This is a very common question among language students and chances are you’ve also wondered about it at some stage. 

As with many educational questions, teachers have conflicting views and opinions on this one. In this post, I’m simply going to share a few thoughts on the subject. They are based on my experiences both as a language teacher but also as a serial language learner.

When it comes to subtitles, there are four main ways you can watch a movie. 

Ranking from easiest to most difficult, you can watch:

• in English with French subtitles
• in French with English subtitles
• in French with French subtitles
• in French without subtitles

In my opinion, none is better than the other. 

The key is to adapt your strategy and choice to your situation:

1. Your current level of French
2. Your reason for watching
3. The movie you’re watching
4. The level of challenge you want to create for yourself.

Let’s discuss.

1. YOUR LEVEL

Based on my own experience, both as a teacher and as a learner, here are my recommendations for choosing whether to watch a movie with English or French subtitles (the first option for each level always being the easier option):

Beginners should choose between:

• Watching in English with French subtitles
• Watching in French with English subtitles

Intermediate students should choose between:

• Watching in French with English subtitles
• Watching in French with French subtitles

Advanced students should choose between:

• Watching in French with French subtitles
• Watching in French without subtitles

Whether you go for the first, easier option or the second, more challenging option, will depend on the next few elements of the equation.

 2. YOUR GOAL

Each time you sit down to watch a movie in French, before choosing the language of the subtitles, you should ask yourself the following question:

What is my reason for watching a movie in French TODAY? 

• Do I just want to be entertained? 
• Do I want to learn something new about the culture?
• Do I want to practice listening to French? 
• Do I want to learn new words and phrases?
• Do I want to practice sentence structure?
• Etc.

Based on these, here’s what I roughly recommend:

You should be watching with French subtitles: 

• If you want to focus more on the written language

• You can read the French subtitles fast enough
• You want to learn new words and phrases
• If you want to practice sentence structure

You should be watching with English subtitles:

• If you just want to be entertained or learn more about the culture
• If you want to focus on and practice listening to French
• If you think the topic, plot or genre of the movie might be a little difficult

Of course, these recommendations aren’t written in stone and you should always feel free to try and experiment with new combinations. Different things work for different people.

3. THE TYPE OF MOVIE YOU’RE  WATCHING

It’s important to be aware and keep in mind that different movie genres have different levels of difficulty, both in plot and in the language used.

Children’s movies will typically use simpler vocabulary and sentences than movies for adults.

Teenager or Young Adult movies will probably include a lot of Familiar French and French Argot (Slang) or French Verlan. All of which isn’t taught in class or textbooks. 

(Which, by the way, is the reason why I’ve created The Binge-Watcher’s Guide to French for Movies & TV Series, if you want to sign up for it.)

Romantic movies are often relatively easy to understand because the plots are similar across languages and cultures. Again, you will probably run into the challenge of being faced with Familiar French, French Argot and French Verlan because the story often takes place within an informal setting. 

Comedies can be both easy to understand – from a visual standpoint – and sometimes challenging because the sense of humour varies from one country to another. 

So the French might think a scene is funny but you won’t, so you might not understand why they’re laughing and think you missed something. 

Comedies also like to use puns, word play, making up words etc. that don’t always translate properly – at least not with the comic factor included.

Action movies often have a fast rhythm, so speed of action as well as speed of speech will be something to reckon with. If you’re trying to follow along the action while listening to French and speed-reading the subtitles in French, your brain will perform a linguistic triathlon. Not sure how much French you will walk away with here, except for ten new swear words!

Finally, thrillers, psycho and cerebral movies like to mess around with your brain somewhat, so that will add to yet another layer of difficulty. Plus, they often include industry or genre-related jargon which is probably not in your linguistic scope at the moment.

Also, be aware that sometimes subtitles aren’t a 100% accurate with the actual script which complicates the listening practice as you’re not always reading what people are actually saying.

Finally, one more thing to be aware of when picking a French movie to watch, are the origins of the main characters or the region where the movie is set, as there are regional and national differences in the French language. 

An African or North African’s French will sound quite different from a Parisian accent, which in turn will sound different from the French of the South of France. Not to mention the French from Québec, Canada for which they even put French subtitles in France!

4. THE LEVEL OF CHALLENGE YOU ENJOY

Are you okay sitting through a 90 minute movie understanding only half (or less) of what’s going on? 

Or do you rather have the discipline and perseverance to press pause and rewind every 15-20 minutes to watch the same passages over and over again until your ears and brain are starting to make sense of the language in each scene? 

Or would you rather binge-watch 100 different movies instead?

As much as possible, pick a challenge that you can win. This will be hugely instrumental in driving your motivation and making on-going progress.

In that same line, check your physical and emotional disposition before taking up this linguistic challenge:

Are you watching in the evening or in the morning? Has it been a long day? Are you feeling tired? Or are you feeling fresh and fit? 

Are you currently feeling discouraged or even depressed about your seeming lack of progress in French? If so, take it easy on yourself.

Have you already just had some language warm up before watching (have you just had a lesson, or listened to a podcast episode, etc.) or are you going into this challenge “cold”?

FINAL THOUGHTS

These are all things you should be aware of and take into consideration whenever you’re embarking on a language learning exercise. 

Adjusting your challenge to your current state of mind and physical and emotional disposition isn’t just a smart language learning strategy, it’s a wise way to go through life.

So, as much as you can, place yourself in a winning position whenever you’re undertaking a new linguistic challenge. Do easier things when you feel tired or discouraged. Save the harder things and challenges for when you are feeling fit, fresh or very motivated.

To your success,

Lisiane