This session helped me work on French listening skills since the entire movie was in French. Even though Frozen is a familiar story, listening to it in a different language required concentration, especially during musical scenes or fast dialogue. Because French is a language we both want to improve, this was a fun and effective way to expose ourselves to natural pronunciation, intonation, everyday expressions and informal vocabulary.
At the same time, having English subtitles reinforced comprehension and allowed us to compare the languages indirectly. I noticed new French expressions that I had forgotten and I could match them with their English equivalents.
Although we did not speak much in the target languages during the movie, we paused several times to comment on certain expressions or clarify meanings, which made the experience a learning moment rather than just entertainment.
This meeting made me realise that language learning does not always need to be strictly structured. Sometimes, passive exposure can be very effective. The combination of dinner and a cosy movie atmosphere created a comfortable environment.
Watching a familiar movie in a foreign language was particularly useful because I already knew the plot and characters. This allowed me to focus more on the language instead of trying to understand the story. I also realised that listening to French in a real, continuous context (songs, jokes, emotional scenes) is very different from practising isolated vocabulary or grammar exercises.
The presence of English subtitles introduced another interesting element: it highlighted differences in translation and narrative choices between languages.
The biggest challenge of the session was the mix of languages. Having French audio and English subtitles made it hard at times to focus on one language consistently. Sometimes I found myself reading more than listening, or listening and forgetting to follow the subtitles. This confusion is part of the learning process, but it shows that a more balanced setup might be necessary if the goal is deeper understanding.
Another point is that we did not practise speaking very much, since most of the time we were watching the movie. However, the listening practice was still valuable.
Even though this session was not a typical conversation-based meeting, it still aligned with our goals. Watching a movie in French supported our aim of revitalising the language, and using English subtitles kept us connected to English as well.
The plan also emphasises flexibility and adapting to new methods of learning. This meeting was a good example of how language exposure can happen in creative and enjoyable ways.
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