This is an All Ears English podcast episode 2083.
Should you use subtitles?
How to understand what you hear in English.
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Think only English learners use subtitles to listen to English movies and TV?
Today, find out why even native speakers sometimes use them and listen in while we answer three common questions from a listener about learning habits.
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B-L-A-C-K-F-R-I-D-A-Y.
Hey Aubrey, how's it going?
I'm great.
I have a question for you, Lindsay.
Okay, let's get right into it.
When you're watching TV, right, or a movie in English, do you turn on closed captions?
Like, do you use subtitles?
When the movie is in English?
Uh-huh.
Sometimes, if I'm watching it, if it's like on in a bar or restaurant, I will appreciate that for sure, because I can't hear it.
But generally, I do not put subtitles on if it's in English.
I have started every single time.
No matter what I'm watching if it's like a television or a movie I always, always have the subtitles on the closed caption, because it's just often enough.
There's something that I don't quite catch, or they're talking really quietly.
Yeah.
I want to be able to glance at the subtitles and find out exactly without having to rewind it.
Interesting.
I've talked to a few people because my husband also always wants subtitles on.
My kids always want subtitles on.
Really?
Interesting.
Okay.
This is kind of cool.
It's like the new way to consume.
Yeah.
Interesting.
I do think it's a really cool way to learn a language, but we can talk about it a little bit more here.
Um, but I want to let our listeners know before we move on, uh, today we have a special offer guys.
It's going to come up in the middle of the episode from our amazing sponsor, Rosetta Stone.
We've arranged this special offer just for you guys, and you're going to want to take advantage of it.
So listen in to the episode and we will let you know about how to get that very soon.
Cool.
I got a really good question about subtitles, sort of if it's okay to listen to them, and a few other interesting questions.
So I'm excited to share this email with you guys today from Javier and address because he shared three concerns that I think it's very likely that most of you out there listening also have these.
Yes.
So should I go ahead and read Javier's question?
Yeah, let's do it.
Javier says, hello, I'm writing to you because I need to improve my English.
I come from Puerto Rico and I work for the USDA here in PR.
I learned some English in my job because all that I have to do is in English.
My English was very poor in my childhood.
When I see a movie in English, I can't understand the conversation about 50% of the time.
If I put the closed captions on, I can understand almost everything.
Every day I hear your podcast trying to immerse myself and my mind in conversations in English.
I feel that I'm improving very slowly.
Also, I'm scared to talk with Americans or my communication skills freeze in that moment.
Oh, painful.
Yes.
Do you have any suggestions in order to improve my listening and comprehension skills?
Thanks in advance for your help, Javier.
Nice.
Yeah.
So I definitely see like three distinct concerns here, right?
So we're going to discuss each of them, give you guys some tips and hopefully share some things that, if you're in this same boat with Javier, will help.
I think a lot of our listeners are, Aubrey.
You know, Javier, if you're listening, you are not alone, right?
It can be really frustrating.
That's why we have to try to enjoy what we're learning and how we're learning.
It should feel a little bit like edutainment, right?
That's why TV, movies, TV shows like Friends, All Ears English, these are great ways to learn.
Yes, exactly.
Right, so let's start with the first one, this first concern.
I need subtitles or closed captioning to be able to understand, right?
Sort of saying...
I understand about half of it if I don't have closed caption.
But if I can read the subtitles, I understand everything.
So the first thing here is we want to share that it's okay to use subtitles.
Even native English speakers often turn them on because you might understand everything we're saying here on the podcast, but then find for a TV show or a movie you're not understanding nearly as much.
Unfortunately, lots of tv shows they're just speaking really quietly or too fast, or there's a lot of shows where i need the subtitles in order to understand.
So give yourself some grace.
Actually yeah, you know now that i think about it more, i think i probably do need the subtitles in a lot of movies more so movies you might not have them on, but you're missing things they're saying right.
So you're like squaring, i get frustrated.
I'm like is there something wrong with my hearing?
Am i having an issue?
What is going on?
But then sometimes people next to me get it and I'm like I did not get that.
I'm a native speaker of English.
I did not get it.
And so don't feel bad.
It is okay.
Absolutely.
I actually just heard a podcast recently where the hosts had screeners of a show.
So they saw it early in order to be able to record a recap of the show.
But because it was a screener, they they couldn't use subtitles.
There were no subtitles.
And they mentioned several times not being able to understand the dialogue.
They're like, I'm not sure exactly what they said.
Or they said I had to rewind and listen several times.
These are native English speakers that just had difficulty catching exactly what was saying.
It was either like quiet or quick or people talking over each other.
All kinds of reasons that make it just so much easier to use subtitles.
So it's okay to use subtitles.
Muffled, mumbling.
So it's not like native speakers have this magical ability to get every single line in every single movie.
On the contrary, there are still accents too, that we I'll speak for myself that I struggle with sometimes, like deep Southern accents, like the Louisiana accent is very unique and different.
I struggle with that.
Sure, right?
We recently did- an episode, give yourself some grace.
