Re: Learning French (self-study) - Joe Cleland
Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2019 7:53 pm
joecleland wrote:I really envy those that state they learn languages from watching television. I'd like to put more focus on this. I feel like when I watch French series or movies (at this point) I get sucked into the English subtitles and realize I am just following along in my native language rather than truly focusing on the target language. For those that induce a heavy volume of audio, do you feel it's easier to train/learn using the subtitles in L1/L2/or no CC at all? I'm still in the 'Input Stage' so I don't expect to be further progressed than what I currently am. I'm just trying to understand this a little better as this is a trouble area for me.
I, too, find English subtitles way too distracting when I'm trying to focus on the language being spoken. What I do is I use French subtitles when they match the audio, which is basically only on original French content (also the Twilight movies, for whatever reason). When I'm watching English stuff with the French audio, I use no subtitles, because the French ones are always wildly different from the audio, which I find distracting and not at all helpful.
That way, with the harder native content, I can rely a bit on my reading ability, which is higher than my listening ability. And with easier stuff like Buffy the Vampire Slayer dubbed in French (or easier still, Peppa Pig), I just try to understand as much as I can, in some cases propped up by my memory of the plot from watching it in English.
I had been learning French for way longer than you have so far when I started including a lot of TV. But on the other hand, you seem to be learning a lot more quickly and efficiently than I did for a long time.