Some people find watching movies with subtitles annoying, but for the language student, these subtitles can become a useful learning tool.

Check out the foreign film section of the DVD/video store in your area to see if you can pick up some movies in the language that you are studying. The best option is to find a film that is actually spoken in the foreign language and has English subtitles.

Watching a movie can be a lot easier than just listening to a sound recording because although you may not understand what is being said, you may be able to work it out in the context of what is happening visually on the screen.
If you are still struggling to understand, then use the English subtitles for clarity.

If you have the option of turning the subtitles on or off, try watching the movie a few times, the first with it on and the next with it off. Because you know what is going to happened in the film, you will be able to concentrate more on what is being said the second time around.

This is wonderful way to strengthen your listening skills so give it a go!

Very early on in this blog we looked at the many different reasons people choose to learn a foreign language and the best way to do it.

When I moved to Japan to live many years ago my grasp on the language was very basic, to say the least! But I was determined not to let language be a barrier and I wanted to experience everything that the country and its wonderful people had to offer.

For someone who loves sport, including this as one of the ways for me to learn Japanese became immediately obvious. And although I had played and watched many sports over the years, sumo wrestling was definitely not on the list.

Sumo is a Japanese style of wrestling and the national sport of the country. It originated in ancient times as a performance to entertain the Shinto gods and many of the original traditions are still used today.

I became fascinated with the sport and watched it both on television and when I could, attended tournaments (there are six every year, each one lasting 15 days). These are still amongst my most treasured memories of my time in Japan.

I grew to learn the names of the players, the rules they played by and the language of the game.  Okay, so I didn’t pick up every word being said but my point is that because I had an interest which became a passion, I had a willingness to learn.

If you find a good enough reason to learn your language of choice, it will make it easier and a lot more fun!