How many times do you watch a movie for best results?

[Girlish]

Hello there,
When I start watching a movie I see I do not understand all of it though my English is not that bad. Even I use subtitles and my eyes are all the time on them and when I find some unknown words I generally do not stop. Do you think it is a good idea to watch a movie for the first time without taking any not or looking up any words in a dictionary, then the second time doing them?

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[Greight]

As one of the most important purposes of watching a movie is fun, I generally recommend people watch them as they like. Anyway to get the best results I recommend you to watch the film with subtitles off but at hand. Whenever you could not understand a sentence or even word, replay the part several times. If by then you still had problems finding out the idea, then turn the subtitles on to see it. Again after that stop the subtitle and go on with watching the movie.

rezafo

 22:08, 17th Jul 2010 #22 

This is a good advice. I like it.

[rezafo]

This is the area of my most favorite topic and concern.

There are different parts and dialogs in a movie which you may not, barely, somehow, 50 percent, pretty well, quite well, very well, perfectly and fully understand.
It really depends on the person, accent, intonation, speed, situation, age, gender, and more other factors you name it as you’ve got your own experience.

This is what I do:
By and large, I watch a movie three times; First, just for enjoyment and let myself get whatever I can both by normally listening and watching, and as the story and the scene suggests, by putting more effort and concentration into it. And, I follow the whole story up to the end. For the second time, still no subtitle, when I know the whole plot, my attention wouldn’t be distracted over the events and story, I fully concentrate on every dialogue, replaying some parts, if need be. For the third time, with subtitle on.

This is hard to be the same for TV Serials like “Lost”, as it would take me a year (or maybe more!) to practice what I mentioned! But it’ll worth it.

This also can be applied for the “songs”. First time: listen and enjoy the new release of your favorite artist. Second time: focus on the words and repeat some parts as many time as you wish. Third time: try to put down the words. Fourth time: refer to the lyrics and read it as you are listening.

Greight

 22:15, 17th Jul 2010 #23 

This is a good advice, too and I like it as well.

[dimah2005]

I watch movies and series every day, and really i love it

I can't watch movies more than once time, and i hate it

so, I watch series with subtitle off, unimportant movies with subtitle off or en subtitle, and important movies with Persian subtitle,

but, I'll start watch series like reza, I mean first time without subtitle then with subtitle and the last time without subtitle

Greight

 16:55, 9th Dec 2010 #55 

You act like Reza and at the same time you watch the movies once?!

[dimah2005]

I said: "I will"

at this time, i watch once,
but in near future, 2 or 3 time , only for series (like Simpsons)

[ستاره لارا]

Well,well,well...

As far as learning English is concerned I totally disagree with you all on watching movies.
When I say movies I mean real movies. They are not meant to be used for educational purposes at all unless you are absolute advanced or higher or not only do you get nothing out of the movie but also chances are there to lose interests. If you decide to watch movies in order to learn something and improve your listening there are lots of films made to be used in institutes and by students. The simpler the movie to understand the great effect you will get take it for granted.
And a word about subtitles, they are not properly translated and one can find lots of mistakes specially if idioms are there. I may start a topic to introduce you all with such terrible translations. So do not kid yourself.

[zhrh]

in my viewpoint, intensive watching is a lot more preferable than watching a single movie for several times. (the word 'intensive watching' has roots in a style of reading happened to be called 'intensive reading')

[ستاره لارا]

Now tell me what is the use of "Intensive watching/Reading" when you don't understand a single word you hear or read. It is like you reading a manuscript of foreign language totally unfamiliar. I say it is a good idea for learners to watch special movies, read special books, listen to special English rather than picking a movie for instance and watch it.

[zhrh]

you have asked:
How many times do you watch a movie for best results?

and i said just once will suffice if it is intensive one.
as you know, we also have this 'intensive reading' in GTM as an asset for deep learning.
although GTM was labeled as a theory less approach , form my point of view the influence of its techniques will not vanish.(this may seem to be a narrow-minded state, but i possess it)
by the way, here the use of 'authentic' material needs highlighting.
if we watch a movie just for the purpose of learning English, the selection of that movie should be based on 'authenticity'.(it means it should be as near as possible to the natural English used by (our intended) speakers.