Unfortunately all of the VODS for my foreign films (Korean and Japanese) are in subtitles, I try to resist looking at them though and ignore them, next best thing I guess.
I agree, subtitles can be a huge hindrance. Even when I watch movies in German and Vietnamese the English subtitles often use a completely wrong translation.
What I find works for me is watching the movie with English audio and French subtitles. Then I can pick up the English without thinking about it and I understand what's going on. And I put all my effort into reading the French subtitles, and I read them out loud. Now that I'm hitting the intermediate level I'm thinking about watching the video with French audio and French subtitles... We'll see!
I prefer to only watch subtitles if they are in the same language the movie is in, as long as that is not English. I do this because it helps if an actor says something to fast and I don't catch what they said.
i find subtitles in the target language very helpful (found especially in japanese television). i have also watched movies on tv where no sub titles are available and do better in some ways without the distraction of bad subtitles. . great topic ! thanks laoshu!
Yeah, for me, If I watch Japanese movies with English subtitles, I will remember the movie with characters speaking English. The Japanese is completely wiped out. English text just goes straight to my subconscious and I completely forget that I'm reading and not listening. So lately, I try to watch the raws only -- or use black electrical tape to cover up the subtitles.
I remember watching One Piece in Japanese and I remember Luffy said,"Hiza" which it means knee.I was reading the subtitles and they put foot on there. So, subtitles aren't always the best.
I study English.The first time I watch movies with Japanese subtitles and The second time with English subtitles.Japanese subtitles are often bad.With English subtitles,It's too busy hitting the pause button and seeing dictionary.Anyway,I can't enjoy watching.
so i decided to take your advice to watch a movie without subs. i'm trying to learn korean and chinese cantonese by myself so i watched two (one of each language)
the korean one, some of the sentences sounded familiar but i couldn't remember the meanings...
the cantonese movie i watched, i recognised about three words in first ten minutes...but i found myself trying to copy what the characters said... ^_^!
i think i' m gonna study more and then try this again and see how much i understand
You are absolutely right! I usually spend so much time reading subtitles, I miss most of the movie! And it doesn't help one bit, true. Now that I have decided to get serious about my Arabic learning, I no longer watch movies with subtitles anymore. Its a cool moment when a character says something and it dawns on you, that you understood what they said or got most of the conversation! But I have to admit, its HARD not to use that subtitle button! lol! Especially when it is a good, good, movie!
I don't think that is so good for chinese. If you don't know a word in Chinese, what will happen in a Movie several times, it takes a lot of time to look it up, note down the Pinyin etc.
This is, why I prefer watching those movies with native speakers together, they can help me immediately with all the information I need.
Only subs I use are Japanese subtitles. Exceptions are as you say, when the subtitles are hardcoded. What dislike about a lot of movies are the subtitles don't match what is actually said. Japanese movies sometimes come with the option subtitles of what is actually said, or direct translating. I prefer the former.
Moses, what I would do is watch the movie through first with the subs on...that way the context is clear. If you know the whole story, it's amazing how much easier it is to understand.
The second step would be to watch it again, with the subs off.
In Finland you only get subtitled movies. After watching maaaany subtitled movies (my whole life, hehe) I've developed the ability to watch, listen and read simultaneously. This has helped me to subconsciously learn since I see translations of what I'm hearing all the time. The subs also function as a great reference point - I might concentrate more on listening and if I didnt understand something I could check from the subtitles.
one of the reasons i miss japanese tv is that i had the option to put jap subs which really helped me. also watching a movie without subs and then with subs helps as well.
Hi Moses, what I prefer is watching documentaries on TV or DVD for example in English with English subtitles or in French with French subtitles. Native German subtitles I would find distracting from the foreign language. Fasulye
I like the idea of not using subs, but how can you figure out what's going on? If you really want to watch it, but don't know many words and aren't familiar with the language - you're SOL lol. What I've had recommended to me is to watch it through with subs to understand and then watch it again without subs (if learning the language).
That's basically how I learned speaking and listening in English. When I was a kid I used to watch TV in English a lot (mostly cartoons) and we didn't have any subtitles over here on TV at the time.
Same thing happened later on with German, started watching a lot of German TV during my teenage years and that's how I got to know basic Deutsch.
