat down and tried (because I've been watching Hindi films since I was a child and you pick up on certain words here and there). Indeed it is a great way to improve accents. I've gotten so used to how they speak, I can sometimes understand when I'm multitasking. I've never found subtitles distracting though, I guess it's because I'm very used to it.

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I have heard of plenty people who use that method to learn languages. I myself could use such a method to learn languages, because I already do something similar. Every week I read Manga, which is a Japanese comic. I also watch Anime which is in Japanese and is subbed in English.

I think Japanese especially is one of those languages that people use subtitles for. Even if you don't chose to learn the language, by continuously watching foreign movies with subtitles you unconsciously pick up on what they say and their grammar usages (one example would be distinguishing male and female terms like onii-chan[/i. I also watch anime sometimes and read manga.  :grin:

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