Do you use your DVD player to brush up on...

[skypilot]

...your foreign language skills? I finally bought a DVD player a little over a week ago and it's really cool that I can watch the movie in English and get French subtitles (on some DVDs). Of course, I don't expect to learn French solely by this method but it is a really good tool to have.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

1. Sometimes, I have tried

Spanish.

But the little I do understand and can get out of the 'conversation', I find it's not much of a direct translation at all.

Something like 'C'mon guys, get your asses in gear. We need to get out of hear!' comes across as 'Vamanos!'.. end of story.

[skypilot]

2. I hate that.

It's the very definition of "lost in the translation".

[Commendatori]

3. I do this with German.

I don't understand even half of what I'm hearing, but it doesn't hurt.

[skypilot]

6. I'm working it the other way around.

I rent an English language movie and then bring up the French subtitles. It works best if it's a movie I've seen before and whose dialogue I am familiar enough with to know how close the French subtitles are. I started watching "Carrie" for the one millionth time and so far the French subtitles seem to be a very close translation of what is actually being said.

[Commendatori]

7. Nice, idea, thanks!

Unfortunately for me, French subtitles are more common over here than German ones are, but I'm sure I'll be able to find a few useful discs.

[Kellanved]

4. yes, DVDs ended my misery caused by dubbed movies

I can't stand dubbed movies, but English VHS tapes used to be way too expensive.

[LTR]

5. I could try with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

So far, I've watched it only with the English dubbing. The subtitles read so terribly, that I just couldn't switch it to the original Mandarin audio track.