And when I watch a film or TV with subtitles, I automatically get distracted and understand everything only in my mother language
In Norway we grow up with a lot of foreign speach/films on tv, and they all have subtitles. It becomes second nature to read while you listen. I think this is a very good way to get familiar with other languages/countries. I have lived in France and England, where they dub the voices. Very irritating. (Like Dallas with JR speaking French; so strange! I agree that a learner who has reached a certain level in his target language would of course benefit from sticking to the original language.
I usually watch the movie once or twice with the English subtitles then go sub-free after that. I will remember, at least, the gist and meaning of the dialogue, which, I believe, is more important than remembering the actual dialogue since much is, in fact, lost in translation.
I think subs can be good, but I prefer to have the movie and the original scipt with it. and if there is subs too with script, it'll be even more helpful.
I am of the opinion that subtitles can be useful when a person is learning a language because it at least gives the person a frame of reference for what something means (or its approximate meaning). For a person who is at an elementary level of a language, do you expect the person to understand what is being said in a movie without subtitles? What I used to do with DVDs is I would play the movie with subtitles on then go back, listen, and try and find the exact word or phrase that was used and.
@RECON4NOW what that word or phrase corresponded to with the English equivalent. That allowed me to learn more slang in that way. If a person is truly interested in learning a language then the person will be focusing on both what is being said AND what is being written and storing that information for future reference. Also, it not possible to be 100% accurate with translations because the quality of the translation will depend on various factors. That does not mean, however, that one shouldn't
I think watching it in the Native tongue is not bad. but relying on it if you're learning the language it's not too helpful :/. I like watching moves without subtitles they are really distracting whether or not their are in my native tongue.
On the contrary, I personally find it better to watch with subtitles because it helps me connect the sounds with the meanings. Or at least watching a movie first with subtitles so I know a little about what's going on and then later watching it without so i can concentrate on picking up vocab.
He told me in China he watched American movies over and over, with subtitles, and later without. He had never attended a class of english in his life. He had learned from watching movies with subtitles, and eventually turning them off, and reciting lines from the movie over and over again.
Hi laoshu. This was a good video, and while I agree with most of what you said. I think that subtitles CAN be used in a right way and a wrong way. I met a Guangxi ren not long ago who was native cantonese and oviously knew common (mandarin) language. He knew english well enough to have a reasonable conversation. He had been in Australia for 24 months. I asked where he learned english.
You're right, that's the wrong translation for 可惡. People normally use it sort of like "damn!" or "that sucks!". The only other languages we get on some DVDs here are Spanish and Portuguese and their subtitles are always abbreviated versions of the online discourse -- almost like 2 different versions.
Subtitles have always helped me in language learning. Once I got a good understanding of Japanese then I started to notice the "incorrect" translations in the subtitles. But honestly, in general, I think subtitles are helpful and beneficial.
I used to watch subtitles first if my language was that basic and then looked at the movie again without subtitles...now that i dont need subtitles i used them for a movie and some of the translations were in fact off..especially when it was a saying that was literally translated..i think for beginners it is good otherwise they wouldnt understand anything..i think being able to read and then being able to listen are two things..but subtitles definitely take away from actually SEEING the movie.
subtitles can be useful because instead of just relying on what you already know to understand some things you can learn new words by matching them to the meaning in the subtitles. but if you want to practice listening comprehension rather than learn new stuff, yeah, turn the subtitles off.
The main problem is, that the subtitles are, as you said, not always accurate. I think, that subtitles are indeed useful, but only in the target language and if they exactly represent the audio. I know a few movies where the subtitles differ much from the stuff said---and that's annoying!
But even subtitles in your native language could be decent if you just started learning a new language and you want to keep your motivation up by watching movies from that country.
I watch anime subtitled in English and it has helped me, about the wrong translation problem you can always check some things somewhere else or simply watch more subtitled stuff from different subbers and see if they match
My friend from France learned English by watching English soaps with English subs, not with French subs. Are you saying "don't put the subs in your native language"?
Man! I don't agree at all with what you said. Every time I can, I use subtitles. It's so enriching and helps me follow pretty close what's happening in the film. That's in general, although there is different situations. I can tell that I can totally read the subtitles and listen to the audio, I was watching the other they "Le Herisson", a french movie and I noticed that sometimes what is in the subs isn't what the actors are saying (that's normal), but my point is that you can totally do it.
