Vyvchennya inozemnoyi movy po filmakh: efektyvno chy ni?
Parents often want their children to learn at least one foreign language from an early age. Sometimes people also begin learning languages as adults. Lviv English tutor helps students understand grammar rules, expand their vocabulary, and develop their speaking skills. However, students sometimes take additional steps, such as watching films in the original language in an attempt to remember phrases and words. Is this really effective?
The benefits of watching films in a foreign language
There are several good reasons for beginners to watch films in the foreign language they are learning. Here are some of them:
- you can get used to the sounds and rhythms of the language, as well as certain cultural peculiarities;
- you can notice certain words and phrases that the characters use frequently;
- this helps reinforce the knowledge gained with a tutor; for example, if you learn new words with a teacher and then hear them in a film, this will help you remember the vocabulary better;
- motivation is the key to learning a language; if you love English-language films, this passion for the culture will motivate you to continue learning the language; moreover, you will probably continue watching films, which will strengthen your familiarity with the language;
- if you are going to spend the evening watching a film anyway, it is better for it to be in the language you are learning.
It is worth noting that watching films in a foreign language does have benefits. However, this method should be used only as an additional one.
Why can watching films in a foreign language be harmful?
Now let us look at the other side of the issue and determine how watching films in a foreign language can be harmful.
- The language level in a film may be too high for you to understand the content and the events taking place. Improving your language requires you to notice interesting features of the language in what people say. To do this, you need to listen to complex spoken language that is slightly above your current level.
- Watching a film is a passive experience, without any interaction from the student. A study of young children’s learning showed that those who learned passively (by watching television) improved their knowledge much more slowly than those who interacted with a real person.
- There is no genuine listening practice in a foreign language. Do not think that you are really listening to the language. If you turn on subtitles, you are actually reading. And you are reading in your native language. Yes, you can still hear the foreign language, but this is not the focused listening you could otherwise expect.
- Films are long! No other learning activity lasts around 2 hours without changes or student involvement. You cannot stay focused. And during those 2 hours, how focused are you really on the language? You are probably trying to enjoy the film at the same time, which means you will inevitably spend more of your time on the subtitles and the plot than on the foreign language spoken by the characters.
- There is no accompanying text to help you. Even if there were one, it would be too long. Compare this with a short dialogue in a textbook that parents bought for helping a child learn a language. You can break down the dialogue in a book into parts and learn it, return to it, and analyze it whenever you want to understand something.
- You cannot listen to it many times (without a significant investment of time). Real improvement in your listening skills means listening to a recording several times, listening carefully, and trying to notice something new each time. With a film that lasts 1.5-2 hours, this is unlikely to work.
Conclusion
Learning a language is a comprehensive process that should involve literature, a teacher, practice, and additional opportunities. Watching films in a foreign language at the initial stage is probably unnecessary. Not understanding the content may scare you and discourage you from continuing to learn the language. Once a student has reached a certain level, it is better for them to watch films whose plots they already know. This way, they can avoid being distracted by the characters or events and focus on the lines, vocabulary, and intonation. Later, when a student can independently speak about various topics in a foreign language, full-length films with plenty of slang, conversational vocabulary, and wordplay can be recommended. It is also possible to remember interesting phrases and then use them in spoken or written communication.
It is worth noting that watching films in a foreign language does have benefits. However, this method should be used only as an additional one.
