To become fluent in Spanish it is always good to get out there and speak with as many native Spanish speakers as you can. Since this is not always possible, it helps to have some exercises that can be done alone at home that still involve everyday real world Spanish. This activity does just that and involves the use of a DVD and your television. The goal is to increase your listening comprehension skills and overall fluency.
Almost all DVDs these days have an option for Spanish subtitles and even Spanish voiceovers. These can be great tools in broadening your vocabulary and increasing your overall fluency. First, pick one of your favorite movies on DVD that has Spanish subtitles. It is important to pick a movie that you are very familiar with so that you can focus on the Spanish instead of the plot in general. If there is a movie that you know the lines by heart to this would be the one to pick. Now watch the DVD a few times while focusing on the subtitles. Keep a vocabulary journal handy so you can write down any unfamiliar words. Don’t pause the movie a lot. Just write down the ones you catch during each sitting. Each time you watch the DVD you will probably jot down a few new words or expressions that you missed during the previous viewings. The words or expressions that you have already looked up will now be familiar when you watch the movie the next time. Depending on your level of Spanish you may need to watch the DVD anywhere from five to fifty times to understand each line. At this point your journal will be pretty full of new vocabulary. Type these words into your search engine and see how they are used by other native speakers.
You may find that you get sick of a particular movie and it is painful to watch another time! Just get the words that you can out of it and move on to the next movie. I think you will find this is a great exercise in building up your Spanish vocabulary and fluency. Take some time away from one of these DVDs that you have worked with and watch it again with the Spanish voiceover in a month or two. You will be amazed at how much you understand.