5 Movies Involving Language Learning

that You Have to See

Films in which language learning is featured

Language learning is a great

metaphor for the path we
undertake to understand other
people. Many films in the past
have explored language
barriers and the journeys
humans must endure before
coming together. Whether it’s
two lovers from different parts
of the world or understanding
alien life forms, the ultimate
goal is the same: if we are to
truly connect with another
being, we have to first be able
to communicate.

Arrival

Arrival is a recent multi-Oscar-nominated film about the, well, arrival of

aliens upon Earth. Described as a science-fiction film for the thinker, it
features very few explosions and no car chases. Instead, the story focuses
on an expert linguist hired by the government to decipher the language of
the aliens. Imagine a life form from another world with an atmosphere
entirely unlike our own. How might they communicate? How would we even
begin to interact with them? The film explores this process in a poignant
way, set to the threat of potential global war.

L'Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartment)

L'Auberge Espagnole is a French comedy featuring a variety of languages.

The protagonist, Xavier, travels to Barcelona to participate in Erasmus,
sharing an apartment with a diverse cast of characters from around Europe.
Through their adventures, their relationships grow more complicated. Often
it seems as if they are all from different worlds. In the end, they are joined
by the international language of love.
Love Actually

Love Actually is the quintessential British romantic comedy, an arrangement

of intertwined love stories (both good and bad) that ultimately come
together in some form or another. One of these vignettes showcases English
writer Jaime who falls in love with his Portuguese assistant Aurelia. Neither
speaks the other’s language, which, in a romantic comedy, often yields
hilarious results.

Contact

In a similar fashion to Arrival, Contact deals with alien contact on Earth and

our subsequent need to communicate meaningfully to determine what they
want. In this film adapted from the sci-fi legend Carl Sagan’s novel, the
universal language is mathematics. Deciphering the message, a scientist
with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is instructed to build a
mysterious machine. What does it do? Watch the film and find out.

Lost in Translation

Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation is a classic film about losing your place in

the world. An older American actor is both linguistically and spiritually lost in
the heart of Tokyo, an energetic city of vibrant lights and habits strange to
Westerners. He meets a young girl who is also looking for profound
experiences in life. They form a bond in an urban jungle that is foreign to
them, in which they must learn not the language but rather the culture.
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It tries: first,
 to observe languages and to describe them accurately,
• then, to find generalizations within what has been described,
• finally, to draw conclusions about the general nature of human
language.

Linguistics is a major that gives you insight into one of the most intriguing aspects
of human knowledge and behavior. Majoring in linguistics means that you will
learn about many aspects of human language, including sounds (phonetics,
phonology), words (morphology), sentences (syntax), and meaning (semantics).

The five main components of language are phonemes, morphemes, lexemes,

syntax, and context. Along with grammar, semantics, and pragmatics, these
components work together to create meaningful communication among
individuals.

Linguistics is a very exact discipline and part of learning how to be a linguist is

learning how to carefully, precisely solve problems.

Group 1-
Tabach, Soroysoroy, Pelaez & Mateo