Using apps to learn a new language can get boring and frustrating, don’t they? Well, there is a new way to learn a language by only watching TV and I have discussed how you can do it in this blog post. Stay tuned and see how you can take out the boredom and gain motivation when learning a new language.
During the Covid19 lockdown my best friend and I set out on a journey to learn a new language and we decided on French since it is the second most-spoken language in the world after the English language. So, we went online to check for the best app to learn the language by using the reviews of other users and downloaded an app with the highest positive reviews.
You know, when you set out to learn something new there’s this excitement and sense of adventure you get, well, my best friend and I had that. And for the first two weeks, we were happy learning French on this app. However, I noticed that our zeal began to burn out as we progressed. The time we spent on the first two days wasn’t the same time we spent on days 3,4,5, and 6. The motivation was gradually decreasing.
In the second week, it got worse. We could barely spend an hour on this app learning French. And on the third week, we rarely opened the app and gradually our motivation burned out to the last straw until we uninstalled the app, sadly. And thus ended our two weeks journey in learning French.
This same thing has also happened and is happening to thousands of people that are learning a language. It gets exciting at first but it gradually becomes boring to a point where the motivation is no longer there. And let us not even talk about the frustration that comes with it.
Repeating the same words severally and still not getting it right can be frustrating. I remembered my best friend almost smashed his Samsung A71 out of frustration for not getting a French word correctly.
Dear language learner, you cannot continue like this. The joy of completing what you started is unmatched and I want to help you make that possible and bring your hard work to fruition. Learning a new language and being fluent in it can help you in so many ways, especially in work or business settings or going abroad to study or just for personal development.
The solution or a more interesting way to learn a new language that I present to you is by watching TV. Have you noticed that when you watch a TV show in another language, the words are stuck in your head and at a point, after watching it so much, you start pronouncing these words and knowing their meaning especially if there are subtitles?
There is a platform known as Lingopie that will help you get started on your quest to learn a language by only watching TV. Lingopie, as described by one of the reviewers, is the Netflix of language learning.
What is Lingopie?
Lingopie is an innovative language learning platform that uses TV shows and movies to teach languages and it is the first of its kind. On the platform, you can find a wide range of movies and TV shows in nine (9) languages that keep you engaged while learning a new language.
It is interesting and motivating. You just relax, watch your favorite TV show, cartoon, or movie in the language you want to learn, and have fun developing your language skills. The platform is designed for everyone including kids. If you were already learning a language and want to improve, Lingopie is the place for you. Beginners can also use Lingopie to learn a language.
The available languages on Lingopie are Spanish, German, Italian, French, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and English. You can learn any of these languages for one price, that is, when you subscribe to the platform you will have access to learn all the languages. Keep reading to learn how Lingopie works.
Benefits of Learning New Language through TV
You can learn a language by only watching TV and below are some of the benefits that come with it.
Overall Language Improvement
Studies have shown that language learners can improve their comprehension skills, pronunciation, and grammar through watching television. It will help you increase your vocabulary, improve your listening, and speak like natives.
Highly Diverse Content
With the different genres of movies, there is something for everyone, there are dramas, soap operas, news, nature documentaries, romance, etc. that can help you learn a language from a different perspective and improve your language skills.
Entertaining
Movies and TV shows are entertaining, as they should be. You mostly watch a show on television to relieve yourself of boredom and get entertained. In the process, you get engrossed in it and the fact that they are capable of maintaining your attention can help you attain your educational goals but, in this case, in learning a language.
With this, you can be on a watching spree and improve your language skills without feeling as if you are carrying out a chore.
Native Speech is Used
The languages used in TV shows, movies, cartoons, documentaries, and news mostly consist of native languages because they were made for the target audience that speaks that particular language. This is a huge advantage in your language learning journey because while watching these shows and movies you will learn the native and authentic speech.
Language Learning Methods
There are different methods involved in learning a language, these methods are:
1. The Direct Method
In the direct method, you will learn completely in the new language and you won’t be allowed to use your native language. Also, you must completely avoid grammar rules and there is an emphasis on good pronunciation.
2. Audio-lingual Method
This method involves practicing the language you are learning in dialogues in all situations. You will keep hearing the language before seeing it in written form.
3. Task-based Method
In this method, the teaching is focused on the completion of a task that has to be interesting to the learners. With the language they already have, learners will it use to complete the task given to them and there is very little error.
This method aims to highlight the importance of learning the language by making it vital to task completion.
4. Grammar Translation Method
This method involves learning mainly by translation to and from the target language. Learners will memorize grammar rules and learn a long list of vocabulary by heart. This method does not develop the oral ability as there is a list to no emphasis placed on developing that aspect.
5. The Structural Method
This is a common method used in language learning apps. In this method, language is seen as a complex of grammatical rules which are to be learned one at a time in a set order.
6. Total Physical Response (TPR) Method
In the TPR method, the learner is taught a new language by acting to simple commands such as “close the door”, “open the windows”, and “put on the light”. The method stresses the importance of aural comprehension and the importance of kinesthetic learning.
7. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Method
This is a method commonly used in language learning apps and it focuses on allowing the learner to communicate effectively and appropriately in the various situations they would most likely find themselves. CLT content courses include functions such as inviting, suggesting, complaining, or notions such as the expression of time, quantity, and location.
Personal Experience With TV and Language Learning
Before my best friend and I set out on our failed journey in learning the French language we were big-time anime lovers, why did we decide to learn French from an app, I still don’t know. Anime is a style of Japanese film and television animation and as you may have guessed, they speak the native Japanese language. We watch it in the original form but with an English subtitle so that we can understand what is being said.
