Ep. 56: How to Learn Languages with TV Shows - Interview with Lauren
Episode description
Episode 56 - Today's episode is with Lauren from Polyglot Station and Language TV Club! She is a language enthusiast and a speech language pathologist. She tells us how she started Polyglot Station and where the idea for the Language TV Club came from. They regularly have clubs in German, Italian, French, and Spanish, but they also include other languages. The idea is we all watch the same show on our own time on Netflix and meet to talk about it in the target language. It’s the perfect way for intermediate and advanced learners to practice and continue using their language while also learning more about the culture. All learners are welcome to join and listen in if they’re not ready to speak much yet.
I am personally very interested in this topic as I am teaching a Spanish course based on "Casa de Papel" (Money Heist) and I'm developing curriculum for a French class based on "Dix Pour Cent" (Call My Agent). If you're interested in learning more about these classes, check out Freestyle Languages, the company I teach for.
During our chat, Laurent tells us the best and worst parts about learning a language through TV shows. She also gives us her expert opinion on whether we should or shouldn’t watch with subtitles. Lastly, she gets honest about the languages she speaks and the ones she only dabbled in, and what she learned from those experiences. I also ask her for her opinion on learning a language like Mandarin or Japanese that has a complex writing system since she speaks Mandarin.
Thank you so much to Lauren for sharing her journey and fantastic ideas with us. You can get in touch with Lauren and check out all she's offering online on Instagram and on her websites:
- Become a Host for Language TV Club
- 8 Strategies to Improve Language Learning with T.V. Shows
- Chrome extension for dual-language subtitles