Smart subtitles help you learn a second language

[Nipuna]

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NEED to learn a new language but would rather watch TV shows instead? A new software app aims to let you do both at once.

Once downloaded, Fleex extracts the subtitle data in video footage stored on your computer or online – whether it's a movie in the language you want to learn or YouTube footage – and presents subtitles in both your native language and your target language.

For now, Fleex teaches only English. It does not display all the English subtitles throughout a programme, as that might swamp beginners with too much information. Instead, the subtitles for their own language are shown and, initially, only a low proportion of them are also shown in English. The amount in English offered rises, under the student's control, as their comprehension grows. Meanwhile, subtitles in their native language gradually drop away.

At any time, selecting a confusing word in an English subtitle will bring up a menu defining the word and outlining its common usage. Idioms and common expressions are explained, too. Fleex costs €4.90 per month on a subscription basis.

The app is part of a move towards tech-mediated language learning, with Duolingo probably the best-known app.

This article appeared in print under the headline "Smart subtitles help you learn a second language"