NOTE: Language TV Club is no longer operational as of August 2024
Have you heard of the Language TV Club? Do you think the idea of learning a language with TV shows seems cool and interesting, but you’re not sure if it is the right learning tool for you? Read this Language TV Club review to learn about the club, how to participate, what level is suggested, and the potential benefits you might gain from participating in the Language TV Club.
What is the Language TV Club?
The Language TV Club is not your average language club. It is a month-long club centered around watching TV shows to learn a language and sharing this experience with a small group.
The Language TV Club was founded after its creator, Lauren Williams, found herself watching C-dramas (Chinese dramas) to practice her listening skills in Mandarin. Like most people who watch good series, Lauren wanted to chat with friends about the plot twists in the show and predict what might happen next. She didn’t have any friends around her who were learning Chinese or watching sappy Chinese shows. She needed to find a group on her own!
That is where the idea for the Language TV Club came from, and now it offers groups in several languages, at least two languages per month. People from all over the world have joined to practice listening, speaking, and sometimes reading and writing as well.
How it works:
- You pick your club (Spanish, German, French, etc), sign up for a time, and join the private online group.
- Each day, you will receive a prompt or idea to help further your studies or knowledge of the culture.
- Each week, you will watch specific episodes of a TV show that the rest of the group is watching too. You will have an Episode Guide with pertinent vocabulary and practice questions.
- Each weekend, you will meet with your group via Zoom to discuss what happened in the show. Your group will have a moderator who is a native or advanced speaker of the language.
Language TV Club review: which language level is best?
Beginner
Beginners have joined the club before, but the club is not really designed for beginners. So if you are a beginner and really want to join, just let your host know your level and focus on listening to the conversation and learning from your fellow members. It is also important to write down your responses to the practice questions before the meetings, so you can still participate.
You may need to use your native language subtitles while watching the show. Watching the show twice through, once in each language, is a great way for beginners to profit from the club.
Intermediate
Most Language TV Club members are at the intermediate level. This is a great level because you can already have a conversation, but may still be nervous to speak with native speakers or are missing important vocabulary.
Intermediate learners gain the most from this club because they get listening practice from watching the show and listening to their fellow members. Intermediate-level speakers also get a chance to practice writing with the Episode Guide and speaking in multiple sentences with a small group. Ever hear of the intermediate plateau? Yeah, this club will help you turn that back into a hill or mountain.
Many of our members are people who have taken language classes in the past but feel a bit rusty with their skills, or despite having finished classes, still feel nervous about getting out there and speaking (introverts unite!). This club allows them to practice the knowledge they already have in a safe space to improve comfort, confidence, and fluency while speaking.
Advanced
Advanced learners also benefit from the group, as they come across slang or specific vocabulary terms in the shows to add to their repertoire. Practicing speaking is always helpful, no matter your level.
Advanced learners may also try watching the show without subtitles and writing complex summaries about what happened, to get more out of the club. Even language teachers and interpreters have joined the club in order to better understand today’s colloquial terms or gain vocabulary in a specific area.
Please note: the Language TV Club is not a language lesson, but more of an opportunity for discussion between learners. This means that your club host will not be explaining every grammar concept or new vocabulary word in-depth. This is why it may not be the best resource for beginners.
It is recommended that beginner learners also have a structured lesson approach in addition to the Language TV Club if they do wish to participate.
How do I know if I’m ready for the Language TV Club?
Many people may have hesitations about joining because they feel they are not ready. Here are some general guidelines to find out if you are ready to join the Language TV Club.
You are most likely ready for the club if:
- You can speak in complete sentences, but still might get nervous about it
- You can understand a basic conversation or the gist of a more advanced discussion, but the dialogues of native speakers can still be difficult due to gaps in vocabulary or rate of speaking
- You can watch a tv show with original subtitles and not feel completely lost
- You already enjoy watching shows in your target language (but may not have anyone to share them with!)
As stated earlier, the tv club is a great place for learners who have done lessons and are ready to branch out into less structured activities. It is also a wonderful choice for learners who have had a higher level in the language in the past, but now feel a bit rusty after some time without it.
How do I know if the Language TV Club is NOT right for me?
The Language TV Club may not be right for you if:
- You cannot produce complete sentences AND/OR your vocabulary is less than 150-300 words (please see beginner’s section above)
- You judge others’ language levels (the Language TV Club is a judgment-free zone!)
- You do not enjoy watching TV
Generally, all language learners are welcome to join. However, the club is a safe, respectful space, so anyone who comes in with hateful or derogatory language will not be allowed to attend.
As far as language level is concerned, all are welcome, but beginners should notify their club host before the meetings start to let them know that they will likely be just listening for much of the time. They should know, as well, that they may not get the same experience as more advanced members, because beginner vocabulary is not frequently highlighted.
Additional note: If you don’t enjoy watching TV, it may be best for you to find another method of learning your language. Enjoying the process of learning is very important. It will help you retain so much more and be able to use that language much more effectively.
Potential Benefits of Participating in the Language TV Club
There are many benefits to participating in the Language TV Club, including but not limited to:
- Meeting new people from around the world who are learning the same language as you
- Having less anxiety about speaking your new language with others
- Improved listening comprehension of TV shows and of conversation
- Increasing your repertoire of standard and slang vocabulary
- A better understanding of the culture behind the TV show
- Improved fluency or naturalness speaking
Members have described the experience as:
- fun
- rewarding
- laid-back
- creative
- challenging
- enjoyable
- supportive
- well-organized
- helpful
Language TV Club review FAQ:
Does the Language TV Club cost money?
Yes, it does cost money to join the club. These costs help pay for the online system that runs the groups, as well as compensate club hosts for their time and effort. Compared to other live events, such as going to a movie theater, or language lessons with experienced teachers, the cost to join the club is relatively low.
If money is tight for you, but you’d really like to participate, Polyglot Station offers free months of the club as prizes at different events throughout the year, and also provides special perks for club hosts, if you are interested and available to host a language one month.
Do I need any special subscriptions?
The Language TV Club does not provide subscriptions to Netflix, where most of the TV series of the club are chosen, so you will need to have access to Netflix on your own. Netflix is a great choice for language learners because of the availability of subtitles in various languages, and there is a browser extension called Language Reactor that can support your learning even more.
Language TV Club review: is my target language available?
The most common languages featured in the Language TV Club are Spanish, French, German, and Italian. Other languages that appear regularly but not as often include English, Polish and Portuguese. Additional languages that have appeared but are not frequent include Korean, Russian, and Mandarin.
The languages offered depend on the level of demand for each club and the availability of club hosts. Subscribe to the website to get notices about upcoming clubs.
Overall, the Language TV Club is a great resource for a learner who: is learning one of the world’s major languages, enjoys watching TV series (especially Netflix), wants or needs to practice speaking, and would like to connect with other learners. 100% of members who participated in the club and responded to the survey would recommend the club to their friends, and many come back for more.
What do you think about this Language TV Club review? Think the Language TV Club will be right for you? Go ahead and give it a shot! You’ll be surprised by how much you can learn by watching TV. We hope to see you there!
Lauren is the Founder and CEO of Polyglot Station, LLC, an online space for people to explore and connect through languages. One of the main divisions of this company is the Language TV Club. Lauren is passionate about learning languages and supporting others to do the same. When she’s not watching Netflix dramas in other languages, you might find her out dancing salsa, sitting in the sun, or playing games with friends and family.
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