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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY7xaxRS8i8

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Episode transcript below:

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Hey guys! How\\u2019s it going? In today\\u2019s episode, I have an awesome tip for you to work on your English fluency, especially to help you with your listening.

You know, English listening skills can be really challenging because English just doesn\\u2019t sound the way it looks. It looks one way and then it sounds completely different. It\\u2019s just totally crazy. But using subtitles when you\\u2019re watching your favorite movies, your favorite TV shows, or even your favorite songs, can help so much, and it\\u2019s a fun way to learn the English language. I\\u2019ve used this technique to help me to learn Spanish, Portuguese and other languages, because I love music and I love movies. Maybe you do too! So, turning those subtitles on when you\\u2019re watching something in English and using the English subtitles will help you in many ways.

Here\\u2019s how: First of all, it activates two parts of your brain. So, not only are you listening and using your brain for your listening skills, but you\\u2019re also reading. So you\\u2019re activating different parts of your brain. So, this actually helps you to learn better and to remember new vocabulary or just to become aware of new vocabulary, because you might hear a new word, but kind of miss it, because you\\u2019re not sure what it is, you\\u2019re not sure how to spell it. But if you listen to it and read it in the subtitles, it\\u2019s going to stick in your mind much better.

So, English spelling is notoriously difficult. Being able to hear the word or phrase and read the subtitles is an excellent way to learn how to spell in English and to check your spelling, to learn new words, to be able to understand what that new word is and how to spell it; so that maybe you want to look it up in the dictionary, or ask your native English speaker friends about how to use that word in different situations, not only in the phrase or situation that you see in the movie or hear in a song.

Also, what\\u2019s really great about subtitles is that when you have a phrase, words can sound really different. For example, \\u201cWhatchu doin\\u2019?\\u201d I might say instead of \\u201cWhat are you doing?\\u201d So if you hear in a movie, \\u201cWhatchu doin\\u2019?\\u201d and you see on the screen, \\u201cWhat are you doing?\\u201d you\\u2019re going to realize, \\u201cOh my gosh! These words, when we put them together in a phrase, they sound totally different!\\u201d But this will help you so much to make your English more natural.

Also, when you use subtitles, you can pause the video when there\\u2019s a new phrase or something confusing and you can check the subtitles. So, this is really, really helpful. As I mentioned, you\\u2019re not only hearing the word, but you\\u2019re reading it too.

Another important point is that seeing the words written down will help you to write them down in your notes. So, maybe you have an English notebook, on paper, or on your laptop, on your computer, or even just in your smartphone, and it will help you to write down your new words. It\\u2019s a really good idea to write down new words so that you can find out more about them. Maybe look up the meaning. Ask your friends about them. See how to use the words in different situations. And, of course, to review them because we have to see a new word or a new phrase, about twenty, thirty, even forty times, before it really sticks, before you\\u2019re confident about using it yourself.

So, don\\u2019t get down on yourself, don\\u2019t get frustrated, if after the first time you hear a new word in a movie, you can\\u2019t remember it and know how to use it in any situation. It\\u2019s just not realistic. Now, I know you\\u2019re smart, but be patient with yourself, because it really requires repetition, it\\u2019s really important.

So, a lot of English learners have asked me: \\u201cShould I use subtitles? Should I not use subtitles?\\u201d I say, try both. First, try listening to material, or try watching the movie, without the subtitles. Why not challenge yourself?'