Laurel and Hardy … filmed in French & Spanish

Did you know that Laurel and Hardy, the 1930’s comedy movie stars, reshot a number of their films in French, Spanish, Italian and German?

Laurel and Hardy couldn’t speak any foreign languages, so had voice coaching, and often used native language speaking supporting cast members. These language versions helped to boost their popularity internationally. Pardon Us was reshot in all four foreign languages. Chickens Come Home, Blotto and Below Zero were re-filmed in French and Spanish.

Browse our foreign language film section and learn a language with a movie>>

Audio Magazines Feature The Famous

In the latest issue of our French language audio magazine Champs-Elysées, we have an interview with one of the world’s greatest entertainers, Charles Aznavour. In the next issue of our Italian language audio magazine, Acquerello italiano, we have an interview with the world-famous Italian writer, Umberto Eco Read more

Comedian Bill Bailey Has The Language Advantage

Bill Bailey happily shows off his language advantage – in both French and German – in his comedy shows.   Have a good laugh at our YouTube videos of Bill Bailey’s sketches in French and German.   It’s up to you to decide if you think he has the language advantage!

Bill Bailey speaks … French – watch the videos>>
Bill Bailey speaks … German – watch the videos>>

Do let us know what you think …

Bill Bailey speaks … German

Did you know that English comedian Bill Bailey performs some of his sketches in German? Read more

Bill Bailey speaks … French

Did you know that English comedian Bill Bailey performs some of his material in French? And did you know that Bill allegedly won the award for  Best French Actor at the Institut Francais awards, UK in 1986? Read more

Multilingual Mamma Mia!

The stage show Mamma Mia! has been seen by more than 30 million people in over 170 cities in 8 languages around the world, including in Dutch, French, German, Korean, Japanese, Spanish and Swedish.   The foreign language productions keep the essence of the English-language version of the show and the songs while adapting them into local languages – and sometimes even adapting the characters.

Read more about Mamma Mia! in other languages>>

Muzzy Is The Bestselling Language Course For Kids

BBC Muzzy is one of the best and most innovative language courses for kids on the market.   Just put on the DVD and see your young kids captivated by their new language … soon they’ll be repeating songs and phrases – and you may be too!   This could be the most important gift you ever give your child. They’ll get their language advantage! Read more

BBC MUZZY LANGUAGE COURSES

BBC Muzzy is one of the best and most innovative language courses for kids on the market! Put the DVD on and see your young kids captivated by their new language … and soon they’ll be repeating songs and phrases – and you may be too!   Choose from Muzzy French, Muzzy German, Muzzy Italian and Muzzy Spanish.   They’ll get their language advantage!

Learning a language will never be this easy again. Up to the minute scientific research shows that the brain’s ‘window of opportunity’ for learning a second language is from birth to ages 10 or 12. Experts say early learning enriches overall mental development, including improved memory and better cognitive and listening skills. This could be the most important gift you ever give your child.

This famous BBC course uses the award-winning character MUZZY, compelling stories and delightful songs to bring language to life. It’s fun and it works. Almost like magic, the proven ’see-listen-and-learn’ technique engages kids’ natural ability to learn language.

All your favourite BBC Muzzy Language Courses from the BBC Shop>>

The BBC Muzzy language course includes:

2 Story DVDs (1-3 and 4-6) in Target Language
1 Story DVD (1-6) in Support Language
1 CD Audio of the Story (1-6)
1 Vocabulary Builder Program DVD
Colorful Multilingual Scriptbook
MUZZY at the Seaside CD-ROM
Parents’ Guide
*** Please check that  dvd region is suitable for your country***
All your favourite BBC Muzzy Language Courses from the BBC Shop>>

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01   BBC Muzzy French language course Level 1 and Level 2 for children

Muzzy French BBC Language Courses
level: Children
language: French
media: DVD (Region 2), CD, CD-ROM, book
Type ‘Muzzy’ in search box in BBC Shop for full list of Muzzy products
UK and Europe only
All your favourite BBC Muzzy French Language Courses from the BBC Shop>>

02 BBC Muzzy German language course Level 1 and Level 2 for children

Muzzy German BBC Language Courses
level: Children
language: German
media: DVD (Region 2), CD, CD-ROM, book
Type ‘Muzzy’ in search box in BBC Shop for full list of Muzzy products
UK and Europe only
All your favourite BBC Muzzy German Language Courses from the BBC Shop>>

03 BBC Muzzy Italian language course Level 1 and Level 2 for children

Muzzy Italian BBC Language Courses
level: Children
language: Italian
media: DVD (Region 2), CD, CD-ROM, book
Type ‘Muzzy’ in search box in BBC Shop for full list of Muzzy products
UK and Europe only
All your favourite BBC Muzzy Italian Language Courses from the BBC Shop>>

04 BBC Muzzy Spanish language course Level 1 and Level 2 for children

Muzzy Spanish BBC Language Courses
level: Children
language: Spanish
media: DVD (Region 2), CD, CD-ROM, book
Type ‘Muzzy’ in search box in BBC Shop for full list of Muzzy products
UK and Europe only
All your favourite BBC Muzzy Spanish Language Courses from the BBC Shop>>

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Other ways to learn a language for kids:
more language courses and dictionaries for children [UK]
more language courses and dictionaires for children [USA]
more language cd-rom software for children [UK]
more language cd-rom software for children [USA]

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GERMAN LANGUAGE FILM REVIEWS

Die Letzten Tage (2005)
Sophie Scholl

An independent language advantage film review by Sarah Maddocks

Based on actual events, Sophie Scholl is about a tiny group of German students known as The White Rose, who joined together in their mutual hatred of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. They aired their views by printing leaflets and passing them to German citizens. The film focuses on Sophie (Julia Jentsch), a 21-year-old member of The White Rose.