Our first anime, Naruto which by the way is the best of the “Big Three” made us fall in love with the Japanese language. This is an anime series with over 700 episodes which we completed in less than 3 months due to how entertaining it is. Aside from the magical entertainment, we were also able to learn Japanese by watching this anime.
To date, we still watch anime and we keep learning the Japanese language little by little.
This is my personal experience with TV and language learning. There wasn’t a time when we got bored, and we can go on to watch it for up to 3-5 hours daily and this hour kept increasing as the show got more interesting and kept improving our language learning skills.
If this inspires you then go to Lingopie and start learning Japanese by watching TV or any language of your choice.
How To Use Lingopie
And now to the moment, you have been waiting for. How to use Lingopie. These are the guidelines to follow whether as a beginner or advanced to learn a new language on LingoPie.
Choose a category
When you open Lingopie.com scroll down to the dashboard and select the “Beginner-friendly” category. In this category, you will see different shows that have a more basic language, slower dialogue between characters, and simpler topics.
Find a show you are interested in
Lingopie has hundreds of TV shows and movies, scroll through and select a show that you like. Watching a show you find interesting is likely to boost your language learning progress because you will keep coming back to it just like the case with my best friend and me watching anime.
When you keep coming back to watch a show you find interesting you will create a language learning habit without even realizing it.
Adjust video playback speed
This is one of the interesting features of Lingopie that allows you to adjust the video playback speed to slow down the video you are watching. It is not an easy task to follow along with the spoken dialogue of a conversation when you are just starting. By adjusting the video playback speed, you can be able to concentrate on the words and the way they are pronounced.
Instant subtitle translations
This is another cool feature on Lingopie whereby every word, phrase, or slang is clickable to give you an instant translation in real-time to help you learn. As you are watching the show and curious about the meaning of a particular phrase, you can click on it to get the translation and it is automatically saved to your word list so that you can review them later with the Lingopie flashcards.
Review your flashcards
Flashcards on Lingopie are not just normal flashcards because every word comes with a short video clip of the word ‘in context’ from the TV show you are watching. This will help you learn and remember the word because it will create a deeper contextual association and spark your memory.
The goal is to help your brain remember where this word was mentioned and how is related to a bigger picture, from the TV show, movie, or music video.
Other helpful tips
- Dedicate a time to language learning
- Find a learning partner. This will help boost motivation
- Find a fun way to learn
- Talk with native speakers if you can find any
- Set goals for your learning
- Be part of a community
Lingopie Features and Methods
The features available on Lingopie are:
Subscription
When you subscribe to Lingopie, you can pick a language, choose from thousands of shows, sit back and binge-watch your way to fluency.
Unlimited access to all TV shows
When you subscribe to Lingopie, you can learn from all nine (9) different languages. By coming into contact with the type of content that natives themselves watch and binge on, you will be having the fully immersive experience that you need to truly dive into your target language.
Lingopie Kids
Lingopie Kids is a safe space for kids to learn a language of their choice with the appropriate cartoons, kids’ shows, and movies.
Casting
This is a feature devised to make users’ access to the TV shows and movies available on Lingopie as easy and expansive as possible. Casting allows you to transfer Lingopie content directly to your TV via Chromecast and Airplay, and it is available on Lingopie mobile app.
This gives you unlimited access to how you can access content on Lingopie. You don’t have to stick to watching it only on your computer. With the casting feature, you can sit comfortably on your couch and watch your favorite shows directly on your TV.
Search Bar
Lingopie has an easy-to-use search bar that you can use on any of the catalogs to search for different titles, genres, or dialects. Once you have browsed the shows that are available on the platform and have decided on which one to watch, you can look it up through the search bar and find it right away.
Watch & Click
The videos available on Lingopie come with two sets of subtitles; the English subtitles and the subtitles in the original language of the TV shows that you are watching. If you click on any of the words that come up, you will be able to get an instant translation. This feature can be used in dual subtitles and interactive subtitles.
On-screen Transcription
When using the Lingopie app to watch a TV show, you have the option of having a sidebar script that shows you all the sentences of the show, movie, or audiobook that you are playing. You can click on each of the subtitles to jump to it or click on each word to listen to its pronunciation. You can leave the script open or you can close it to see the video on full screen.
Mash-up
This is a cool feature that combines the English subtitles with the original foreign language of the show to create a contextual learning experience. It will have certain keywords pop up in the original language as you are watching with the English subtitles.
Words to learn
With this tool, you can be able to maintain focus on specific words that may be useful to learn as you are watching your preferred movie. Before the video begins, a pop-up with the title “words to learn” will appear on the right side of the screen. It contains a list of highlighted words from the episode that are recommended to learn.
Say-It
This is an interactive feature that allows you to practice your pronunciation while you watch your movie. It is activated by clicking on the microphone icon in the bottom right corner allowing you to pronounce certain sentences and phrases and get instant feedback from the platform of a score to monitor your progress.
Speak Sentence
This is a feature that allows you to master a specific phrase or focus on a specific sentence by letting you repeat the audio of the selected words in context as many times as you want. To active this feature, click on the “cc” button backward or forward and you will automatically be taken to the previous or following caption. This feature will help you in practicing listening.
Loop Sentence
This feature allows you to play a selected sentence or phrase over and over again as many times as you want. This feature will help you practice listening and comprehension.
Review and Practice
This feature allows you to practice what you’ve learned through revision.
Finally, Lingopie offers community forums that are exclusive to users. The forums consist of pages for each language, recording of free webinars, and info on events and the latest news.
There are other apps that can help you in your journey with new languages like Rosetta Stone, Babbel, and Duolingo but Lingopie has unique features that are not found in these other web apps.