Shadowing Practice: Why More People Are Using Subtitles While Watching TV, Movies - Learn English Speaking with Video
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113 sentences
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We are back, 8-14, new look at the growing popularity of subtitles, yes.
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Yeah, so more people are using them
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and they're watching some of their favorite shows and movies and a new poll shedding light on why.
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I'm very curious here, NBC's Joe Fire did some digging.
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I feel like you're either pro-subtitle or you're anti-subtitle.
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But it is changing a little bit too.
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So for those with a hearing impairment, of course, subtitles have always been important.
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But in this age of streaming, the population of viewers using them is rapidly increasing.
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In fact, a new study finds overall about a third of the public often flips on the subtitles, a number that goes up as the age goes down.
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But what's truly fascinating is why we use them.
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For a younger person and an older person, the answers are often different.
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Just as one generation might watch the Golden Girls.
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Thank you for being a friend.
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Another opts for the summer.
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I turn pretty.
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Ellie.
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Conrad.
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Your age may also determine how you watch your favorite TV shows and movies.
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A new poll finds 40% of adults age 18 to 44 use subtitles always or often.
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That number drops to 28% for those 45 and older.
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Those stats came to life.
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All of them were like, why don't you have the captions on?
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His 57-year-old Kelly Gibson watched a movie with her daughters, including 30-year-old Hallie.
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And it's at a point, I would say, where it's jarring if the subtitles aren't on.
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Mom is now on board.
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I was fascinated and loved the idea that younger generations saw this as something that was for everybody.
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Though not everyone's on the same page.
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When you guys watch In English, do you guys tell me you have the subtitles on at all times?
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No, never.
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Absolutely not.
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No, never. In English?
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Why do you use the subtitles?
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You speak English.
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Sometimes you just make sure you catch everything.
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And that's the main reason viewers are flipping on the subtitles.
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To catch every word.
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Something we discussed on today.
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You guys have subtitles?
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Yes, no?
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Yeah, I'm huge on the subtitles, but I find it hard to make out the dialogue a lot of times.
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Turn up the volume.
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Yeah.
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Turn up the fire.
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Line it.
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Accession.
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The dialogue is so fast, I don't want to miss it, so I put the subtitles on it.
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You are not...
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serious people.
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Of course, we're also using subtitles for foreign films and shows. And to understand accents.
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Apologies.
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I have a flea-bottom accent I know.
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Game of Thrones started it because I watched it the first time without, and I rewatched it with Game Changer.
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But the poll shows younger viewers may have different reasons for turning on the captions, like watching in a noisy environment or multitasking,
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rapidly bouncing between multiple screens, even while working.
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You can read the subtitles faster than they're usually delivered by the actors.
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And so that usually means that you can pick up what's needed and then hear it as you're continuing on your work.
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Subtitles are far from new.
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They date back to the early 1900s when they They were called inner titles, those title cards you saw between scenes in silent movies.
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After the transition to talkies, subtitles were born, growing more complex over the decades.
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These days, captions are quite common in social media videos,
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and that more than anything just might explain why the youngest generations are perfectly happy reading what they're watching.
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I just find it so much more helpful for me to be able to fully understand everything that's going on, whatever the dialogue is, whatever is being said.
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Here's one more stat.
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Just this year, Netflix said nearly half of all viewing hours in the U.S now happen with subtitles or captions on.
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Clearly, though, there is this generational divide here.
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That poll found those 60 and older are especially likely to say they never use subtitles.
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Me, the problem with me is they're distracting.
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They're so focused on reading.
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I miss what's actually happening on the show.
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Unless it's like an accent, I can't understand.
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Right.
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I just can't do it. But you.
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I have I have to, but maybe because I'm not watching action, I'm watching shows that are heavy on dialogue.
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I can't understand it.
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I'm deaf.
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Too many years with something in my ear.
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My kids are talking.
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I find that my kids have started using subtitles and it just happened the last few months.
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And I've asked them to stop.
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To your point.
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Are they listening to you?
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Yes, yes, because it's lazy.
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And you can't watch the action in follow-ups.
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It's not lazy, you're reading a show.
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You're missing things.
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You're working hard.
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You were missing the pretty pictures.
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If Jenna could incorporate reading with Jenna, have it be that, I would join.
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Oh, my gosh.
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This Carson's book club will be movies.
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Reading subtitles.
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Reading subtitles.
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You can solve the problem, not unless I have to.
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If there's a thick accent, sure.
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Yeah, I like a lot of those English shows, quirky English shows.
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The only show where it makes sense to watch subtitles if you have to, the Today Show.
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If you're watching us right now using subtitles, continue.
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Well, everyone talks at once on this show.
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I'm so sorry for who I'm typing.
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Whoever's in charge of that.
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I guarantee you I know one guy who doesn't use subtitles.
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Al Roker.
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And what do you do when you go to the movies, then?
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Well, the movies are really loud.
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You can turn off the volume on your TV.
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Yeah.
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You don't use them, do you, Al?
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I do not.
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Good.
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No. Hey, thanks for watching.
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Don't forget, you can catch The Today Show every morning on NBC or take Today when you're on the go.
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Just follow The Today Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Why More People Are Using Subtitles While Watching TV, Movies”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: subtitle, watching, movie, reading, English. This video has 113 sentences and 1000 words to shadow. The speech runs for 5:37. The speaker talks at a natural 178 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| subtitle noun | /ˈsʌbtaɪtəl/ | A heading below or after a title. |
| caption noun | /ˈkæp.ʃən/ | The descriptive heading or title, of a document or part thereof. |
| accent noun | /ækˈsɛnt/ | A higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to… |
| viewer noun | /ˈvju.ɚ/ | Someone who views a spectacle; an onlooker or spectator. |
| fascinate verb | /ˈfæsɪneɪt/ | To evoke an intense interest or attraction in someone. |
| flip verb | /flɪp/ | To throw so as to turn over. |
| accession noun | /ækˈsɛʃ.ən/ | A coming to; the act of acceding and becoming joined. |
| generational adjective | Of, pertaining to, or changing over generations. | |
| multitasking noun | The simultaneous execution of multiple tasks (programs) under the control of an interrupt-driven operating system. | |
| rewatch verb | /ɹiːˈwɒtʃ/ | To watch again. |
| quirky adjective | /ˈkwɜːki/ | Given to quirks or idiosyncrasies; strange in a somewhat silly, awkward manner, potentially cute. |
| impairment noun | /ɪmˈpɛəmənt/ | The result of being impaired. |
| noisy adjective | /ˈnɔɪzi/ | Making a noise, especially a loud unpleasant sound |
| distract verb | /dɪˈstɹækt/ | To divert the attention of. |
| incorporate verb | /ɪŋˈkɔɹ.pɚ.eɪt/ | To include (something) as a part. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| turn up verb | To show up; to appear suddenly or unexpectedly. | |
| go down verb | To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one. | |
| go up verb | To move upwards. | |
| make out verb | /meɪk aʊt/ | To draw up (a document etc.), to designate (a cheque). |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. | |
| turn off verb | To power down, to switch off, to put out of operation, to deactivate (an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.). |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- All of them were like, why don't you have the captions on?
- Why do you use the subtitles?
- You guys have subtitles?
- Me, the problem with me is they're distracting.
- Are they listening to you?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have always been · have started · I've asked |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | were called · were born · being said |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 32 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: caption /ˈkæp.ʃən/, accession /ækˈsɛʃ.ən/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: incorporate /ɪŋˈkɔɹ.pɚ.eɪt/, apology /əˈpɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like subtitle, caption, accent.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.