- Subtitles in the language you learn help most once you follow most words.
- Below that, they turn watching into slow reading, and people give up.
- A middle path is your language with a few words swapped in.
What research says
Subtitles in your language keep you in the story. A meta-analysis found that captions in the same language as the audio help both listening and vocabulary. Those studies mostly used learners who could already follow the video.
Reading research puts comfortable understanding at about 98% known words. Subtitles in the language you learn help when you are near that line.
Choose by level
The middle path
Subtitles in your language are easy but teach little. Subtitles in the language you learn teach a lot but only when you can keep up.
NativeLingo sits in between. It keeps your subtitles readable. A few words switch to the language you learn, at your level and in the right form.
When to move up
Move up when you can follow a familiar video in the language you learn without pausing every line. Try the next step on shows you know first.
Questions
Not with a few words swapped in. On their own, they help comprehension more than learning.
Only at B2 and above, and only on clear speech.
NativeLingo can swap words from several reading languages, but your strongest language is the easiest base.