Can I improve a language by watching movies?

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

My Chinese was almost B1 before I left 3 years ago, when I was gone for 2 years, I totally forgot everything I learned and and went back to a beginner level, I can barely talk well enough now.

I now have TV in my new apartment, I bought a package for Chinese channels and I wonder if it is going to help me improve Chinese again, If I start watching movies in Chinese?

[dynamicyandere]

It’ll probably help.


My significant other’s first language isn’t English.


But, she watched F. R. I. E. N. D. S. a lot and also watched a lot of content from English-speaking YouTubers.


When we met she was like 98% fluent.


Now, after practicing with me, she sounds like a local English-speaking American, haha.


(With a touch of Californian in the way she pronounces things, probably because of all the Californian content creators she has watched.)


So, I believe that if you’re watching something with a lot of normal everyday interactions and contexts, it should be good.


And then, watching a lot of content where you listen to how people naturally speak casually, so you can pick up on colloquialisms, slang, sayings, and other things like that.


Then there’s practicing with native speakers of course, which will help touch up on anything your video-watching may have missed. 🙂

[molonski2]

I tried that with Thai , but it didn't really work , but you have a better handle of the language than I did , what helped me was cartoons , haha truly.. Pud Thai Dai Nid Noy krub , I did Chinese classes for a bit , and have a Chinese girlfriend who is over there now but lives in Hua Hin , its a tough gig that language , lol lol , so is any I guess.

In Thai so many dialects , but no point learning Isaan Slang , you need to learn central / Southern.

[Anonymous]

soap operas are the best for learning English

[SnowedIn]

Conversationally probably yes.

[MementoMori777]

Chinese is like that? You can forget it in a short period, good thing I gave up learning chinese in 10 minutes, im sure its possible simply cause the language is already implanted in your mind, it just needs a refresher but how you let that happen, now you only know like 3 other languages apart from English, let me stop playin that's still good lol

[Christoff92]

Sure you can. Many Polyglots have learned a new language by watching movies, listening to movies especially music. Even through the interactions of others speaking which is number #1 in my books. Learn through the interaction of the crowds 😀

[AviatorTom]

Yes watching foreign language movies can help, especially if there are subtitles in your native language.

[Sparkie460]

It might stimulate the brain so you remember the words

[Static_In_The_Attic]

It depends on what kind of movies you are watching.

[DummyThiccFeraligatr]

Shrek 2 helped me with Spanish, though not all the phrases were useful. lol.

[msc545]

Won't hurt and it may help

[In_Trance]

nope

[Anonymous]

Yes.