Learning English Through Movies

Learning English through TV Shows and Movies

This is an accessible method for everyone to learn a foreign language. To enhance the effectiveness of your learning and avoid unnecessary mistakes, we have prepared 10 important tips. Follow them.

• Watch movies in the original language

  Do not watch movies in translation if you are learning a foreign language. Learning English through movies is only possible in the original language, which in your case is English. If you only occasionally listen to the original language, you will miss out on hearing the characters, and thus the cultural context and speech diversity.

• Watch shows and movies with subtitles in different languages

  Watching movies with English subtitles is useful for learning the language. Don’t overlook this opportunity. This applies to all languages you understand. For example, if Russian is your native language, try watching movies in Russian with English subtitles. If informal language is used, you will better understand how certain phrases are translated into English.

• Watch for enjoyment

  Focus on what’s important – the speech, facial expressions, and gestures of the actors. Don’t stress during viewing. Enjoy yourself. If you don’t understand part of the plot, watch the movie again.

• Joy? Sadness? Flirting?

  Can you identify the emotion from the character's voice? The tone varies across all languages. What indicates anger in one language might be a manner of speaking in another. If you don’t infuse the right emotions into the words, you might be misunderstood or even incorrectly perceived as having negative feelings. A movie is a great opportunity to see how native speakers express emotions in different situations.

• Watch the movie without subtitles

  Try turning off the subtitles and understand the content by ear, even if intuitively. If you see an unfamiliar word, try to understand its meaning intuitively. If your level of understanding is low, try to grasp the context of each situation. Looks, gestures, and eye and hand movements will serve as "clues." Keywords usually repeat many times. For example, if the film is about a chef, there will be a lot of talk about food, kitchens, plates, etc. Hearing these words frequently will significantly increase the likelihood of remembering them.

• Watch the movie without subtitles, then read the script

  There are different ways to approach this. For example, you might first read the script, translate unfamiliar words, and then watch the video. Alternatively, watch the video without subtitles, write down what you understood, then read the script and look up the meanings of unfamiliar words in a dictionary.

• Listen without looking at the screen

  This is an exercise in listening skills, as without the visual component you will need to focus on the speech. If needed, pause and rewind. If necessary, listen to the segment again.

• Listen, watch, read, and take notes

  Now watch the same scenes with subtitles on. What did listening alone give you? How about listening with video? And the video with subtitles? By regularly performing this exercise, you will notice how much you have progressed in understanding a foreign language. Most importantly, remember to experiment. Over time, you might find that some exercises are more effective.

• Create flashcards

  Write new words on flashcards: one side in English, the other side with the translation in your native language. Don’t forget to do this regularly. Only by repeating new words can you solidify your success. Learning English through movies also means expanding your vocabulary.

• Become actors

  If you attend language classes, reinforce your learning of English through movies. For example, you can coordinate with your teacher and classmates to act out a scene, mimicking the gestures and intonation of the actors.