Why you CAN’T understand TV and movies without subtitles (and how to fix that)
TLDRThe speaker discusses the challenges of understanding TV shows and movies in a foreign language, particularly English and Spanish, and shares personal experiences and strategies for overcoming these difficulties. They emphasize the importance of using subtitles, watching educational content, and gradually increasing the complexity of the material to improve listening skills. The video also highlights the use of Lingo Pie, a platform designed for language learners to watch movies and shows with interactive subtitles and built-in flashcards to aid in language acquisition. The speaker encourages viewers to be patient with themselves, focusing on one accent at a time and understanding that cultural references may take time to grasp.
Takeaways
- 😖 Struggling with understanding TV shows in a foreign language is a common challenge, especially when native speakers talk fast and blend words together.
- 🎯 Initially, the speaker thought using subtitles was detrimental, but later found them helpful in improving listening skills and understanding more words.
- 🌟 Watching educational content on platforms like YouTube can be a more accessible starting point for language learners to build vocabulary and comprehension.
- 🚫 Sometimes it's necessary to stop watching a show if it's too difficult, and instead focus on content that matches the learner's current language level.
- 📚 Setting language goals, like reading a book in the target language, can motivate learners and provide a clear direction for their studies.
- 🤔 The use of idioms and slang in TV shows and movies can be perplexing for language learners, who may need to look up meanings and memorize them for future use.
- 👀 Using subtitles in the target language can assist in learning new expressions and idioms by providing instant translations for unfamiliar words.
- 📈 Lingo Pie is a platform designed for language learners to watch movies and TV shows with interactive subtitles, built-in flashcards, and quizzes to reinforce learning.
- 🗣️ Accents and dialects can add an extra layer of difficulty when understanding spoken language, and it's okay for learners to focus on one accent at a time.
- 🏞️ Cultural context and references in media can be challenging for language learners who are not familiar with the region's culture, but exposure to popular media can help.
- 🌍 Embracing the fact that not understanding every joke or reference is okay, and that language skills will improve over time with continued exposure and practice.
Q & A
What is the main problem discussed in the video script?
-The main problem discussed is the difficulty of understanding TV shows and movies in a foreign language, especially when the language learner is at a beginner level.
Why did the speaker initially think using subtitles was a bad thing?
-The speaker initially believed that using subtitles would hinder their ability to improve their listening skills in English, as they felt they should understand everything without any assistance.
How did subtitles eventually help the speaker in their language learning process?
-Subtitles helped the speaker by allowing them to recognize and understand more words in English, which in turn improved their listening comprehension.
What is the speaker's opinion on using educational YouTube videos for language learning?
-The speaker finds educational YouTube videos beneficial for language learning, as they provide a more controlled environment with explanations of vocabulary and grammar, which can be more accessible for beginners.
Why did the speaker stop watching a particular show when they couldn't understand it?
-The speaker stopped watching the show because they realized it was too difficult for their current language level and decided to focus on more accessible content to build up their skills gradually.
What is the role of lingo pie in the speaker's language learning experience?
-Lingo pie is a platform that the speaker uses to watch movies and TV shows with interactive subtitles, which provide instant translations and built-in flashcards, making language learning more interactive and efficient.
How does the speaker address the issue of idioms and slang in language learning?
-The speaker uses subtitles to identify idioms and slang, looks up meanings they don't understand, and creates flashcards for memorization, allowing them to gradually learn and use these expressions.
What is the speaker's approach to dealing with different accents and dialects in language learning?
-The speaker initially focuses on one accent, in this case, American English, to avoid feeling overwhelmed. They master that accent before gradually exposing themselves to others.
How does the speaker handle cultural context and references in foreign language media?
-The speaker acknowledges that understanding cultural context can be difficult and chooses to focus on popular shows and movies from the target language's country to familiarize themselves with the culture over time.
What advice does the speaker give regarding setting goals in language learning?
-The speaker suggests setting specific goals, such as reading a book in the target language, and working towards them by gradually increasing the complexity of the content they consume.
How does the speaker feel about the use of flashcards in language learning?
-The speaker highly recommends the use of flashcards, as they have significantly improved their language learning process by helping them memorize new vocabulary effectively.
Outlines
🎬 Understanding TV Shows in a Foreign Language
The speaker discusses the common struggle of watching TV shows in a foreign language, particularly focusing on English. They share their initial difficulty in recognizing words without subtitles and how subtitles helped improve their listening skills. They also mention their current approach to learning Spanish using the same method. The speaker emphasizes the importance of watching educational content to build vocabulary and comprehension before moving on to more complex shows and movies.
📚 Using Subtitles to Learn Idioms and Slang
The speaker highlights the challenge of understanding idioms and slang in TV shows and movies, which are often not taught in traditional language classes. They explain how using subtitles in the target language can help identify and learn these expressions. They mention the use of flashcards to memorize new phrases and the importance of consuming content regularly to reinforce learning. The speaker introduces LingoPie, a platform designed to help language learners improve their skills through interactive subtitles and built-in flashcards.
🌍 Focusing on One Accent at a Time
The speaker advises focusing on one accent when learning a new language to avoid feeling overwhelmed. They share their personal experience of concentrating on Mexican Spanish and American English, gradually expanding to other accents as their proficiency improved. They stress the importance of cultural context and references in understanding TV shows and movies, acknowledging that it's okay not to understand everything at first. The speaker encourages setting small goals and progressively familiarizing oneself with the target culture through popular shows, movies, and music.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Foreign Language
💡Subtitles
💡Listening Skills
💡Language Learner
💡Pronunciation
💡Educational Content
💡Idioms and Slang
💡Lingo Pie
💡Accents and Dialects
💡Cultural Context
💡Flashcards
Highlights
The challenge of understanding TV in a foreign language without subtitles.
Personal struggle with recognizing words in English during initial language learning.
The misconception that using subtitles hinders language learning.
Subtitles as a tool for improving listening skills and understanding.
The speaker's experience using subtitles to learn English and Spanish.
Difficulty in understanding native speakers' speed and pronunciation.
The natural pace of native speakers being faster than language learners are accustomed to.
Switching to educational YouTube videos to improve comprehension.
The importance of adjusting content difficulty to match language proficiency.
Setting realistic language learning goals, such as reading a book in a foreign language.
The difficulty of understanding idioms and slang in foreign language media.
Using subtitles to learn and memorize new expressions and idioms.
Introduction to lingo pie, a platform for language learning through movies and TV shows.
Lingo pie's interactive features for vocabulary learning and reinforcement.
The challenge of understanding different accents and dialects in foreign language media.
Focusing on one accent to simplify the language learning process.
Cultural context and references as a barrier to understanding foreign language content.
Accepting the limitations of cultural understanding and the importance of gradual learning.
Recommendation to use lingo pie for an immersive language learning experience.
Transcripts
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