Learning a new language usually comes with weeks, months, and even years of taking classes. And then you probably go home to study a little bit more. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a world where you could go home and keep improving without compromising fun? Well, it’s totally possible!
In fact, in order to truly become fluent in a new language, you should immerse yourself in it. And the best way to do it is while performing everyday tasks in that language. You could talk to a native friend, practice with some language apps, or even make a fun movie night.
That’s right, you can improve in your target language when watching your favorite films! Movies with international remakes are a great way to improve in a new language. Plus, you might also learn a new perspective on a well-known cinematographic story. Take a look at our list with some of the best movie remakes to learn a new language.
Best Movie Remakes to Learn a New Language
CODA
This Oscar-winning movie is a remake of the French film “The Bélier Family”. CODA means Child of Deaf Adults. This dramedy follows a CODA girl that is trying to achieve her dreams. To do that, she’ll have to leave her family and home.
The French film was a great success, though it also had its controversy. People and critics said that the French Sign Language was not very accurate.
This is the perfect movie to practice your French or English. If you’re learning sign language it will help you too. Especially for the American Sign Language, since the American movie makes it more accurate than the French one.
You can watch CODA on Apple TV+.
Miracle in Cell No.7
The movie is about a man that has a mental disability and is the father of a little girl. But one day he is charged for a crime he didn’t commit. Throughout the movie, we follow the lovely father-daughter relationship, the discrimination that he faces, the bonds among the prisoners, and how life changes for this man and his family.
This is an original Korean movie, which had a lot of success. It ended up being nominated for many awards and won some of them. Its Turkish version also had a lot of success, not only in Turkey but also around the world. Maybe this happened because it was released on Netflix, a well-known global streaming platform.
Both are very touching and successful, but they have some differences. The main one is probably the ending; both are different.
There’s also an Indian and a Filipino version. Later this year there will be an Indonesian version and a Spanish remake has also been announced.
Intouchables
This French film follows a millionaire that suffered an accident and was left tetraplegic. Now he is in need of someone to help take care of him. He ends up hiring a man that doesn’t have experience as a caregiver but needed the job. We see their adventures and their very different personalities. It is based on Philippe Pozzo di Borgo’s life and autobiography, “A Second Wind”.
The movie was highly successful in France, but also around the world. It was nominated for national and international awards. It won the Premio Goya (Goya Award) for the best European film.
It’s perfect to have a good time because, despite its dramatic moments, there’s also a lot of comedy. It’s also good to learn other languages since it got three international remakes: an Argentinian, an American, and an Indian one.
Perfect Strangers
It’s an Italian movie: “Perfetti Sconosciuti”. It is about a group of friends that play a dangerous game during dinner together. They leave their phones on the table; so that when a text or call comes, everyone will know what it’s about. This game will challenge their friendship.
It was nominated for many awards, and it won a lot of them, including a Globo d’oro for best comedy.
It is the perfect movie to learn many languages because it has more than fifteen remakes around the world! You can find it in French, Chinese, Greek, Spanish, Korean, German, Russian, Japanese, Hungarian, Turkish, and more. For the Spanish language, you could also compare the Mexican and Spanish accents because both countries have their own remake.
There have also been a couple of theater adaptations, one in Argentina, one in Uruguay, and another one in Mexico.
The original film is an Argentinian comedy, and the Spanish title is “Corazón de León” (Lion Heart). It’s about a divorced woman that meets a man through a phone call. When they meet in person, she is surprised to see that he has dwarfism. She will have to fight her own prejudices.
The movie was very successful and was nominated for many categories at the Premios Sur and the Premios Cóndor de Plata.
It’s perfect to learn different Spanish vocabulary, expressions, and accents because many Spanish-speaking countries made a remake. Colombia, México, and Peru have their own versions. There’s also a French remake, “Un homme à la hauteur”. And a Brazilian one “Amor Sem Medida”, to improve your Portuguese.
Learn with Movies
Every language is a new world, with its own idioms, words, accents, and – sometimes even – alphabet. A language is another way of discovering a new culture. With every new language that you learn, you’ll also learn different ways of expressing yourself or seeing a certain situation. And global movie remakes prove it.
When watching a movie that has been made in other countries, you will understand their perspectives of the world. Sometimes different from yours. Does this culture consider it a good or bad situation? What punishments or rewards do they have for certain actions? You’ll learn all of this just by watching the movie plot unfold. It will help you be more empathetic toward other societies. And it will make you fit more when you visit that country.
You’ll also improve your vocabulary, everyday expressions, listening, and pronunciation. If you still don’t feel very comfortable with a particular language, turn on the subtitles. This will help you out with your writing and reading too.
If you want to keep improving through an immersive environment, check out our language teachers. We have native tutors and personalized classes. So you will not get bored and will achieve your personal language goals in no time. Get fluent with us! Save 20% off of your first month of classes with code TF20!