@Jate0000 I'm talking of course about subs in the same language that the audio of the film, that is transcriptions (they are hard to find). When I was a kid I used to watch a lot of American movies and series and I was able to learn from them despite the fact that the subs were in my native tongue (Spanish). It's a very fun and easy way to acquire vocabulary and (especially) idioms. -- I made a mistake before: "there are different situations" I was gonna say something else.
I found subs very useful especially when I watch dramas or any collqual language. There is no way to find the meaning of slangs and/or idioms other than translation by native speakers. For English, there are many websites explain those slangs...etc, but not othere languages as far as I know
I agree with the others. Yes, subtitles in your own language won't bring you any profit for your language learning. But I find subtitles in the target language (language of the movie) very helpful for my listening comprehension. If you aren't on an advanced language level, it is very hard to follow movies without subtitles, so you will get bored or loose your motivation very quick. With subtitles you can quickly catch up phrases which you didn't get.
I think subtitles in the target language are really helpful - but in one's native language? Yeah, tempting but ultimately self-defeating.
Also, as you mentioned, the subtitles are often amazingly bad and will only encourage bad habits if they are taken literally. I tend to compromise and watch a film twice - once with English subtitles just to enjoy the film, then again with Japanese subtitles for proper immersion.
What I find to be very helpful is exact transcriptions, I mean let's say I'm learning Chinese. I want to see the movie in Chinese with Chinese subtitles that are saying exactly the same that I'm hearing. It helps you learn faster and the writing equivalent at the same time. You should try it out. Although it's really hard to find those kind of subtitles. I think Khatzumoto from AJATT made a post about it and where we can find some. But yeah, never subtitles in other language.
@Xeniathar Yea, it's hard to find the movies with the subtitles in targeted language. How many movies have you watched with the subtitles in targeted language?
@laoshu505000 Well, I could only find 4 or 5 perfect transcripts and those helped a lot, cause the movies were from Glasgow and I couldn't understand almost anything without them. If you search on Google you will find some websites that dedicate to make transcripts of movies, series, audio, interviews, whatever you send to them. Never used it though. Also when you purchase an original dvd there's a big chance that it has subtitles for the original language. Again, not a big buyer here. See you!
I think it depends more on the level one is at in the language. Until the intermediate level, subtitles might be helpful. The best thing though, from upper beginning to upper intermediate, would be to have subtitles IN THE TARGET LANGUAGE. This is especially good for Chinese, because can learn to associate a character with a spoken word. The proof of fluency would be the total lack of need for subtitles. Although I've heard of Americans who need sts. for British flicks!
In school I studied the film "crouching tiger hidden tiger(mandarin)" I watched it about 5 times with subtitles with 10 times with English dub and I studied the script, now I can watch the entire film end understand 100% what is said, but what is interesting I can understand a small amounts of mandarin now.
Depends what sort of subtitles. I have personally found it useful to watch Danish movies combined with Danish subtitles (aimed at Danes who are hard of hearing), but I try to avoid using the English subtitles unless I have to.
I like to watch some tw dramas with subs so that I can read the word I don't understand but it's written in chinese not in english or any other language !
Very good point. I found this in class at school when watching a movie in French. It was on video, so we couldn't turn the subtitles off, and I barely followed the movie - I was just reading the subs.
I try to level up in Burmese by watching Korean movies with Burmese subtitles. It's amazing! :)
FK
Flashkidgotsuspended 3 weeks ago
Unfortunately all of the VODS for my foreign films (Korean and Japanese) are in subtitles, I try to resist looking at them though and ignore them, next best thing I guess.
hubomba 5 months ago
that's true1 that's how I learned Spanish. Now I'm learning Korean and I need to get out of the habit of using subtitles.
charlycheer 1 year ago
That's the conclusion I made some days ago. good to see many others agree ;-)
metiube 1 year ago
Where did you buy this t-shirt? I want one! :P
thales2008 1 year ago
I agree, subtitles can be a huge hindrance. Even when I watch movies in German and Vietnamese the English subtitles often use a completely wrong translation.
NorseRonin 1 year ago
What I find works for me is watching the movie with English audio and French subtitles. Then I can pick up the English without thinking about it and I understand what's going on. And I put all my effort into reading the French subtitles, and I read them out loud. Now that I'm hitting the intermediate level I'm thinking about watching the video with French audio and French subtitles... We'll see!
YouStoleMyTube 1 year ago
I want a russian shirt!
