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Forget the Free Learning Spanish Games - Try a Night at the Movies Instead!

June 12th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

You may find that free learning Spanish games are the cheap way to learn a new language, but I think that there is a better way. If you like to watch cable television or movies, then you are in for a real Spanish lesson treat. One of the most entertaining ways to either get a real feel for the Spanish language or to fine “tune” your present language skills, is to watch movies or TV in Spanish (where available).

I know a few of my Puerto Rican friends that learned to speak English just by watching cable television shows broadcast in English with Spanish subtitles scrolling along the bottom of the screen. This was one of the least expensive ways of learning a language, but it certainly isn’t a method for everyone. Most people that I know who are attempting to learn a foreign language do much better in a more structured environment using a purchased language course.

However, using either cable television or rented movies is a fine supplement to your resident spanish course. To learn Spanish quick and easy, you need to add a little fun into the learning process!

If you belong to a DVD membership club, like NetFlix, you can usually locate Spanish movies through the site’s search function. Surprisingly, there are quite a few movies in the foreign categories that are purely in Spanish. These DVD’s generally have an option to turn on the English (or Spanish) subtitles to help with the translation, if needed. You can opt for the Spanish subtitles if you want to read the actual text along with the spoken words.

I have just rented a DVD from NetFlix, “Pan’s Labyrinth”, that is very entertaining and a great way to learn Spanish. It is a highly rated movie in Spanish with both English and Spanish subtitles - your choice. You really don’t need to have mastered the language to appreciate the story line and the acting in this film.

So if you are the proverbial couch potato or movie buff, learn Spanish quick and easy with a night at the movies (your home theater works just fine). Why bother with the free learning Spanish games when you can learn a new language just by watching fascinating movies and cable programs?

More Tips To Help You Learn Spanish Vocabulary and Pronunciation

June 5th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

I have compiled a few more tips for those beginners faced with the challenge of learning the Spanish language. Remember - as you learn Spanish vocabulary and pronunciation, take it a step at a time and don’t be too hard on yourself. Enjoy the experience and take satisfaction in the fact that you’re giving it your best. Most people don’t even get started!

1. Don’t use pronouns unnecessarily

If you remember your elementary English sentence structure, a subject is almost always required. Not so in Spanish. Where the subject is understood through the context, the subject is usually omitted.

2. Don’t assume the textbook or your learning program is always right

Imagine learning a language in an isolated environment. Even though you have learned by the “rules”, the native speakers will generally talk in an informal way where you have learned the language in a more formal manner. So, as you become more familiar with Spanish, try to imitate the local Spanish speakers as they speak everyday Spanish.

3. Be careful when translating idioms

English and Spanish both have their share of idioms (phrases whose meaning is different than the literal interpretation of the individual words). Some of these idioms translate exactly, but many don’t. Learn to know the difference, because the actual meanings can be quite unique.

I hope that this short list of common mistakes will help avoid a few of the more common pitfalls when you learn Spanish vocabulary and pronunciation and allow you to speak like a native speaker.

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