What are your strategies for learning English by watching movies?

In a class with UNPA professors on Monday morning, we discussed strategies for learning English while watching movies.

These are my recommendation in steps as you progress in comfort and ability.  (If it's too hard and you're not having fun, go back to a previous step!)

Buy/ rent/ borrow a DVD with content that is fun for you.  The main advantage of DVDs are that they have multiple audio and subtitle language options.  By adjusting these you can adjust how you study English with what you are watching.   You can also pause and go back to listen to parts again.  You can't do that with television.


Once you have some materials to watch on DVD you can begin to learn English!  (see below and comments sections for recommendations)

Steps of Watching - Listening and Reading - Easy to Difficult
1.  Watch with Spanish audio.  Pay close attention to body language, non verbal communication, think about how some of the story could be told in English.

2.  Watch with Spanish audio and English subtitles.  Try to pick up some new vocabulary by comparing what you are reading and hearing.  Think about how the translation was made.  Was it very literal - word for word?  What couldn't they translate?  Write down new vocabulary words you remember.

3.  Watch with English audio track and Spanish subtitles.  This is how you are probably used to watching foreign English language movies and television.  What did you understand by listening?  Did you need to read along to follow the story?

4.  Watch with English audio track and English subtitles.  Try to associate with what you are hearing with what is being said and how they are saying it.  How does their speech reflect their character?  Did what you didn't understand keep you from enjoying the story?  If this step is too difficult try again with movies for younger audiences.

5.  Watch with English audio track and no subtitles.  Write down any words you heard that you will want to look up in the dictionary later.  Take advantage of the pause and rewind functions of the DVD to repeat difficult to understand sections.

A couple of questions for you-
What are your favorite DVD's in your collection?  What is a movie you recently watched in English that was easy to understand?

If you are interested in science fiction, Iron Man 2 is a new on DVD blockbuster action movie that you can order online.

If you prefer series from Cable TV, you can buy the series on DVD and watch them season-by-season at your leisure.  One of the better crime scene investigation series that has come out in recent years is Dexter, (Dexter: The Fourth Season now on DVD).  Dexter is a great blend of many genres (CSI Miami - House - Mr. Brooks).