Can you learn Chinese by watching TV series and movies? I tried Lingopie, the video-based language learning platform offering premium TV shows and movies, for 14 days. Here I sum up my experience.
What is Lingopie?
It’s my personal conviction – as I stated before – that watching Netflix in most cases is a waste of time. There is one major exception however, that is when you watch Netflix to learn Chinese.
Here’s where the platform Lingopie comes in. The idea is that with (but not limited to) Chinese TV shows, films and even Netflix hits available, learners can watch with dual subtitles, and click on words or phrases for instant translation. The platform (theoretically) caters to all levels, from beginner to advanced, and offers tools like flashcards and memory games to review vocabulary. You can read on their website that they aim to make language learning as simple as watching your favorite shows, with new content added monthly.
Key features Chinese learners can expect
For Chinese learners, Lingopie offers the following features:
- Chinese TV shows and movies: A variety of content including dramas, short movies and documentaries provided by Lingopie. Important: To watch Netflix stuff you need your own Netflix account.
- Clickable dual subtitles: Watch with Chinese and English subtitles (plus pinyin), with instant translations for any word or phrase.
- Vocabulary and grammar tools: Built-in dictionary and video flashcards and word lists for easy review.
- Contextual learning: Learn from natural conversations in TV shows and movies. Worth noting: any flashcard vocabulary item is linked to a video scene, so vocabulary learning is ’embedded’ and authentic.
- Adjustable playback speed: Slow down video to better understand dialogue.
- Accessible on multiple devices: Watch on phone, tablet, or computer.
Likes
- Contextual learning with video flashcard function and exercises
- Replay sentences in loop for audio drilling
- Voice-recording for shadowing
- AI-integration for explaining grammar
- Affordable and 7-days free trial
Dislikes
- Content library for Chinese is pretty limited without Netflix access
- Buggy experience – sometimes adding flashcards from subtitles works, sometimes it doesn’t
- Chinese to English translations not always fit the context
- Less suitable for beginners
What do other reviewers say?
Other reviewers noticed that Lingopie is not that expensive, with subscriptions starting at $6/month for a yearly subscription. They note that this includes interactive features like dual subtitles, flashcards, and a AI-powered grammar coach. Other positive points are engaging content, such as popular series, and tools like playback speed control and speech recognition.
However, they also see some limitations, including occasional subtitle inaccuracies, limited verbal practice, and a lack of structure, making it less ideal for beginners. Most of the reviewers seem to agree that Lingopie is a pretty fun and effective supplemental tool for intermediate to advanced learners.
Their Trustpilot score (currently 4.7) is excellent, but the customer satisfaction varies quite significantly from language to language. There seems to be much more attractive content for Spanish than for Chinese for example.
My experience after 14 days
First of all, I truly like the idea of combining the Netflix experience with language learning. In other words: watching high quality films and series in your target language, while improving your comprehension and acquiring new vocabulary with the support of smart tools.
What disappointed me though was the limited amount of Chinese spoken content provided by Lingopie (since I don’t use Netflix). From what I’ve seen the platform streams a number of short films, TV dramas and a handful of movies. There’s also some stuff about Chinese cuisine and career tips video series. That’s more or less it.
For me as a learner of Chinese, both in terms of quantity and quality, Lingopie’s Mandarin content library doesn’t convince me to pay a monthly fee yet. To be honest, after ten minutes of clicking through content and failing to find anything interesting I felt like giving up. After all, the quality of the content is everything. This is not merely a matter of personal taste, but more an empty shelf problem. I’d rather continue watching interesting stuff on YouTube and write my Chinese vocabulary notes instead of playing random stuff from Lingopie that fails to captivate me.
That being said and turning to Netflix’s Chinese spoken content, Lingopie is not completely without hope for Chinese learners. If you do happen to be a Netflix customer, the language learning platform becomes a lot more appealing. Although I can’t finish this review without stating what a pity it is that Lingopie is almost completely dependent on an external party like Netflix for Chinese content worth watching (for which you’re basically paying extra).
To get the most from Lingopie you probably have to be on a solid intermediate level. I understand that Lingopie wants to welcome as many new customers as possible, but I hardly see any Chinese content suitable for beginners. Watching and not understanding might feed frustration and be demotivating for some. This is something to consider if you consider checking out Lingopie for yourself.
To end on a positive note: Lingopie does take contextual learning potentially to the next level with their video flashcards. This is a truly great feature for memorization (and shadowing) – combined with the right content of course.
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