Use extensive reading and listening to absorb Serbian through enjoyable stories, films and series without stopping for every unfamiliar word.

Extensive Reading and Listening 1

It is such a delight to simply watch fun films, series or cartoons or read interesting books in Serbian and pick up the language, isn't it? This is known as extensive reading (or listening). It helps one to speed up the learning process and expand vocabulary very quickly and effortlessly. With authentic films and novels it helps you improve from an intermediate to more advanced levels.

That is why I am sharing with you the well-known Pop Ćira and Pop Spira series based on the novel by Stevan Sremac.

Episode 1



Episode 2



Episode 3



For more similar series and films, check out this YouTube playlist - click here.






Reading and listening for volume, not for detail

Extensive practice aims at fluency and volume rather than complete analysis. Choose material whose main story you can follow, tolerate some unknown vocabulary and avoid pausing after every sentence. After a longer section, record only a few useful expressions. A second viewing with subtitles can turn general understanding into more precise listening without destroying the pleasure of the first encounter.

Extensive work has a different goal from a grammar lesson: you are after quantity and flow, not full comprehension. Nepoznate reči pogađam iz konteksta is the whole method in one sentence. If you understand roughly eight words in ten, keep going; stopping to look up every unknown word destroys exactly the benefit you came for.

Sentences about reading and listening habits, both scripts

Latin scriptCyrillic scriptEnglish
Gledam seriju bez zaustavljanja.Гледам серију без заустављања.I watch the series without pausing.
Razumem glavnu ideju priče.Разумем главну идеју приче.I understand the main idea of the story.
Nepoznate reči pogađam iz konteksta.Непознате речи погађам из контекста.I guess unfamiliar words from context.
Posle gledanja zapisujem korisne izraze.После гледања записујем корисне изразе.After watching, I write down useful expressions.
Sledeću epizodu gledam sa srpskim titlovima.Следећу епизоду гледам са српским титловима.I watch the next episode with Serbian subtitles.

These sentences describe your own study behaviour, which makes them useful to have ready when a Serbian friend asks how you are learning. Read them in Cyrillic too. Extensive reading in Cyrillic is one of the quickest ways to make the script automatic, because volume is what turns decoding into reading.

Setting up a session

Choose something slightly below your level and read or listen for fifteen minutes without stopping. Afterwards, write one sentence in Serbian about what it was about — no more. The point is that you finish the session wanting to continue, which is what makes you come back tomorrow.

Reflection exercise

Translate these sentences into Serbian in both scripts, then write two sentences describing what you are currently reading or watching.

  1. I watch the series without pausing.
  2. I understand the main idea of the story.
  3. I guess unfamiliar words from context.
  4. After watching, I write down useful expressions.
  5. I watch the next episode with Serbian subtitles.

Answers

  1. Gledam seriju bez zaustavljanja.
    Гледам серију без заустављања.
  2. Razumem glavnu ideju priče.
    Разумем главну идеју приче.
  3. Nepoznate reči pogađam iz konteksta.
    Непознате речи погађам из контекста.
  4. Posle gledanja zapisujem korisne izraze.
    После гледања записујем корисне изразе.
  5. Sledeću epizodu gledam sa srpskim titlovima.
    Следећу епизоду гледам са српским титловима.