Learn English through Movies | How to Improve Your English by Watching Movies

Summary

In this video, Jack from tofluency.com shares tips for English learners on how to effectively watch movies in English. He discusses common challenges, like slang, accents, and low audio quality, and encourages viewers to watch movies they’ve already seen in their native language. Jack suggests using movie transcripts to improve understanding and learning new vocabulary, and introduces the sentence method for memorizing phrases. For easier comprehension, he recommends TV shows with repetitive dialogue. Lastly, he invites viewers to share their movie-watching experiences and favorite English-learning films.

Takeaways

• 😀 Movies in English can be challenging, even for native speakers, due to slang, strong accents, and low audio levels.
• 😀 Watching movies you've already seen in your native language can help you better understand the English version.
• 😀 Using movie transcripts is a great way to follow along and understand the dialogue more clearly.
• 😀 Subtitles are helpful but may not always be 100% accurate, so it's best to rely on transcripts for more precision.
• 😀 The 'sentence method' can be a useful technique for learning new words and phrases from movies.
• 😀 If a movie feels too difficult to understand, switch to something else, like a TV show or an easier movie.
• 😀 TV shows are ideal for language learners because they use repetitive dialogue across episodes, helping with understanding.
• 😀 Familiarizing yourself with a character’s phrases over multiple episodes (like Ross from *Friends*) can make the dialogue easier to understand.
• 😀 Don't feel discouraged if you don't understand everything in a movie—it's normal for English learners.
• 😀 Watching movies and TV shows in English is a fun way to practice language skills while enjoying entertainment.
• 😀 Share your experiences with watching movies in English: Do you use transcripts, subtitles, or other methods? What movies do you recommend?

Q & A

Why do many English learners find it difficult to watch movies in English?

English learners often struggle to understand movies due to the use of slang, strong accents, low audio levels, and the focus on the movie's artistic appearance rather than clear dialogue.

What should learners keep in mind when watching movies in English to improve understanding?

Learners should remember that even native speakers sometimes struggle to understand movies. It's normal to face challenges when watching, so patience is important.

What is one way to make watching movies in English easier?

A helpful strategy is to watch movies that you have already seen in your native language. This allows you to use prior knowledge of the plot to understand the dialogue.

Why is it beneficial to watch movies in English that you've already seen?

Watching familiar movies in English allows you to focus more on language acquisition, as you can rely on the context and storyline to guess what is being said.

What is a transcript, and how can it help when watching movies in English?

A transcript is a written version of the movie's dialogue. It can help learners understand what is being said, and can be accessed online. It is useful to read along with the movie to improve comprehension.

Are subtitles always accurate when watching movies in English?

No, subtitles can sometimes be inaccurate. While they provide helpful context, relying on a full transcript can offer more accurate information.

What is the sentence method, and how can it help learners?

The sentence method involves learning new words and phrases from the context of movie dialogues. It is useful for improving vocabulary and understanding sentence structures.

What should learners do if they find a movie too difficult to understand?

If a movie is too difficult, learners should consider watching something else, like a TV show, which often features easier dialogue and repeated phrases over multiple episodes.

Why are TV shows recommended for English learners over movies?

TV shows are recommended because they offer more manageable dialogue, and repetitive phrases across episodes help learners familiarize themselves with the language and accents.

What is an example of a TV show that might be useful for English learners?

An example is the TV show 'Friends', where characters frequently repeat certain phrases, helping learners get used to the language and accents.