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Scripture of The Day - St. John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Escritura del día - San Juan 14,6
Jesús le dijo: Yo soy el camino, y la verdad, y la vida; nadie viene al Padre, sino por mí.
Bibelstelle des Tages - Johannes 14,6
Jesus spricht zu ihm: Ich bin der Weg und die Wahrheit und das Leben; niemand kommt zum Vater, denn durch mich!
Learn Spanish by Watching Spanish Movies: Language Learning Made Fun
Christian Food for Thought:
It was rebellion against God approximately 10,000 years ago that resulted in the destruction of a one-world language--consequences that still endure to this day. "And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language. And this they begin to do; and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down and there confound their language that they may not understand one another's speech" (KJV, Gen. 11:5-6). It takes much time and dedication for man to learn just one foreign language; but, his Creator knows them all!
The Spanish language is taught in most high schools and colleges in the United States, yet few native English-speaking students ever achieve bilingualism. If you're a student determined to learn Spanish but aren't having success, you might want to consider watching Spanish movies. Such an activity can prove extremely beneficial; it can also be fruitless if it isn't properly guided.
Tips for Choosing Movies in Spanish
Technically, I consider a Spanish movie one that's made in Spain, produced and directed by Spaniards. Films that have simply been dubbed or subtitled in the Spanish language might have nothing to do with the various cultures within the Spanish-speaking world. The learning of a language is intricately linked to the learning, as far as possible, of another culture by a foreigner. Therefore, you might want to think about whether watching Spanish movies will be an activity primarily for enhancing language skills or one for cultural understanding. I don't believe this form of entertainment is nearly as effective for giving cultural information as it is for learning a language in a natural way.
Another consideration that you might want to keep in mind is the different experience to be had with watching a movie that has been dubbed into Spanish, compared to one that only has subtitles, and one that offers both audio and subtitles. Watching Spanish movies with audio in the language is probably not a good idea for beginner students because they simply won't understand enough to pick up vocabulary. Speech will sound very rapid to the ear that isn't trained to the rhythm and certainly not to slang. Beginning intermediate is a better level at which to start really emphasizing immersion.
Dubbed and Subtitled Movies Require Explanations
Spanish is an extremely flexible language with an extensive vocabulary--a fact that can intimidate some students. Some movies are both dubbed and have subtitles. The advantage to this in regards to language learning is that the flexibility of translation will be repeatedly revealed. I recommend starting them with watching with audio in English and subtitles in Spanish. This way you can pick up new vocabulary in the subtitles while enjoying the movie. Next, you should watch the film with only audio in Spanish, no subtitles at all. You'll know the story and you can concentrate on matching up what you know with reading facial expressions and tone of voice while mentally reviewing your new vocabulary. Finally, I'd recommend watching with both audio and subtitles in Spanish at the same time. Although this might prove to be the most difficult viewing, it should also be the most valuable. I've never seen a movie for which the same translation was used for audio as for subtitles. Usually, audio is in Castillian Spanish, but subtitles might not be. You'll ensure that you get the most benefit from the third viewing of the film if you first realize the following facts.
1. Translations are very flexible because there are almost always more than one way to correctly say something. This will be evidenced in the fact that the translation used for audio is hardly ever the same one used for the subtitles. Sometimes there are significant differences. In my opinion, the audio is usually the better of the two. The movie, The Magnificent Seven, starring Yul Brynner, offers audio and subtitles in Spanish. There's hardly a scene where the audio and subtitles match. For example, there's a scene in which Harry, one of the gunmen and friends of Chris (Yul Brynner), are talking about the assignment to help some farmers protect their land against Calvera (Eli Wallach). When Harry asks Chris for details, Chris responds, "...Seis semanas disparando en defensa de unos granjeros." However, the subtitle that appears is, "Seis semanas de tiroteo." Granted, there's the need to keep subtitles as short as possible, but the fact remains that, as a student of Spanish, you might wonder how could such different words even remotely amount to expressing the same idea. Both express that shooting will be taking place for six weeks, the audio included that such activity will be to help protect some farmers.
2. In the opinion of almost everyone, including native speakers, the Spanish of Spain is spoken more rapidly than most other "dialects" of the language. However, exposure to it will eventually train the ear.
3. Translations are hardly ever word for word. Usually, it requires more words in Spanish to say the same thing in English. Watching Spanish movies is a great way to realize this.
4. Some translations will seem totally off due to the differences in the way ideas are expressed in various languages. Idioms and proverbs are good examples because not only do they differ from Spanish to English, they differ from region to region where the same language is spoken.
5. If you've even reached your teen years, language learning is probably something you find extremely difficult. Anyone who has learned another language as an adult you should be able to identify with this. Those of us who have spoken more than one language since childhood sometimes forget the struggle that students can have trying to understand others and make themselves understood. Unfortunately, teachers, professors, and tutors who've spoken two languages since a young age don't always make the best instructors unless we adjust our thinking towards adult learners.
Hopefully, these tips for facilitating language skills by watching Spanish movies will prove helpful. Fortunately, even little children can learn by watching cartoons in Spanish. They're rarely subtitled, but this isn't as important because kids learn to speak and understand a language before they can read it. Also, at a very young age, the brain absorbs information like a sponge.
Related reading:
Spanish Idioms Tutorial
Spanish Lessons on the Subjunctive--In Plain English (Part I)
Based on true events, The Third Man by Angela Sheffield, brings the Bible up close and personal as the characters face real issues of life: Betrayal, deceit, romance, bitterness, anger against God, hopelessness, will power, perplexity, triumph, unforgiveness, mental illness, and the "Alcohol made me do it" excuse. Read chapter one FREE now.
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