No more dubbing of foreign films?

The Netherlands and Scandinavia set the example: English-language films there are shown with subtitles rather than dubbed. The result is that residents have a very high level of English proficiency. To achieve the same effect in the Czech Republic, the government in Prague now wants foreign-language films to no longer be dubbed and instead to be broadcast in their original versions with Czech subtitles. The aim is to improve foreign-language skills in the Czech Republic, the newspaper "Lidove noviny" reported. If TV channels do not comply with this request, the Czech government is considering legally requiring broadcasters to show films and TV series in their original versions.

While critics of the proposed reform point out that dubbing foreign films and series has a long tradition in the Czech Republic and that many jobs in the industry depend on the government's decision, supporters emphasize its positive effects: several studies confirm that broadcasting films and series on TV in their original versions has a positive impact on language education and foreign-language learning. Children and young people in particular would benefit from the new rule and, thanks to improved foreign-language skills, would be better prepared for the international job market in the age of globalization. Teachers and educators in the Czech Republic would also benefit if foreign films and series were broadcast on Czech TV in their original language with subtitles.