Context: I learn by reading and barely beginner I reckon, but can read the katakana/kanji I have encountered and definitely gotten used to kanji having meaning. (I know hiragana)
I want to improve my listening but by watching interesting shows. If I have the japanese subtitles on, I can definitely find the word boundaries in their speech because even if I read slowly, I can pick up the kanji a lot faster.
If no subtitles, I only hear the words I have truly mastered and the rest is japanese spaghetti.
Will using japanese subtitles while watching help? (maybe because I enjoy the show more, and can intuit the meaning through kanji?)
Or do you suggest, that after sometime, I turn off the subtitles at some point?
EDIT: I don’t pause at all. I enjoy the whole thing more when I watch with subtitles. I can’t read that fast, but getting a glimpse (especially the kanji) helps me to intuit what’s being said. This makes the whole thing enjoyable.
I never pause. Instead I learn words and others, through reading, I learn new words that way. Although with videos, I learn new expressions and sometimes new words (but the rate at which I learn new words is faster in reading)
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In think personally using Japanese subs is a great way to study. I will admit I focus on the subs more than what I’m hearing but even without noticing I’m sure the listening is helping a lot too. I sometimes play back scenes to make sure I understand everything and for a few minutes review by watching without paying attention to the subs.
I’ve found that watching videos with Japanese subtitles is way more helpful than without them. I always watch English videos with subtitles wherever I can too because I am dyslexic and can barely understand when people talk, so I find that the same thing happens to me for media in Japanese.
It also makes it way easier to pause, translate specific words you don’t know and keep a log of them without having to guess. You’ll find that as you come across the same words later on in the show/movie, you’ll be able to recall it faster and easier too.
Idk really, but this video somehow makes sense:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htL8h40ew1w](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htL8h40ew1w)
So english subtitles quite ok for first watch, but you can rewatch later with Japanese ones and mine your flashcards or just try to understand some grammar
It’s a delicate dance. Personally, I prefer to actually want to enjoy what I’m doing, so stopping, pausing, rereading, studying, over and over again, and rewatching anyways because I barely understood the plot, doesn’t sound fun to me, and is probably an indication that I am watching content above my level.
I try and watch content, that, if the subs are off, I’ll still get the gist of what’s happening. But yes, even Japanese subtitles can be a crutch to some extent. If a show is just slightly above my comfortability in terms of how quickly the characters speak, then I’ll use japanese subtitles. If it’s a fairly comfortable show for me (for example Shirokuma Cafe), then I’ll have them off, but use the hot keys to very quickly toggle the subtitles on for something I may have missed.
With podcasts and audio-only stuff, I’ve just accepted that it’s just going to be a lot of word salad and I’m going to inherently miss a lot of what’s being said, whether I actually know it or not. Personally I’ve found it a lot harder at curating audio studying to match my level than it is for tv and books. At a certain point, we have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable and getting over the fact that something is difficult to listen to. But it will get easier.
If you’re watching things for Japanese people you’re good. Japanese people use JP subs.
You probably need some time watching without any subs to improve listening skills, but if you’re in a loud environnent watching with jp subs is better than blasting your eardrums to drown out the noise. Subs also make looking up vocabulary easier. Probably both should be used when appropriate.
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JPN subs will help in the beginning. As you get better, the subs become a crutch. Your brain never learns to hear the words, making your reliant on the text on screen to hear them.
Ultimately it’s a learning tool, much like training wheels, that will need to come off eventually.
A lot of the comments seem pretty divided, but I think you really just need to find what works best for you. Imo try to watch simpler things like children’s cartoons without subtitles, because they were designed to be consumed by Japanese kids who are themselves still learning the language.
Japanese subtitles certainly helps me in understanding what I’m watching
If you want to improve listening comprehension to a high level ultimately you’re gonna need listening practice without subtitles. However, I don’t think there’s 0 value in using JP subtitles, especially it you’re not at a level when you can understand native content without it. Just don’t rely on it entirely. try to find input that’s at a level where you can understand most of it without subtitles to supplement the stuff you watch with subtitles.
I also found that after getting used to using subtitles I started to get into my own head a little and started to automatically assume that I wouldn’t be able to follow a show if I didn’t use them. Watch out for that I guess.