4 ms·

> My pet theory is that English proficiency is much better in countries where movies are subtitled, not dubbed. That is how I learned the basics of the english

> My pet theory is that English proficiency is much better in countries where movies are subtitled, not dubbed. That is how I learned the basics of the english language when I was a kid. Here in Portugal movies are subtitled. Incidentally, I went to Milan once to participate in this thing, and neither Italians, Spanish, French, Polish and Russian people could understand each other. I speak a little bit of everything (almost, had to use pseudo-english with the polish and russian) so I had to do the translations. Talk abou information assimetry: I knew everything that happened because I was the unnoficial translator. The "best" part of that trip was to have to watch Four weddings and a Funeral dubbed in Italian! It went some months before I was able to tolerate italian language again..

raxxorrax 7y ago
I was horrible in English while at school and internet access wasn't widely spread. Regular use is pretty important in my opinion. Instantly switching languages is hard though. You end up with sentences that make absolutely no cheesecake and fail you grammar basic if you switch to your native tongue again. Often happens to me after work when I was consuming content in English for a longer period of time. Nearly everything is localized here though and it is very true that dubbed content suddenly feels very artificial. Older generations have a comparably bad English proficiency, even if they once excelled in school.
- nottorp 7y ago
  <quote>Instantly switching languages is hard though.</quote> You don't say... when I'm in a situation where I have to speak two different languages to different people at the same time I sometimes end up using the wrong language with the wrong person. Really funny in retrospect but it greatly confuses everyone.
- gerdesj 7y ago
  Native English speaker (English) here and I've just had to wipe my screen after reading your second paragraph. Pretty much the only reason I can tell you are not a native writer is by the content and the points you are raising.
  - mettamage 7y ago
    Non-native speakers are more easily recognizable in their language use when they need to use proper vocabulary during emotional conversations. My favorite mistake (made by yours truly): "I feel upset." "Oh, I also feel angry." "I said that I feel upset..." "Yea, angry, me too" "It's not the same." "Wait, what? How isn't it?" Emotional conversations with a native English speaker are harder because of this. I learned to get a bit better at it as my SO speaks Dutch as well. Having the same conversation in Dutch with the same words and sentences yielded very different discussions. IMO, the research that people talk and think more rationally in a non-native language rings true.
    - gerdesj 7y ago
      I can see how that did not work out well! To be honest me and my SO can diverge like that without invoking another language. Usually it is me expressing bewilderment.
learner124 7y ago
But you still had to have conversations with people to fully learn right? As someone learning Spanish I think I've hit a hard limit in terms of of my progress from just consuming media in Spanish and decided I need to start taking one on one tutoring lessons to really continue my progress.
Scoundreller 7y ago
Things like this happen at the UN: A Swede will tell a joke. The swedish congregation and maybe some other Scandinavians will laugh. Then a moment later the English-speakers will laugh when it's translated into Englisg, then everyone else gradually, depending on how long each other language's translation takes.

raxxorrax 7y ago

I was horrible in English while at school and internet access wasn't widely spread. Regular use is pretty important in my opinion. Instantly switching languages is hard though. You end up with sentences that make absolutely no cheesecake and fail you grammar basic if you switch to your native tongue again. Often happens to me after work when I was consuming content in English for a longer period of time. Nearly everything is localized here though and it is very true that dubbed content suddenly feels very artificial. Older generations have a comparably bad English proficiency, even if they once excelled in school.

nottorp 7y ago
<quote>Instantly switching languages is hard though.</quote> You don't say... when I'm in a situation where I have to speak two different languages to different people at the same time I sometimes end up using the wrong language with the wrong person. Really funny in retrospect but it greatly confuses everyone.
gerdesj 7y ago
Native English speaker (English) here and I've just had to wipe my screen after reading your second paragraph. Pretty much the only reason I can tell you are not a native writer is by the content and the points you are raising.
- mettamage 7y ago
  Non-native speakers are more easily recognizable in their language use when they need to use proper vocabulary during emotional conversations. My favorite mistake (made by yours truly): "I feel upset." "Oh, I also feel angry." "I said that I feel upset..." "Yea, angry, me too" "It's not the same." "Wait, what? How isn't it?" Emotional conversations with a native English speaker are harder because of this. I learned to get a bit better at it as my SO speaks Dutch as well. Having the same conversation in Dutch with the same words and sentences yielded very different discussions. IMO, the research that people talk and think more rationally in a non-native language rings true.
  - gerdesj 7y ago
    I can see how that did not work out well! To be honest me and my SO can diverge like that without invoking another language. Usually it is me expressing bewilderment.

learner124 7y ago

But you still had to have conversations with people to fully learn right? As someone learning Spanish I think I've hit a hard limit in terms of of my progress from just consuming media in Spanish and decided I need to start taking one on one tutoring lessons to really continue my progress.

Scoundreller 7y ago

Things like this happen at the UN: A Swede will tell a joke. The swedish congregation and maybe some other Scandinavians will laugh. Then a moment later the English-speakers will laugh when it's translated into Englisg, then everyone else gradually, depending on how long each other language's translation takes.