How Netflix can help you learn another language – according to the real experts

Netflix's all-time viewership stats send a powerful message, the ramifications of which are yet to be properly examined. To this day, the most-watched series on the world's leading streaming platform is Squid Game; Hwang Dong-hyuk's visceral Korean drama about desperately indebted individuals competing in deadly challenges.

On the polar opposite end of the spectrum is KPop Demon Hunters, which became Netflix's dominant film last summer, telling the whimsical story of a Korean girlband with a secret second job protecting mortals from otherworldly ghouls.

The animated feature, shaped by South Korea's contemporary pop music, ancient mythology and shamanic tradition, was actually produced in the United States and performed almost entirely in English – but that doesn't make it any less significant.

If anything, it's an even more striking example of how cultures are stretching across borders on a larger scale than ever before, with eastern powerhouses like K-pop, K-drama and anime seemingly leading the charge.

There's no doubt smarter people than I could fill a book with plausible explanations for why this is happening, but one factor must surely be the ease of access to internationally-produced content in the digital age.

The breadth of available films and shows has flourished in the decade since I was a teenager, but it's unrecognisable to the turn of the millennium, when a student Dr Abigail Parrish would settle in at a language laboratory just to catch some German telly.

Now a lecturer in languages education at The University of Sheffield, Parrish is interested in exploring what impact such large strides in accessibility might be having on us, as viewers.

The question is, can hundreds of hours spent horizontal on the sofa, working your way through One Piece's first 1,000 episodes, effectively download the Japanese language into your supercomputer brain? I regret to report, the answer is no.

But nor should we underestimate how genuine enthusiasm for cultural exports can be valuable when attempting to pick up a new language – from the very earliest stages to further down the line.

Here's what Parrish and her departmental colleague Dr Jessica Bradley, senior lecturer in literacies and language, had to say about the role of international TV and film in achieving our learning goals.

How to use TV and film to help learn languages

1. Finding motivation

At the end of the day, this is what it all comes down to: many of us might aspire to speak another tongue, but if your heart isn't really in it, then it's going to be a lot more difficult to make significant progress.

That's why you shouldn't feel silly to follow where your hobbies and interests lead you, even if that's far beyond the languages most commonly taught in British schools, such as French, Spanish and German.

When it comes to persevering with language learning, Parrish places her support behind self-determination theory, which essentially means that "the more autonomous your motivation, the more sustainable it is".

In other words, your choice to learn a language, as well as which language you study, should ideally come from your own personal desires (as opposed to external pressures like school curriculums or job markets).

"We have to do the languages we learn at school," explained Parrish. "Even if we enjoy them, we still have to do them. We have to go to lessons. We have to do the homework. And so, that obligation can make it less enjoyable or less motivating.

"Whereas, even for the same person at the same point in time – let's say, a 14-year-old listening to Japanese music or reading manga – that language learning is more aligned with what they feel they want to do. They've chosen it, so they're more inclined to do it."

2. Soak up the culture

Of course, culture doesn't start and end with TV and film, but this is Radio Times, so you'll forgive us for being a tad fixated.

Let's imagine that, as recommended above, you've selected a language to learn based on your favourite streaming show of the moment, be it Lupin, Demon Slayer or Bad Bunny's music video library on a continuous loop. What's next?

We'll get on to some activities in the next section, but it's also important that we don't turn your cherished entertainment into a chore. There is value in continuing to enjoy it the same way you always have.

"I don't think there is a problem with passive viewing," opined Bradley, provoking a sigh of relief from this avid watcher. "With language learning, you can do it on your own terms.

"Once we get away from this idea that you need to be perfect or fluent, we can just start playing and experimenting and opening our eyes to the world and how different people live," she continued.

Bradley encourages viewers not just to soak in the sights, sounds and flavours presented on-screen, but to consider what these depictions imply about the beliefs and values which relate to different cultures, and their relationship to the wider world.

"Even a text like Emily in Paris, which on the outside looks very frivolous and silly, actually has us engaging in quite important questions that sociolinguists would ask," explained Bradley.

For example, how might the manner in which Emily (Lily Collins) stumbles her way through Paris with minimal French or cultural awareness be reframed were she from a less fortunate or tolerated socioeconomic background?

Both Emily in Paris and fellow romcom Home for Christmas (produced in Norway) also immerse viewers in places where multiple languages are spoken interchangeably, which demonstrates how there isn't only one correct approach to an interaction.

"We're learning about what people do in situations that we've not necessarily encountered before," Bradley added. "And that helps us to go beyond our comfort zones and think more widely about intercultural communication."