Andronover611121 1 year ago
@echomiketwo Yes, that is right.
laoshu505000 1 year ago
I prefer to only watch subtitles if they are in the same language the movie is in, as long as that is not English. I do this because it helps if an actor says something to fast and I don't catch what they said.
langcurious 1 year ago
i find subtitles in the target language very helpful (found especially in japanese television). i have also watched movies on tv where no sub titles are available and do better in some ways without the distraction of bad subtitles. . great topic ! thanks laoshu!
SOGN0 1 year ago
Yeah, for me, If I watch Japanese movies with English subtitles, I will remember the movie with characters speaking English. The Japanese is completely wiped out. English text just goes straight to my subconscious and I completely forget that I'm reading and not listening. So lately, I try to watch the raws only -- or use black electrical tape to cover up the subtitles.
cathrynm 1 year ago
I remember watching One Piece in Japanese and I remember Luffy said,"Hiza" which it means knee.I was reading the subtitles and they put foot on there. So, subtitles aren't always the best.
GTpanik 1 year ago
I study English.The first time I watch movies with Japanese subtitles and The second time with English subtitles.Japanese subtitles are often bad.With English subtitles,It's too busy hitting the pause button and seeing dictionary.Anyway,I can't enjoy watching.
kabochabo 1 year ago
so i decided to take your advice to watch a movie without subs. i'm trying to learn korean and chinese cantonese by myself so i watched two (one of each language)
the korean one, some of the sentences sounded familiar but i couldn't remember the meanings...
the cantonese movie i watched, i recognised about three words in first ten minutes...but i found myself trying to copy what the characters said... ^_^!
i think i' m gonna study more and then try this again and see how much i understand
(^_^)v
tineeblusher 1 year ago
@tineeblusher Yea, the more you study and go back and watch, the more you'll understand. Keep me updated.
laoshu505000 1 year ago
Классная футболка, Лаошу ! ! !
Кстати,при просмотре японского аниме я заметил что английские субтитры не всегда совпадают со звуком. И так в 90% случаев
Xieerqi 1 year ago
You are absolutely right! I usually spend so much time reading subtitles, I miss most of the movie! And it doesn't help one bit, true. Now that I have decided to get serious about my Arabic learning, I no longer watch movies with subtitles anymore. Its a cool moment when a character says something and it dawns on you, that you understood what they said or got most of the conversation! But I have to admit, its HARD not to use that subtitle button! lol! Especially when it is a good, good, movie!
ilovetheniqab 1 year ago
I don't think that is so good for chinese. If you don't know a word in Chinese, what will happen in a Movie several times, it takes a lot of time to look it up, note down the Pinyin etc.
This is, why I prefer watching those movies with native speakers together, they can help me immediately with all the information I need.
Jackpower1989 1 year ago
Only subs I use are Japanese subtitles. Exceptions are as you say, when the subtitles are hardcoded. What dislike about a lot of movies are the subtitles don't match what is actually said. Japanese movies sometimes come with the option subtitles of what is actually said, or direct translating. I prefer the former.
shearoberts 1 year ago
Moses, what I would do is watch the movie through first with the subs on...that way the context is clear. If you know the whole story, it's amazing how much easier it is to understand.
The second step would be to watch it again, with the subs off.
You could even do it chapter by chapter.
yangnom1 1 year ago 2
@yangnom1 Yea, that sounds like a good strategy.
laoshu505000 1 year ago
I beg to differ.
In Finland you only get subtitled movies. After watching maaaany subtitled movies (my whole life, hehe) I've developed the ability to watch, listen and read simultaneously. This has helped me to subconsciously learn since I see translations of what I'm hearing all the time. The subs also function as a great reference point - I might concentrate more on listening and if I didnt understand something I could check from the subtitles.
Of course you need good quality subs.
Jonnemanne 1 year ago
one of the reasons i miss japanese tv is that i had the option to put jap subs which really helped me. also watching a movie without subs and then with subs helps as well.
sonicnblaze33 1 year ago
@sonicnblaze33 Yea, I think doing it that way would be way better than using them for your native tongue.
laoshu505000 1 year ago
Hi Moses, what I prefer is watching documentaries on TV or DVD for example in English with English subtitles or in French with French subtitles. Native German subtitles I would find distracting from the foreign language. Fasulye
Fasulye2009 1 year ago
Nice shirt! (y) XD
And I agree with you, kinda.
