Binge watching is one of my very favorite ways to learn languages.
It takes different amounts of time to learn different categories of languages. As English speakers, the languages that take us the least amount of time to become functionally fluent in are the ones most closely related to our language. Think about England’s neighbors, think French, Spanish, Dutch, et cetera. Languages that are much more difficult to learn — think farther away from England — that are completely different linguistically and culturally, take three to four times as long. Think of languages that have different writing systems, like Arabic or Japanese.
I also invested heavily in Yabla-I absolutely love it. There are thousands of short videos shown on a patented player. They’re subtitled, captioned, and with translations. There are tons of games. Just fun and addictive. See music videos, news reports, interesting interviews and tours in the target language culture. Absolutely amazing- I highly recommend it.
We learn languages from messages (Krashen). This is great news, because it means we can spend a lot of time getting interesting input that we enjoy. People are watching movies from Hollywood all over the world and learning English at the same time.
Some examples of activities that I have done and thoroughly enjoyed:
- Binge watched reality shows in other languages, like Le Jour Où Tout a Basculé in French.
- Watched telenovelas. These are great because they are melodramatic, the story moves quickly and there is a resolution at the end of the series.
- Documentaries on a variety of topics that I have enjoyed.
- Target language movies.
- Target language TV series.
- News programs. While not drama, they are professionally produced and provide fresh content and culture with each new broadcast.
- Radio plays. These plays reveal everything in the story through dialogue, tone and sound. They are immersive language learning experiences.
- Commercials. These are also professionally produced, and give great insight into the target language culture.
- Workout videos in the target language. The repetition required to learn a routine immerses a learner in a new language to be acquired each time the routine is done until it is mastered. At that point, your mind and your body is ready for a new challenge.
- Shopping programs in the target language. The presentations will teach you a lot of language and culture. There is much repetition and visual support as well. Check out QVC on Youtube.
- Youtube is not just a great place to find videos and content you love. It is one of the world’s largest search engines. Therefore, you can use keywords to find whatever might interest you.
One smart language teacher created an entire program around a story. Destinos, by Dr. Bill Van Patten, was a first-of-its-kind program combining a great story with activities specifically geared towards learners. This structure is more and more common in language programs now.
My last five-week stint in French was binge watching. I love to binge watch. Amazon Prime and Netflix offer fantastic series and films in French, and in many other languages. I love putting my pajamas on, having a cup of tea, and just watching enjoyable stuff. There’s great settings for subtitles. It’s a language lover’s dream.
Check out Language Reactor. This Chrome extension turns Netflix into a language lab.
Building Proficiency for World Language Learners: 100+ High-Interest Activities
Discover over 100 dynamic activities to make world language learning interactive and fun. I wrote this book with some of my favorite activities for educators aiming to build proficiency with high-impact strategies.
Learn more and get your copy here.
5 Weeks of No and Low Prep Fun
Need quick, engaging activities for your class? This free guide includes 25 no-prep and low-prep ideas to save time while keeping students excited about learning.
Download your free copy now.
