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Mate: Netflix browser extension for learning words via subtitles

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Re: Mate: Netflix browser extension for learning words via subtitles

#52

For me, watching TV shows with subtitles is an excellent way to learn a language, once you are beyond the basics. I would watch the show with subtitles; when I didn't understand something, I would pause, look up the phrase/words, write them down for future repetition and continue. A technology solution for this is awesome.

[deleted]

Re: Mate: Netflix browser extension for learning words via subtitles

#53
Watching TV and movies with subtitles is a great way for intermediate language learners (B1 and above) to progress. Kudos to Mate for thinking of capturing this in Netflix with a browser add-on.

However, creating a flash card with a translation to your native language is not the best way to master vocabulary. A translation (or, "gloss") can be helpful initially, but it's more important to see the word in context.

It would be great if a browser extension would include spaced repetition / flash card creation of both production cards (sentence with a blank usually) and comprehension cards (the word alone) and pull up the original video frame for context whenever checking one's recall.

FD: I hold an MA in TESOL / applied linguistics / language acquisition, and I have several years' experience teaching ESL students. However, I am not yet fluent in my own second language (Russian). Working on that with the Fluent Forever methodology (though not their new app).

Re: Mate: Netflix browser extension for learning words via subtitles

#55

Watching TV and movies with subtitles is a great way for intermediate language learners (B1 and above) to progress. Kudos to Mate for thinking of capturing this in Netflix with a browser add-on. However, creating a flash card with a translation to your native language is not the best way to master vocabulary. A translation (or, "gloss") can be helpful initially, but it's more important to see the word in context. It…

> Watching TV and movies with subtitles is a great way for intermediate language learners (B1 and above) to progress.

If they have patience, it's good for anyone. My children have been able to learn many languages this way from scratch to a very high level of fluency that I only minimally speak. I look for children's tv network apps for their iPad from countries with the target language.

Re: Mate: Netflix browser extension for learning words via subtitles

#56

It would be cool (but super niche) to have a "wait, what was that" button in Netflix. Skip back 10s, enable subs. Would be great when you're trying not to use the subtitles, but sometimes get a bit outpaced. Edit: maybe not so niche! Someone build a WebExtension!

That works with Siri on Apple TV. Say "what did he say", and it'll jump back a bit and temporarily engage subtitles.

This is super awesome but also super frustrating. I never knew this. So makes me wonder how many other cool ‘hidden’ features like this exist.

Re: Mate: Netflix browser extension for learning words via subtitles

#57
post #55

Watching TV and movies with subtitles is a great way for intermediate language learners (B1 and above) to progress. Kudos to Mate for thinking of capturing this in Netflix with a browser add-on. However, creating a flash card with a translation to your native language is not the best way to master vocabulary. A translation (or, "gloss") can be helpful initially, but it's more important to see the word in context. It…

> Watching TV and movies with subtitles is a great way for intermediate language learners (B1 and above) to progress. If they have patience, it's good for anyone. My children have been able to learn many languages this way from scratch to a very high level of fluency that I only minimally speak. I look for children's tv network apps for their iPad from countries with the target language.

How do you do this? Target language audio with English subs?

Re: Mate: Netflix browser extension for learning words via subtitles

#58
This is fantastic. It would be great to use this to also train text-to-speech models replicating specific people by feeding unsubbed video clips of the same person into it, a la something like wave net [1], or what Google is doing with John Legend [2].

[1] https://deepmind.com/blog/wavenet-generative-model-raw-audio...

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgHghcYqeto

Re: Mate: Netflix browser extension for learning words via subtitles

#59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just always have subs on. There are shows which are downright unwatchable without subs (e.g. True Detective). I'm not a native speaker, but I'm fluent.

It does detract you from the scenes a bit though, so I prefer to keep them off if I can

Yeah, I often read the subtitles before the words are spoken, which sometimes ruins the surprise when they say it.

Re: Mate: Netflix browser extension for learning words via subtitles

#60
While my primary wish would still be something that targets novels ("Learn enough Italian to read Eco"), something similar for TV shows wouldn't be that bad. Preferably not a dubbed version, so that it's clearer that you've already got a benefit from learning what little you did. Problem is that a lot of TV shows are very much in the vernacular. I wouldn't recommend e.g. the Wire for ESL studies.

I learned a lot of my early English from reading tabletop RPGs, so I've got no problem learning about twelve kinds of polearms before I learn the words you need to get by in a hotel…

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