It was you and Michelle episode 2052.
And you can just scroll up to catch that one.
It was very recent, but that's often what it's about.
I think you might be being too hard on yourself Javier, and anyone else who feels like guilt for using subtitles.
Yeah.
Right.
Give yourself that grace.
It's okay to use them, especially when you're first learning language.
But even then, I'm a native English speaker.
I'm an English teacher.
And I often still need subtitles when I'm watching especially, like you said Lindsay, different accents.
I like it.
So true.
So that is our answer to your first question, right?
I need subtitles.
It is okay to use subtitles.
Totally legit.
All right.
Absolutely.
Yes.
Okay.
Let's do the second one where Javier said, I'm scared to talk with Americans.
My communication skills freeze in that moment.
Now the biggest thing here and we've talked about this a lot on All There's English.
I have a tendency to do this as well, learning Spanish and French, that I'll have a tendency to just listen, watch TV movies, but not force myself to use it.
And that's what creates this, right?
We don't have enough practice speaking.
And so our skills freeze when we finally get that chance.
Totally.
I mean, there is a time and place for listening.
There's different applied linguistic theories that a lot of listening should happen as a beginner.
For example, the way children just consume, they don't speak for two or three years, right?
And then all of a sudden they're producing language.
It's incredible.
It's such a miracle.
I feel like that to me is kind of, we're not the same.
Like, adults don't learn the same way kids learn.
But there is a certain amount of kind of passive listening we should be doing.
We're building a foundation to, But as adults we don't have time to wait two or three years.
Right the way kids can.
We need to be speaking sooner and trying to speak sooner, right?
Right.
It's, yes, the passive listening is important as well.
But if we don't ever use it, then we're not able to build that confidence.
True.
And refine that skill of being able to pull the vocabulary from our brain once we're actually trying to connect with someone in English.
Oh, my gosh.
That reminds me of the fluency party that we did last month that was so fun.
Yeah.
Where we asked students to watch a video and then they had to name a vocabulary word for what they were saying.
Then a higher level one, and a higher level one.
How cool is that?
Yes, that's the skill that needs to be practiced sometimes, is that recall of vocabulary, in order to not only be able to make those connections but just to have the confidence to even start the conversation in the first place.
Yeah, I mean I always say on the show confidence does not come from some kind of mantra that you're reciting or sitting on a meditation cushion.
It doesn't, I promise you, right?
It comes from actual experience out in the world.
So let's get ourselves that experience.
That's the way we build confidence.
So what can you do, right?
Practice speaking alone.
Write out possible conversations.
You might have practice them with speaking partners.
There's so much you can do in advance.
I think the mistake sometimes language learners make is to think I'm not going to be able to practice this until I'm traveling in that country or speaking to actual native speakers.
There's so much preparation you can do in advance.
And there's an episode.
If you guys go back to last week actually, I interviewed Amy Whitney from Real English Conversations and she talked about deliberate English practice.
Instead of going to your teacher and saying I need to be more fluent, go to your teacher and say I have a specific language scenario that I need to practice.
Like I'm a business owner and I'm greeting guests in the front of my restaurant, for example.
This is a real example that she shared.
And then you use that conversation scenario over and over and over and over and over until you've mastered it.
That builds real confidence.
And this is something you're probably going to be taking advantage of when you go to Mexico soon.
Yeah,
Yes, I'm going in two weeks.
And I'm excited because I've been doing a lot of this, right?
I've been practicing.
I've been learning. practicing speaking.
And now I'll be able to use it when we go to Mexico in a couple of weeks.
It's true.
So there's nothing like bringing a language to life when you can really use that language.
So you're going to use that Spanish.
So cool.
What have you been doing to prep, by the way?
I've been using Rosetta Stone.
We are in partnership with them and I've been really excited to use the app, use these features.
And I do feel more ready than we go to Mexico pretty much every year.
But I really feel ready this year to have those conversations and connect with the people that I meet there.
Yeah, maybe you'll go back and see the same people, but this time you'll have real connections.
You'll be able to extend those conversations.
Very cool.
What kind of features have you been using on the app itself or on the programs?
Well, I've been using the phrasebook a lot.
That is amazing.
It's been so helpful.
I love it.
I'm also getting ready for my trip to Portugal.
I mentioned to our listeners before, this is what I need.
It sounds amazing.
Tell us about this particular feature on Rosetta Stone.
Tell us about the phrasebook.
It's really cool.
It gives you a chance to hear and then practice saying very common phrases.
So it's like Rosetta Stone has created a vocabulary notebook for you with the most useful things that you'll need to say.
Okay.
So I'm imagining you're getting introductions, dining out vocabulary, staying in a hotel shopping, things like that, that type, that kind of thing.
Exactly.
And also like time, money, getting around, like using transportation.
And I really love the way it's all organized very simply, easy to access, so that I can learn those really useful phrases that I'm going to use a ton as soon as possible.
Aubrey, does anyone else in your family speak Spanish or are you going to be the language person in Mexico?
