Finnish Subtitles On DVDs

Stacey · Post by **Stacey** » Fri May 07, 2004 12:47 pm

You know if you are watching your DVDs there is a language option, well on many DVDs there is a Finnish subtitle option. Would watching a DVD with Finnish subtitles be very useful for learning the language? Has anyone done that?
Stacey

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PeterF · Post by **PeterF** » Fri May 07, 2004 12:56 pm

When you are at an advanced level probably if and only if...
a) The sub tittles stay put long enough and are in sync with the speaker.
b) The sub tittles have not been done by an idiot machine translation.
c) The film script is not too complicated i.e. Kid's Films have a more simple dialogue..shorter sentences etc.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Fri May 07, 2004 2:24 pm

I have a watched a couple of Dvds of Finnish films with Finnish subtitles. I read Finnish (marginally) better than I (don't) speak it - so I found that useful. I also rent Finnish movies and put on English subtitles and try not to read the words.... but it's hard work.

But I think watching British or American movies with Finnish subtitles would be a waste of time. After 10 mins my brain would just turn off the subtitles.

dusty_bin · Post by **dusty_bin** » Fri May 07, 2004 4:25 pm

I learned a lot of French from watching French movies subtitled into English.

Mainly though I watched one, La Cage Aux Folles, over and over again until everything was clear. Thing is though the subtitles were very good and followed the speech very well. It was also a very good film. The Robin Williams version 'Birdcage' was a travesty in comparison.

So my recommendation would be to watch a Finnish movie with English subtitles. You don't need to concentrate on reading and keeping up and as you understand more, you watch the words less. I used to practice with French movies with tape over the bottom of the screen. (Back in the days before DVD.

I also did the reading Asterix in French thing; but Finnish, perfidious tongue that it is, has too many changes in case etc to make it possible for me.

mikebrads · Post by **mikebrads** » Fri May 07, 2004 5:12 pm

i do a similar thing with English programs on Finnish TV.

For short streachs of a program i watch the subtitles, and try to match words in the subtitles to what i can hear in English.
For some short phrases i can somethimes get a "ahh, so that how they say that then".
Of course i then instantly forget this, before i can ask a native speaker if my understadning is correct, or is it a f***-up on the part of the subtitle orgaisation

I am not sure how much it is helping or hindering me

dusty_bin · Post by **dusty_bin** » Fri May 07, 2004 5:29 pm

For me, I already understoood some French and so the subtitles filled in the missing bits. Even when I started, Asterix and time spent in France meant that it was not all dark to me.

hemuli · Post by **hemuli** » Fri May 07, 2004 10:21 pm

Hi,

I found the Finnish DVD translations of Hollywood and Disney movies quite correct.

The last one I looded was in December. Something like Morrison and me. It had quite a good English translation.

The DBD option at some movies is quite good to learn Finnish, I think.

I don't need the Finnish translation. I have quite a success with my grammar book from 1903. Thereafter I didn't look TV, but go ahead if you want to.

bretti_kivi · Post by **bretti_kivi** » Fri May 07, 2004 10:50 pm

i'm already reasonably advanced in learning (having a two-year-old learning the language is really useful - "spot's big lift the flap book" -"pupen touhoukas päivä" is highly recommended) and i know from experience that just listening and knowing what's going on is really useful and helps the "immersion" significantly. "poika ja ilves" was quite well done - "tommy and the wildcat" in english - it was filmed in both languages and the story's pretty obvious, so you can get on with the language.
"Lapin Kullan Kimallus" was excellent - i have no idea how good the subtitles are because i was stunned by the scenery...

but the language is cool, and you have a reasonable chance of getting the story.
I've also just picked up a copy of "life of brian" on DVD with finnish subtitles at the virgin megastore in leeds - the subtitles seem pretty good so far....

it's not something i'd recommend for beginners.

How else are you learning?

Bret

strawberry · Post by **strawberry** » Sat May 08, 2004 1:02 pm

Go for it guys! Of course, beware those little poop-ups by the translators...

But, that's exactly how we Finns have maintained our reasonable language skills over times - mainly in English, I guess! And way before the satellite channels, too! Even my mum has been able to keep up her English with help from the numerous tv series - it's great that they are not dubbed in Finland, methinks! (Her favourite - and mine - at the moment is "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet"

) So, sure works the other way round, too!

BAT · Post by **BAT** » Sat May 08, 2004 9:35 pm

A Finland Journal article about subtitles - http://www.finlandjournal.com/article.php?type=e&id=35

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