If you have only just started learning the language, it might not be a good idea.
Subtitles helped me learn more Russian in the beginning.
Sannasanna123 1 year ago
@Sannasanna123 the shirt was from me at my Russian learning channel. I like how Laoshu promotes world languages learning.
allatek 1 year ago
I like the idea of not using subs, but how can you figure out what's going on? If you really want to watch it, but don't know many words and aren't familiar with the language - you're SOL lol. What I've had recommended to me is to watch it through with subs to understand and then watch it again without subs (if learning the language).
terrifaith08 1 year ago
Kiss me !! in Russian ,nice t-shirt where did you get it ?
duodat 1 year ago
@duodat the t-shirt was from me
allatek 1 year ago
I totally agree with you.
That's basically how I learned speaking and listening in English. When I was a kid I used to watch TV in English a lot (mostly cartoons) and we didn't have any subtitles over here on TV at the time.
Same thing happened later on with German, started watching a lot of German TV during my teenage years and that's how I got to know basic Deutsch.
And when I watch a film or TV with subtitles, I automatically get distracted and understand everything only in my mother language
F3nya 1 year ago
your hat is funny ;D
roniuxas 1 year ago
I think it depends on how rapidly you want to
build your listening skills. If you are using the subs, it
is impossible that you are listening 100%. Also, you didn't learn
your native tongue using subtitles. Your brain will figure out how
to formulate correct sentences, but if you are constantly referring to
the subs then all you have is somebody's interpretation of what's
being said. It might not be correct.
dial001 1 year ago
In Norway we grow up with a lot of foreign speach/films on tv, and they all have subtitles. It becomes second nature to read while you listen. I think this is a very good way to get familiar with other languages/countries. I have lived in France and England, where they dub the voices. Very irritating. (Like Dallas with JR speaking French; so strange! I agree that a learner who has reached a certain level in his target language would of course benefit from sticking to the original language.
anne241163 1 year ago
I believe it is useful to have subtitles in the target language. I do it everywhere, gaming, movies, shows, etc. I find that it is pretty effective
Owner46 1 year ago
I usually watch the movie once or twice with the English subtitles then go sub-free after that. I will remember, at least, the gist and meaning of the dialogue, which, I believe, is more important than remembering the actual dialogue since much is, in fact, lost in translation.
enkidu360 1 year ago
I think subs can be good, but I prefer to have the movie and the original scipt with it. and if there is subs too with script, it'll be even more helpful.
AysarAburrub 1 year ago
so true.... so true
chinonononozu 1 year ago
I am of the opinion that subtitles can be useful when a person is learning a language because it at least gives the person a frame of reference for what something means (or its approximate meaning). For a person who is at an elementary level of a language, do you expect the person to understand what is being said in a movie without subtitles? What I used to do with DVDs is I would play the movie with subtitles on then go back, listen, and try and find the exact word or phrase that was used and.
RECON4NOW 1 year ago
@RECON4NOW what that word or phrase corresponded to with the English equivalent. That allowed me to learn more slang in that way. If a person is truly interested in learning a language then the person will be focusing on both what is being said AND what is being written and storing that information for future reference. Also, it not possible to be 100% accurate with translations because the quality of the translation will depend on various factors. That does not mean, however, that one shouldn't
RECON4NOW 1 year ago
@RECON4NOW use subtitles simply because the translation may or may not be accurate.
RECON4NOW 1 year ago
For language learning I definitely think subtitles can be beneficial for understanding, as many have said here, at least at a beginner level.
If it's a movie I really want to enjoy though, I wouldn't dream of turning off subtitles, but i guess that's not what you're talking about here.
Bysheon 1 year ago
I only watch the news without subs. if its a movie I will lose concentration and start reading
thepostfk 1 year ago
I think watching it in the Native tongue is not bad. but relying on it if you're learning the language it's not too helpful :/. I like watching moves without subtitles they are really distracting whether or not their are in my native tongue.
coolsteven2 1 year ago
On the contrary, I personally find it better to watch with subtitles because it helps me connect the sounds with the meanings. Or at least watching a movie first with subtitles so I know a little about what's going on and then later watching it without so i can concentrate on picking up vocab.
angryazngirl 1 year ago
He told me in China he watched American movies over and over, with subtitles, and later without. He had never attended a class of english in his life. He had learned from watching movies with subtitles, and eventually turning them off, and reciting lines from the movie over and over again.