Set in Munich in 1943, Sophie and her brother Hans (Fabian Hinrichs), co-founder of The White Rose,  distribute leaflets on their campus. They have until the bell rings but Sophie decides to distribute a leftover stack of leaflets and consequently gets caught, arrested and accused of high treason. Sister and brother are separated and the film primarily concentrates on the interrogation of Sophie by Mohr (Gerald Alexander Held), a Gestapo interrogator who is convinced that Germany needs Nazi policies. Sophie denies everything and is offered a deal by the Gestapo, she must name the other members of the White Rose and incriminate them. She refuses which leads to an appointment with a Gestapo judge (André Hennicke) who sentences Sophie, Hans and another member of   The White Rose, Christoph Probst (Florian Stetter) to death.

Sophie Scholl is tragic yet an insight into what was a tragic and almost unbelievable time for all those involved. Never has a film made me think more. With fantastic direction and superb actors, this film is a definite  must for both history lovers and language film fans alike.

In German with English subtitles.

To buy Sophie Scholl and other German language films>>

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Der Untergang (2005)
Downfall

An independent language advantage film review by Emmanuel Lainé

Berlin, April 1945. The Third Reich is holding its last breath. Berlin is under fire from the Russian Army and Adolf Hitler (Bruno Ganz) is hiding in the depth of his bunker. Those left by his side are his wife to-be, Eva Braun (Juliane Köhler), his secretary Traudl Junge, as well as the surviving part of the Third Reich Army. Together they will live the last few days with Hitler and the downfall of the Nazi regime.

Based on the true story novel by Joachim Fest ‘The last days of Hitler’, this representation of Hitler on the cinema screen has been described as the most unique and truthful experience of the real man. Bruno Ganz (as Hitler) worked for months on mimicking Hitler’s voice and is magnificent in his role, giving the character real substance and authenticity. The last days are a condensed and concentrated description of the falling apart of the Third Reich but where their atrocious beliefs still persist. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (’Das Experiment’ – 2002), ‘Downfall’ is the fruit of authentic German cinema making no judgement and without cynicism or arrogance. As Oliver Hirschbiegel said himself: ‘Nobody can forbid German people to talk about their own history, apart from ourselves’. This movie is a definite must-see.

BAFTA winner 2005 Best Foreign Movie. In German with English subtitles.

To buy Downfall and other German language films>>

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Goodbye Lenin! (2002)

An independent language advantage film review by Sarah Maddocks

Goodbye Lenin! is a film depicting the relationship between love and politics.

The film begins in 1989, a young man, Alex (Daniel Bruhl) protests against the capitalist regime and consequently gets arrested. His mother (Katrin SaÃ?) seeing this suffers from a heart attack and falls into a coma. Eight months later she wakes from the coma completely unaware of the changes that East Germany has experienced. As  any form of shock is likely to make her relapse into her coma,  Alex creates a false Germany where socialism has won and the Berlin wall is still standing. As the film develops so does the lie and consequently turns into a major scam to keep his mother from finding out the truth about the things she believes in so much.

Goodbye Lenin! is a fantastic portrayal of a political love story, showing the protective relationship between mother and son, and how far people are willing to go to protect the ones they love. Goodbye Lenin! was the winner of the Best European Film award at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival.

A must see for everyone, German-speaking or not! In German with subtitles.

To buy  Goodbye Lenin!  and other German language films>>

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Lola Rennt (1998)
Run Lola Run

An independent language advantage film review by Sophie Paterson

The pounding techno soundtrack adds a good dose of hardly-needed adrenaline to this fast-paced and clever thriller about a girl who has 20 minutes to run – literally – against the clock to get her petty-criminal boyfriend out of some serious trouble. It’s punky, funky, shot like a music video for MTV, and edgy. It’s also told three times; each version hinging on something so very slightly different, thus igniting a new chain of events involving the same characters, incidents, objects and places – and a different set of outcomes. If any film demonstrates how our lives are all woven inextricably together or how our fates are governed by half chance and random moments, this is definitely it. The tagline for the film summarises this: ‘Every second of every day you’re faced with a decision that can change your life’.

The German is not too difficult, particularly as this is not a particularly  talky film. Having said that, some viewers might have trouble with the rapid-fire German young people-speak at the beginning.

In German with English subtitles.

To buy  Run Lola Run  and other German language films>>

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The Oscars 2009

The 81^st Annual Academy Awards ® were held on Sunday 22^nd February 2009 in Hollywood.   The Oscars ® reached film fans in over 100 countries. The lower-budget, but highly-acclaimed film Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle, won many Oscars ®, including for the Best Picture.   It is in the English, Urdu and Hindi languages. Read more

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