Series and movies contain natural spoken Arabic
The language you hear in movies and series is close to what you will hear and use when you speak with native-speakers. The grammatical structures, vocabulary and intonation is designed to seem natural to natives.
You can learn Arabic words in context
The language you hear in a film has a context. You can use the context to understand the meaning of the vocabulary, as well as how it is used. You can watch a clip and then work backwards, slowly working down to the meaning of words you didn't understand. This whole process helps you recall and engage with all the other language around the unfamiliar vocabulary.
You engage with common phrases and expressions
Given film language is natural, you will encounter lots of expressions and phrases. You will encounter dialogues, monologues and expressions in all kinds of contexts. Slowly you will notice and recognize common expressions, and patterns of speaking.
You can use the pictures and story to interpret language
You can use the story but also the pictures, the scenes and the actors to interpret the meaning and usage of words. It happens naturally as you watch.
Vocabulary and language is recycled
Given movies and series tell a story, the language is often recycled. Let say you watch a series about a businessman, the more you watch the series, the more you will engage with words related to business. You engage with the words in different contexts and with real meaning, which helps you understand and digest the meaning and usage of the words, far more effectively than learning it in a word list.
You can learn about the local culture
Movies and series engage with the local culture. Often this is slightly exaggerated but that exaggeration can actually be helpful in helping you notice and understand aspects of the local culture.
Advanced communication includes cultural understanding
At more advanced levels, it is as important to understand culture as language. The two go together to help you communicate in a meaningful and more native-like manner. Movies and series help join the two together.
Movies and series can be motivating
If you choose to watch a movie or series which you enjoy, there is intrinsic motivation because it’s fun. Moreover, movies and particularly series, are designed to motivate you to keep watching. The stories and characters are written to make you want to know what happens next. This can be very helpful for the language learner, and can help you overcome plateau.
TIPS
Choose an interesting movie or series
This will help you learn and keep you motivated.
Vary the kinds of TV you watch
Try to watch series about different topics as well as talk shows and other discussions to help you develop and maintain a wide lexical range.
Try to watch a realistic level of language
Try to stretch yourself but also chose a level which you can engage with. If you can’t understand the general meaning of a few scenes, it might be a better use of your time to use a slightly more comprehensible series. This will help you develop faster and then you can return later. Secondly, watching unfamiliar dialects or older language can be time spend learning language which people don't actually use. You could start with animations and cartoons, where language is usually less dense and complicated, and then move on to series and movies, talk shows, and religious programs.
Use VLC Player
It allows you to replay video and to watch it at half and quater speed. This can be a very helpful tool for working on unfamiliar words or difficult dialogues.
Focus on dialogues as well as words
If you find an interesting dialogue or a dialogue you don’t completely understand, it might be a good idea to work through it. You will learn words but also see the way dialogue join together. This can be very helpful, given that much of natural speech is in dialogue form.
Watch a number of times
Try to watch a whole scene and then repeat it a number of times. The more you understand, the more you will notice and engage with unfamiliar language.
Repeat phrases, expressions and dialogues
Repeating helps you engage with the patterns as well as the pronunciation. It is also a very effective way for learning and later recalling vocabulary.
Make notes as you watch and review them
Whilst watching is helpful, it is also very good to make notes. record vocabulary, expressions and even dialogues you find helpful. This process will help you to engage with the language and provides a resource for review. You can also use these notes to test yourself and ensure you keep recalling and engaging with the language.
If you have a language helper, use them to review
Try to work on the scenes yourself before the lesson. Try to understand as much as possible and make notes. You can then review your notes, understanding, address questions and discuss the scenes with your language helper. This can be a much more cost efficient process. Moreover, it can be a better use of your cognitive energy. It will probably help you retain and engage with the language on a deeper level. It also means that time with a language helper is focused on helping you understand and engage with the language, rather than simply watching through scenes.