Subtitles can teach us a lot about our comprehension errors if we know how to use them.
However, there’s often some confusion among learners whether they should or shouldn’t use subtitles when watching their favourite series or videos, or at what point they should turn the subtitles on.
I understand that people usually get frustrated after the first couple of minutes into an English speaking movie because the conversations are hard to follow. So, they jump right to turning the subtitles on.
Phew! Quick relief. Or maybe not?
I usually recommend activating the subtitles after having completed a few other listening-only steps.
If you are watching a movie for fun, do whatever you enjoy best.
However, if you are watching a movie to learn English, that’s a different position. You are there to learn in the first place, that should be the priority. If you can have fun at the same, that’s a bonus.
If you start watching a movie with the subtitles on, you are not giving your ear a chance to receive your full attention and focus. Your ears and eyes will instead fight for your attention and split it.
1-Minute Tip ⏳
I have written a simple 8-step learner’s guide on how to learn English with movies.
Today I’ll talk about step 5 from the guide. It’s about the use and usefulness of subtitles.
Using subtitles converts your listening exercise into a reading-listening exercise.
I prefer to work on listening and reading separately first. So, I usually recommend using subtitles AFTER you have completed a few guided listening steps previously.
After that, subtitles can be turned on. They can be used with various learning tasks.
- You can watch and read the subtitles of the selected scene ONCE as a first quick comparison to see how close what you have understood is to what the movie dialogues are really saying
- Then, with the help of the pause button on the good old remote control, you can use the subtitles to observe the language used in the scene more closely, and decide which words and expressions you find useful to learn
- Also, using the pause button, you can zoom in on pronunciation issues and make those “mysterious” sound parts that were previously unclear “visible”
This is not a complete and definitive list, only three suggested things subtitles can be used for and ways they can be useful for those learners who like movies and series.
If you are curious to know more tips about learning with movies, send me a DM and let me know how you practise and what part you need help with.
👋 Hi, I’m Gábor
I help seasoned business people build fluency in English in simple ways for international business dealings.
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Connect | Gábor Légrádi | MA, RSA/CTEFLA