Improving Listening Skills with Movies and Captions

Probably everyone studying English has heard of friends who use TV and movies to improve their skills. Indeed, watching movies and TV shows can be a highly effective way to improve your English listening skills, vocabulary, and understanding of real-world usage. And it is fun! To get the most out of this method, it’s important to follow a structured approach and use high-quality content where the language has been thoughtfully translated. Disney movies and AppleTV shows are usually excellent choices due to their careful translation and clear dialogue.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use movies and captions to enhance your English listening skills:

Step 1: Watch in Your Native Language

Start by watching a TV drama or movie in your native language. This helps you understand the storyline, characters, and context without the added challenge of language learning.

Step 2: Watch in Your Native Language with English Subtitles

Next, watch the same content in your native language but with English subtitles. This helps you start associating English words and phrases with the context you already understand.

Step 3: Watch in English with English Subtitles

Now, watch the movie or show in English with English subtitles. This step allows you to see how spoken English corresponds to the written form, helping you improve both listening and reading skills simultaneously. Note the words that don't sound quite the same as they are written. A sentence such as, "I want to eat something fresh," may sound like, "I wanna eat somethin fresh." The letter "t" at the end of the word can be pronounced in many ways and, as shown, not pronounced at all. This is just one example of how learning to read and learning to listen is so difficult. 

Step 4: Watch in English without Subtitles

Finally, watch the content in English without any subtitles. This is the most challenging step but also the most beneficial. It trains your ear to understand spoken English without any visual aids.

Benefits of This Method

1. Training Your Ear:

Watching movies in this structured manner helps you get accustomed to different accents, intonations, and speeds of speech. It improves your ability to understand spoken English in various contexts.

2. Expanding Vocabulary:

You’ll encounter new vocabulary and phrases in context, which helps you remember and use them more effectively. Repeated exposure through subtitles and dialogue reinforces learning.

3. Understanding Real-World Usage:

Movies and TV shows expose you to idiomatic expressions, slang, and cultural references that are often missing from traditional language courses. This understanding of real-world usage is crucial for fluency.

Tips for Success

 1. Repeat the Process:

Don’t rush through the steps. Repeat each step as many times as necessary until you feel comfortable with the content in that stage. Note: Find a show you can watch repeatedly!

 2. Take Notes:

Keep a notebook to jot down new words and phrases along with their meanings and usage examples. Review these notes regularly.

 3. Engage with the Content:

After watching, try to discuss the plot, characters, and your thoughts on the movie or show with others, either in person or through online forums. This practice reinforces your learning and improves your speaking skills. Even better, be one of the characters and say their dialogue aloud.

 4. Be Patient:

Learning a language takes time. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the process of learning through engaging and entertaining content.

By following these steps and using high-quality content, you’ll find your English listening skills, vocabulary, and overall comprehension will significantly improve. Happy watching and learning!

Stay tuned for more language learning tips from Famous James Adventures!