I wrote an article about how Netflix could transform the way we learn languages in 2019. Here is a newer version of how to use Netflix in language learning.
Netflix is not only a great source of entertainment, but also a powerful tool for learning languages. With its vast collection of shows and movies in different languages, you can immerse yourself in the sounds, words, and cultures of your target language. In this article, we will show you how to use Netflix effectively to improve your language skills and cultural awareness.
The first step is to choose the right content for your level and interest. You can browse Netflix by language or genre, or use a website like Language Learning with Netflix to find suitable titles. You can also search for specific keywords or phrases in your target language, such as “French comedy” or “Spanish thriller”.
The next step is to adjust the settings to optimize your learning experience. You can choose the audio and subtitle options that suit your needs and preferences. For example, you can watch with audio and subtitles in your target language, or with audio in your target language and subtitles in your native language. You can also mix and match different combinations to challenge yourself and test your comprehension.
The final step is to use some tools and strategies to enhance your learning outcomes. You can use a browser extension like Lingopie to access interactive subtitles, flashcards, and games that help you learn new words and phrases. You can also pause, rewind, repeat, and slow down the playback to catch every detail. You can also take notes, look up words, and review your vocabulary after watching.
Using Netflix as a language-learning resource can be fun, engaging, and effective. You can learn new words and expressions, improve your listening and pronunciation skills, and discover new aspects of the culture and history of your target language. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your popcorn and start watching! 🍿 Source: How to Learn a Language with Netflix.
Language Reactor is a powerful toolbox for learning languages. It helps you to discover, understand, and learn from native materials, such as Netflix and YouTube. It offers dual language subtitles, a popup dictionary, phrase pump, chatbot, and more features to enhance your language learning experience 1. You can use Language Reactor to improve your skills on your own by watching films and series in the language you study. It adds dual language subtitles, a popup dictionary, video playback controls, and more features to Netflix and YouTube 23.
Extension – Study Tips
If you are wondering how best to use the extension, our advice would be to do the following.
As a beginner, with every subtitle:
- Listen to the audio a couple of times without looking at the text (use the ‘s’ keyboard key). Listen carefully to the sounds, and try and pick out what meaning you can.
- Listen to the audio again while reading the text in the original language. At this point, you have hopefully understood some of the meaning.
- Refer to the translation to get the full meaning. Listen to the audio again.
- Check a word or two with the pop-up dictionary, but don’t spend too long worrying about the exact meaning of every word.
- Listen to the audio a couple more times. The sentence and it’s meaning should seem fairly familiar now when you hear it.
- Advance to the next sub (‘d’ key) and repeat.
Language Reactor can be used to learn languages with Netflix:
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Watching with dual subtitles: Language Reactor allows you to watch Netflix shows and movies with subtitles in both your target language and your native language. This can help you to improve your listening comprehension and vocabulary acquisition.
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Pop-up dictionary: Language Reactor provides a pop-up dictionary that you can use to look up words as you watch Netflix. This is a great way to learn new words in context.
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Precise video playback controls: Language Reactor gives you precise control over the playback of Netflix videos, allowing you to rewind, pause, and slow down the audio. This can be helpful for focusing on specific words or phrases.
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Interactive activities: Language Reactor offers a variety of interactive activities, such as quizzes and games, that you can use to reinforce your learning.
Extensions
These are for Chrome, but now available with Microsoft Edge. Source: Langster
- Language Reactor (Former Language Learning with Netflix)
This is probably the most famous and the most extensive set of tools designed to help you learn new languages while watching shows and movies on Netflix. This free Google Chrome extension makes your journey of learning foreign languages with Netflix much easier.
Thanks to this tool, you can get captions both in your native and the target language and learn the translation for any foreign word by simply hovering over it. By clicking on the word, you enable a pop-up dictionary with even more information, such as pronunciation assistance, synonyms, and usage examples.
Apart from that, language learners will enjoy the keyboard shortcuts that allow for precise video control, as well as helpful learning features such as highlighting rare words or the possibility to save and review new words.
For now, Language Reactor is available only on Google Chrome, but the developers are working on Firefox and Edge extensions as well. Moreover, even though this program started as a tool to learn with Netflix, today it also works with YouTube.
Flixlingo is another language learning tool that speeds up the process of learning by automatically translating and subtitling movies and shows on Netflix into over 20 languages.
It offers similar features as Language Reactor, such as video playback control and dual subtitles, but also has a few different ones. With Flixlingo, for example, you can adjust the speed of the dialogue or repeat it automatically for better understanding.
The Flixlingo extension doesn’t have a pop-up dictionary, which can be a disadvantage for beginning learners, but this approach also allows you to figure out the meaning of the words by yourself using the context, which can be great for intermediate and advanced learners.
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