Even though there are many ways to properly learn a language, some people want to master new language skills on their own due to time, cost and other factors.
One of my friends has set a goal to fully understand Turkish. He loves watching Turkish TV series, it is also close to our native language and he wants to watch them in their original without translation. So he started watching Turkish content on YouTube with enabled captions and thinks it is helping him considerably.
Do you think it is really possible to learn a language by watching videos and reading subtitles on YouTube? What are some other effective ways you know to learn a language purely from watching YouTube and similar platforms?
It’d be helpful to also look for online sites that offer language tests. As for me, it’s better to check your knowledge with tests to see if you’re really learning. They usually provide steps to follow and then test you to make sure you’ve grasped the material. I did something similar years ago when learning German, and it was really helpful. I also joined international chats where people exchanged languages. But because I stopped using German, I forgot most of it. So, communication is a must, plus watching videos and testing your knowledge.
Some years ago I was able to speak basic Farsi. But then, because of practice lack, I forgot almost everything. I tried those YouTube videos, and after a few lessons, it became very boring and uneffectible.
IMAO the YouTube language lesson videos are useful only when you combine them with daily practice, especially effective if you practice your language with native speakers.