Thanks to the DVD, you can now watch almost any movie you want to in French! Beginners might shun this idea because they feel they won’t understand anything, but this can be an excellent way to quickly improve your French, no matter what your level. Pick a movie you know very well, and if you need to, put English subtitles on (be warned though, this will distract you from paying attention to the French). You will be pleasantly surprised at how many lines you are able to recognize because you know what they are supposed to be saying in English. Take a look at this trailer for the French version of the popular film Titanic, and see how much of the language you understand:
If you had trouble, no worries. Start off watching a movie in English with French subtitles. This way, you are able to slow down and read the French at your own pace. Once you feel more comfortable with it, try watching that same movie dubbed in French. Another alternative is watching it in French with French subtitles to help you understand the rapid dialogue, but remember that subtitles, especially when they are not in the movie’s original language, don’t always match word for word what is being said onscreen.
Of course nothing compares to watching a movie in its original language, so once you have mastered watching familiar movies in French, you will want to watch original movies in French. For some ideas, read my post on French movies.