3. Learn useful vocabulary (and naughty words)

"Okay, okay, what about actually learning the lingo?" That's what you may be thinking by now, so let's get into it.

It goes without saying that a streaming subscription won't fully substitute for a class or tutor. Ideally, your chosen media will be utilised in tandem with other methods of learning, even if that's just a spot of Duolingo to start with.

But TV and film can be a great way to build up your vocabulary. To avoid being overwhelmed, try singling out a particular scene – ideally a memorable or dramatic one – and dissect how the dialogue connects to the subtitles.

"The problem is that the subtitles don't always match word-for-word," caveated Parrish, "but if you notice that, you're still engaging with the text, so it does help."

Online tools such as Language Reactor, a browser extension, can make this task a bit easier by presenting a transcription of the original language and its translation side-by-side.

Another perk of this activity is the opportunity to pick up words that Duolingo isn't going to teach you.

Suffice to say, it would be highly ill-advised to travel to another country with the intention of practicing your insults, but there's a guilty pleasure in this sometimes overlooked part of language learning.

For example, Money Heist fans will know that a particular derogatory phrase – "hijo de p**a" ("son of a b***h") – is uttered in that show at a rate of three times per minute (my estimate, possibly exaggerated).

After five stressful seasons, it has become a core memory for me, but I still can't figure out how to order sangria.

Those looking to engage beyond a schoolboy level might wish to consider what these interactions tell you about the power dynamics in a given scene. Or, if it's a regionally specific phrase, you could consider digging into its origins.

Alternatively, say it to your friends and giggle like a child when they look confused. It's all valid.

4. Practice pronunciation

Foul language or not, there is a real benefit to repeating what you hear in your favourite TV shows or films as you're watching them.

Parrish told Radio Times that this practice, known in educational circles as 'shadowing', can be "really effective" for improving your pronunciation of a new language.

It actually doesn't matter "whether you understand the dialogue or not," she explained. "Just repeat the sounds that you hear and try to do it without pausing, if possible."

Parrish added: "It's not terribly sociable if you're watching with other people, and I don't think you'd want to sit through a whole film like that, but it does seem to help in bitesize chunks."

Save this activity for the less distressing scenes in Squid Game, lest your neighbours become quite worried about you.

5. Reflect and discuss

Art is designed to be enjoyed and/or to provoke an emotional response, so we shouldn't strip that element away from any pieces used as a learning resource.

Arranging thoughts on a given film or episode of television can help it to live on for much longer in the mind, which is why Bradley recommends jotting personal reactions down regularly in a diary, blog or humble notes app.

"I think there's something quite important in connecting what you're watching to the time and place, and how you were feeling," she continued.

"I did a French and Spanish degree and lived in Paris while studying, so I've got a very strong emotional connection to a number of French films I watched at that time... The texts can become, for you, much more meaningful."

If you switch off when someone mentions the word 'journalling', another approach is to find a space where you can discuss whatever resources you've been consuming.

It's tempting to be lone wolves in language learning, whether out of shyness or convenience, but Parrish notes that supportive relationships are vital to the "basic needs" theory of motivation.

Such 'relatedness' could stem from casual conversations with a friend or a group chat composed of fellow learners that regularly shares resources (and ideally the occasional meme, just because).

If that doesn't align with your circumstances, you might want to consider a forum site like Reddit, which hosts whole communities dedicated to specific languages where users can contribute tips, questions or issues that they want to address.

Basic needs theory also highlights the importance of autonomy (see section 1) and competence, the latter of which is nowhere near as intimidating as it sounds (I promise).

Be kind to yourself!

When we say 'competence' in the context of basic needs theory, it doesn't mean a speaking level where you can flawlessly order tapas in Madrid and proceed to charm the handsome waiter with a hilarious anecdote.

It simply means setting yourself tasks which you feel you can realistically achieve. Even if you don't take to the language like a duck to water, you mustn't stop believing that it's "within your capabilities," said Parrish.

Bradley added that you can protect your self-belief by not piling on pressure to achieve immediate results. Language learning is "never finished," she stated, even when it comes to our native tongue – so what's the rush?

"We need to take away the shame. If you feel that you're not good enough, or you haven't mastered enough, or you've not been consistent with your learning, that's what becomes demotivating," concluded Bradley.

"Think about learning a language as something that's fun and communal – and opening you up to new things."

In that spirit, I say to you all: Arigato gozaimasu! ("Thank you very much" in Japanese, learned from a mere four weeks of Duolingo and two seasons of The Boyfriend – but I am something of a prodigy.)

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