Can you learn Romanian for free? In fact, can you learn any foreign language for free? Well, the answer is complicated. A senior executive at a technology company was once asked whether we can’t live without mobile phones and so many electronic devices after all. He replied: Of course! But it would be much, much harder. Well, that would probably be the best answer to our question too. Yes. You can probably learn a foreign language at no cost. But the process would be much more difficult. It is obvious that any quality product requires a minimum investment, and studying a foreign language is nothing more than a process in which it is best to have the help of a professional. The advice provided by that professional is a product, and it has a cost. However, there are indeed a number of additional things we can use to help us when learning a foreign language.
Can TV help me learn Romanian?
The answer is yes. It is more than obvious that just watching Romanian TV, without any knowledge of the Romanian language, cannot ever lead you to the possibility of speaking Romanian fluently. This requires a minimum of effort. But watching films and shows can help a lot. They will help you get used to the sound of Romanian, the way it sounds when spoken fluently by native speakers, in the most varied tones and contexts.
And there are plenty of advantages that TV brings. First of all, it’s entertaining and fun. After all, that’s what it’s for, isn’t it! 🙂 The fact that the action of a movie can grab you and keep you on the couch until the end is a great asset because learning is always easier when it is accompanied by a fun and relaxing way to spend time. Of course, no matter how engaging a film is, the learning process (you haven’t forgotten that you want to learn Romanian, have you?) will never be as interactive as, for example, an online Romanian course with a teacher. Let’s be honest, on TV you can’t pause to ask the actor to repeat and possibly give you some explanations as to why he chose to use a certain word in a certain context, or some suggestions for another equally appropriate word.
However, the language you will hear on TV is an important and interesting source of information for you, because it is the real language that people use every day, in the most different situations. And this is an important aspect – diversity. On romanian tv you will find something for everyone. Whether it’s action, romance, documentaries or news programmes, the advantage is that you can discover Romanian from many angles.
Romanian subtitles – yes or no?
It is a question we cannot neglect, whether it is advisable to watch films with subtitles or without. Here opinions are divided. Some recommend watching films without subtitles at all, in order to force the brain to concentrate continuously, to be receptive and to take in as much of the context and subject matter as possible, as it is rendered through words and lines. On the other hand, some recommend the use of subtitles, in the idea that you can immediately see how a word you don’t know is written, or even how words and phrases you already know are related in terms of phrasing and natural expression. There are also professional studies on the subject, the results of which seem to suggest that subtitling is a good thing, because listening to and reading a foreign language at the same time helps to develop some familiarity with the vocabulary and general sound of the language. Of course, here too things can differ quite a lot from person to person. If you are someone for whom the visual element is extremely important in the learning process, then the answer is clear to you. They will help you.
Pareto’s principle
The Pareto Principle (or 80/20 rule) establishes a relationship between the effort you put in, and the results. This principle postulates that usually an effective process in any activity is when you put 20% effort into achieving 80% of the results, and not the other way around. Applying this principle to the process of learning Romanian (or any other language) we find that the most common 1000 words, on average, cover 80% of speech. In other words, you will understand almost any real-life conversation or be able to express most of what you want to say in Romanian if you master those basic words. Linguistic studies applied to material commonly broadcast on TV reveal that the language you’ll hear on TV comprises about 3000 of the most common word families in a language. This means that watching TV is very likely to help you progress and enrich your vocabulary a lot, so that you are prepared for any situation you encounter.
Free romanian tv online
Can I watch romanian tv for fre online? Since we’ve all come to the conclusion that TV is useful, then you may ask: well, how do I do that? Where can I find Romanian films and shows online? Well, the good news is that most Romanian TV channels broadcast both cable and online, which means that with a simple search you can find yourself in front of a Romanian-language movie (or one with Romanian subtitles) playing on your monitor in a matter of moments. You don’t have to avoid news broadcasts either, or dismiss their importance. Of course, a film can be much more engaging in terms of story and storyline, but a news programme can be extremely useful because everything you hear in Romanian will be accompanied by images, so it will be very easy for you to understand the context and start making increasingly complex associations between certain terms or expressions and the images that reflect them.
In conclusion, we wish you success in your efforts to learn Romanian, and advise you to use any kind of material that suits your learning style, as long as it helps you effectively. Beyond anything else, however, remember that by far the best and most practical way to learn Romanian is to get help from a teacher.