I would love to teach my kids some Spanish, but so far it's just me.
But that's kind of fun too.
Because it's kind of fun right, I'm more valuable.
I'm like the translator, I'm the one that gets to communicate with everyone, and my kids just look at me like all impressed.
It's a blessing, it occurs right, it's mostly a blessing.
I think it's kind of cool.
You get to sort of dig into your trip a lot more than maybe people you're with like I noticed when we were in Egypt was really in there.
Right, i was in cairo negotiating with those taxi drivers and you know my group was there.
They were hanging out and that was cool.
They didn't really want to be doing that, but i i felt really satisfied when i came back home because i had achieved that task, those little yes right, you were like a part of the culture and actually building connections.
I feel like that's such a more worthwhile trip for me.
I would prefer that.
It's pretty cool.
But if you end up spending like 500 on a mask or something when the price should have been 50, then that's the only problem.
So anyways, guys, it's been awesome being able to use all these features.
Aubrey, I'm so excited you're getting this benefit and you're able to go on your trip now.
We're thankful to be sponsored by Rosetta Stone and we're excited to share.
Here's the special offer I mentioned at the top of the show.
For a limited time, all English listeners can get Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership. for 40% off.
Yeah, so it's so nice to be able to use it whenever you need and have lifetime access to 25 language courses.
So that's just $179 for unlimited lifetime access.
Yeah, we love the lifetime access.
So with this special promotion, you'll be ready to build those connections that we always talk about on this show.
On your next trip, wherever you're going, maybe you're traveling to New York City.
Again, you've got so many languages to choose from on the program so you can go anywhere in the world, just like Aubrey is.
So redeem your 40 off at rosettastonecom and I will go ahead and spell it so you guys can type that in to your search bar right now.
That is R-O-S-E-T-T-A-S-T-O-N-E.com slash A-E-E.
Yes, and remember to use coupon code A-E-E.
All right Lindsey, let's dive into the third concern from this email, which was I feel that I am improving very slowly.
What do you think about this, Lindsey?
What do you think about having language progress feel a little bit slow?
Well, there is that quote.
I'm going to misquote, I don't know what it is, but they say that you know what you can do in a week feels like very little, but what you can do in a year feels like a lot.
Like when you work hard, it doesn't feel like you're progressing, that when you look back on a year of hard work, it's incredible what you've done.
So that's the first thing our listener.
There may be some distortion.
There may be more progress than he thinks.
I think you're exactly right.
Right, if you, if you're understanding our podcast it sounds like you are think.
What does that mean?
You really are at quite an impressive fluency level and in order to understand an entire show when you're reading the subtitles, That is impressive.
So you actually might be improving more quickly than you think.
It might feel slow, like you were saying Lindsay, but then when you look back at how far you've come, at the connections you're able to make, when you see yourself be able to have a conversation in English with someone and recognize you've actually learned a lot.
Yeah, it's really hard to see change gradually, right?
We see it more over time.
We don't see it gradually.
Yeah, um good.
What else though, i mean?
Of course, these things will take time, so we're settling into a routine.
You know, that's the key, right?
Our listeners find that they improve with this show, for example, because they listen four mornings a week.
It's just part of their routine.
Yeah yes, and every time you listen to anything in english, you are improving.
Whether you're watching tv, listening to a podcast, and you're going to do we've talked about this before in the podcast but you're going to have a different goal each time.
Your goal might be to learn a few specific vocabulary words.
Your goal might be to just understand the overall gist.
And whatever your goal, whatever you're focusing on, every single time you push yourself to listen to something in English that it would be easier to listen to in your native language, those listening comprehension skills are improving.
That's a good point, Aubrey.
It does take a little bit of an extra push, right?
It's comfortable to listen to things in our own language.
It's easy.
But push yourself.
Maybe you have a 25-minute commute and maybe just five minutes is a podcast in English or something in English.
Then the rest is your native language because you want to relax.
That is powerful just in itself because you're talking about five days a week, right?
Yes, absolutely.
And don't get down on yourself.
Like we said, give yourself some grace, right?
If you are meeting goals and doing a little bit every day, you should celebrate that.
Don't let yourself feel guilty for not doing more.
Yes, absolutely.
That's a very positive episode today, Aubrey.
What's the takeaway?
Where should we leave Javier and all of our listeners here?
Yes, don't be too hard on yourself, guys.
When it comes to language learning, recognize it will take time.
It's okay to use subtitles and language apps like Rosetta Stone, right?
The most important thing is that you use what you're learning so that you can build those connections in English.
And it's about building that habit, picking up the Rosetta Stone app.
Again, it could be the app five days a week.
Go for that. five minutes a day, five days a week.
And as you look back on the last year, you will see that progress.
So good.
Guys, go over and get our special offer again from Rosetta Stone.
It's at rosettastone.com slash A-E-E.
And make sure to use that coupon code A-E-E.
Aubrey, thanks for being on the mic today.
Awesome.
Thanks, Lindsay.
See you next time.
Take care.
Bye.
Bye.
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