Thanks as always laoshu.
Josh
LightsOutChannel 1 year ago
Hi laoshu. This was a good video, and while I agree with most of what you said. I think that subtitles CAN be used in a right way and a wrong way. I met a Guangxi ren not long ago who was native cantonese and oviously knew common (mandarin) language. He knew english well enough to have a reasonable conversation. He had been in Australia for 24 months. I asked where he learned english.
LightsOutChannel 1 year ago
You're right, that's the wrong translation for 可惡. People normally use it sort of like "damn!" or "that sucks!". The only other languages we get on some DVDs here are Spanish and Portuguese and their subtitles are always abbreviated versions of the online discourse -- almost like 2 different versions.
Glossika 1 year ago
Nice T-shirt !
Grunts67 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@Grunts67 the shirt was from me at my Russian learning channel. I like how Laoshu promotes world languages learning.
allatek 1 year ago
Subtitles have always helped me in language learning. Once I got a good understanding of Japanese then I started to notice the "incorrect" translations in the subtitles. But honestly, in general, I think subtitles are helpful and beneficial.
JazzyZenBrotha 1 year ago
I used to watch subtitles first if my language was that basic and then looked at the movie again without subtitles...now that i dont need subtitles i used them for a movie and some of the translations were in fact off..especially when it was a saying that was literally translated..i think for beginners it is good otherwise they wouldnt understand anything..i think being able to read and then being able to listen are two things..but subtitles definitely take away from actually SEEING the movie.
SchwarzerMannn 1 year ago
i like your t-shirt with the russian script ;) haha
dragonwing4 1 year ago
@dragonwing4 the shirt was from me at my Russian learning channel. I like how Laoshu promotes world languages learning.
allatek 1 year ago
subtitles can be useful because instead of just relying on what you already know to understand some things you can learn new words by matching them to the meaning in the subtitles. but if you want to practice listening comprehension rather than learn new stuff, yeah, turn the subtitles off.
xnightxamex 1 year ago
I've learned a lot of Japanese by using subtitles with anime like Dragonball Z. I guess it just depends on the person and how you learn individually.
Tweezy316 1 year ago
The main problem is, that the subtitles are, as you said, not always accurate. I think, that subtitles are indeed useful, but only in the target language and if they exactly represent the audio. I know a few movies where the subtitles differ much from the stuff said---and that's annoying!
But even subtitles in your native language could be decent if you just started learning a new language and you want to keep your motivation up by watching movies from that country.
AndreR241 1 year ago
I watch anime subtitled in English and it has helped me, about the wrong translation problem you can always check some things somewhere else or simply watch more subtitled stuff from different subbers and see if they match
abcdefghilihgfedcba 1 year ago
You can read it, and listen to it once again...and again...and again. So you SHOULD youse subtitles.
MrBennosuke 1 year ago
It is good to use subtitles of that language, not of your native language.
I used to watch German Movies and Music Videos with German subtitles, it helped a lot!
that way you learn how to read it better, and you can look up words that you don't know.
I have also noticed that subtitles for movies are also poorly translated.
I like your shirt, BTW
Codylangaugesblog 1 year ago
@Codylangaugesblog the shirt was from me at my Russian learning channel. I like how Laoshu promotes world languages learning.
allatek 1 year ago
@Codylangaugesblog Thanks man.
laoshu505000 1 year ago
My friend from France learned English by watching English soaps with English subs, not with French subs. Are you saying "don't put the subs in your native language"?
PhinnyCobbler 1 year ago
@PhinnyCobbler Yes. No subtitles in native tongue.
laoshu505000 1 year ago
@PhinnyCobbler Those are "captions" But yeah, it's a good method.
heartborne 1 year ago
Man! I don't agree at all with what you said. Every time I can, I use subtitles. It's so enriching and helps me follow pretty close what's happening in the film. That's in general, although there is different situations. I can tell that I can totally read the subtitles and listen to the audio, I was watching the other they "Le Herisson", a french movie and I noticed that sometimes what is in the subs isn't what the actors are saying (that's normal), but my point is that you can totally do it.
