Some of my favorite Spanish-language movies!

One way to practice listening to Spanish (and understanding what you're listening to - eventually :-P) is to watch and listen to Spanish-language media.

You could find a Spanish-language television station to watch. These opportunities depend on your cable plan. I personally get very basic cable and haven't been able to find any channels in Spanish. But when I used to use just the antennae without cable, I somehow picked up on a station broadcasting from Mexico... weird, I know...

You could listen to Spanish-language music! I know off the top of my head that artists like Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Luis Miguel, Gloria Estefan, and others have songs in Spanish along with the songs in English on their CD's. I'm sure you can find plenty of these artists in our catalogue. It's also helpful to read the words as you're listening to them. If you google a song title, you will most likely be able to find the lyrics fairly easily. Or you could try sites like this one which provide the lyrics to many Spanish-language songs all in one place.

And finally, Spanish-language movies! Look through our LakeNet catalog for more, or check out the "International Film" areas of movie rental places. If they don't have an "International" section, you might check the "Independent Films" section, or just ask where they might be located. Keep in mind that in most Spanish-speaking cultures (I know this was definitely true when I lived in Spain), movies are often much more sexually explicit than they are here. Many hispanic cultures, as well as most of Europe, have the opposite viewpoint of American media - that violence is inappropriate to show in movies, while sex is beautiful and celebrated.

So here are a few of my favorites:

Spanglish starring Paz Vega, Téa Leoni, and Adam Sandler. Flor (Vega) is hired as the maid in the Clasky family, and cultural differences (including language barriers) cause all sorts of emotional action! A good one to start with, as most of the movie is actually in English. However, there's plenty of Spanish for you to listen to! Also an interesting fact: Paz Vega is super famous in Spain, but this was her first movie in America. She actually learned English while filming this movie - as the character is learning English, so is the actress!

Volver starring Penelope Cruz and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Raimunda, her sister Sole, and her daughter Paula cover up all sorts of secrets until the ghost of Raimunda & Sole's mother returns.

Mar Adentro/The Sea Inside starring Javier Bardem and directed by Alejandro Amenábar (also super famous in Spain). An absolutely beautiful film with some of the most gorgeous cinematography I've ever seen. Based on the true story of Ramón Sampedro, a quadriplegic who wanted to end his life on his own terms and die with what remained of his dignity - but who also gave much to the world through his writing and his relationships. Watch this one with a box of kleenex handy!

There are many more, but these three are my top favorites.

What are your favorite Spanish-language TV shows/channels, music, and/or movies? Please comment with any other suggestions!! :-D