“In Finland, whose education system has been ranked the world???s best, most children do not begin school until age seven but have often learned to read on their own by watching American television with Finnish subtitles.”

This is crap, who said this. Phil or the authors? How stupid can you get. So kids learn to read by reading subtitles? This is just hilarious. From my experience (3 kids) kids learn to SPEAK english with the help of television, but they most certaintly don’t learn to READ.

Actually the pre-school kids complain that they can’t read and want you to read it, or require that badly-dubbed soundtrack.

A Finnish friend of mine, who’s fluent enough to conduct business in the US on a regular basis, never once studied English… because he never had to. All of his English was learned by watching subtitled American TV shows on Finnish television.

I know older people who have watched The Bold and the Beautiful for 10-15 years, but haven’t learned much English =)

I could read at six years old. I think subtitled programs helped me to learn to read. But do not underestimate the power of Aku Ankka magazines!

I heard that in international comparison there seems to be very few very poor readers in Finland and that most read at least fast enough to be able to follow the pace of subtitles but that there are also fewer than average very fast readers as many seem to be satisfied with the speed that’s adequate for following TV shows. Maybe the YLE should try to train people better readers by quickening the pace.

“A Finnish friend of mine, who???s fluent enough to conduct business in the US on a regular basis, never once studied English??¦ because he never had to. All of his English was learned by watching subtitled American TV shows on Finnish television.”

Yeah! But did (s)he learn to READ by “watching subtitled American TV shows on Finnish television”, as was claimed by Phil or whoever?

“I think subtitled programs helped me to learn to read.”

Yes. They might have helped you in the (learning) process, but you DIDN’T LEARN to read, due to the subtitles.

I learned to read because my grandma had such bad eyes reading the Aku Ankka the story changed from night to night… I don’t know when it was, but I remember spreading the HS on the floor and reading it when someone came to take it away as I couldn’t “read” and I started reading out loud… I think I was 4 or 5 – before kindergarten anyways.

‘most children do not begin school until age seven but have often learned to read on their own by watching American television with Finnish subtitles.’

Subtitles good, American television bad.

))