Jate0000 1 year ago
@Jate0000 I'm talking of course about subs in the same language that the audio of the film, that is transcriptions (they are hard to find). When I was a kid I used to watch a lot of American movies and series and I was able to learn from them despite the fact that the subs were in my native tongue (Spanish). It's a very fun and easy way to acquire vocabulary and (especially) idioms. -- I made a mistake before: "there are different situations" I was gonna say something else.
Jate0000 1 year ago
@Jate0000 "the other DAY" gee!
Jate0000 1 year ago
I found subs very useful especially when I watch dramas or any collqual language. There is no way to find the meaning of slangs and/or idioms other than translation by native speakers. For English, there are many websites explain those slangs...etc, but not othere languages as far as I know
rraassll 1 year ago
I agree with the others. Yes, subtitles in your own language won't bring you any profit for your language learning. But I find subtitles in the target language (language of the movie) very helpful for my listening comprehension. If you aren't on an advanced language level, it is very hard to follow movies without subtitles, so you will get bored or loose your motivation very quick. With subtitles you can quickly catch up phrases which you didn't get.
Кстати...красивая футболка ;-)
shikei86 1 year ago
I think subtitles in the target language are really helpful - but in one's native language? Yeah, tempting but ultimately self-defeating.
Also, as you mentioned, the subtitles are often amazingly bad and will only encourage bad habits if they are taken literally. I tend to compromise and watch a film twice - once with English subtitles just to enjoy the film, then again with Japanese subtitles for proper immersion.
acromel 1 year ago
What I find to be very helpful is exact transcriptions, I mean let's say I'm learning Chinese. I want to see the movie in Chinese with Chinese subtitles that are saying exactly the same that I'm hearing. It helps you learn faster and the writing equivalent at the same time. You should try it out. Although it's really hard to find those kind of subtitles. I think Khatzumoto from AJATT made a post about it and where we can find some. But yeah, never subtitles in other language.
Xeniathar 1 year ago
@Xeniathar Yea, it's hard to find the movies with the subtitles in targeted language. How many movies have you watched with the subtitles in targeted language?
laoshu505000 1 year ago
@laoshu505000 Well, I could only find 4 or 5 perfect transcripts and those helped a lot, cause the movies were from Glasgow and I couldn't understand almost anything without them. If you search on Google you will find some websites that dedicate to make transcripts of movies, series, audio, interviews, whatever you send to them. Never used it though. Also when you purchase an original dvd there's a big chance that it has subtitles for the original language. Again, not a big buyer here. See you!
Xeniathar 1 year ago
I think it depends more on the level one is at in the language. Until the intermediate level, subtitles might be helpful. The best thing though, from upper beginning to upper intermediate, would be to have subtitles IN THE TARGET LANGUAGE. This is especially good for Chinese, because can learn to associate a character with a spoken word. The proof of fluency would be the total lack of need for subtitles. Although I've heard of Americans who need sts. for British flicks!
alkantre 1 year ago
@alkantre Yea, you do make a good point here.
laoshu505000 1 year ago
patseluy menya- kiss me?
leshark 1 year ago
@leshark i agree with you on the subtitles...
leshark 1 year ago
@leshark Da, It means "Kiss Me"
allatek 1 year ago
@leshark the Kiss Me shirt was from me at my Russian learning channel. I like how Laoshu promotes world languages learning.
allatek 1 year ago
In school I studied the film "crouching tiger hidden tiger(mandarin)" I watched it about 5 times with subtitles with 10 times with English dub and I studied the script, now I can watch the entire film end understand 100% what is said, but what is interesting I can understand a small amounts of mandarin now.
TehCacti 1 year ago
Thanks for your advice!!....
kathysoiio 1 year ago
Depends what sort of subtitles. I have personally found it useful to watch Danish movies combined with Danish subtitles (aimed at Danes who are hard of hearing), but I try to avoid using the English subtitles unless I have to.
roedgroedudenfloede 1 year ago
I like to watch some tw dramas with subs so that I can read the word I don't understand but it's written in chinese not in english or any other language !
loki2504 1 year ago
How do you feel about using subtitles that are actually in the target language?
Yelnnek 1 year ago
@Yelnnek I think using them would be better than actually using them in your native tongue.
laoshu505000 1 year ago
Very good point. I found this in class at school when watching a movie in French. It was on video, so we couldn't turn the subtitles off, and I barely followed the movie - I was just reading the subs.
But yeah, really useful advice as always!
AMusingNerd 1 year ago