Learn Spanish Through TV and Movies
Watching tv is a nice way to pass the time, entertain kids, and get lost in another world, but it’s also a wonderful way to learn another language. Learning a second or even a third language doesn’t just have to be reading, classes, tests, and workbooks; it can also be through entertainment.
Here at Hola, we believe that watching movies or tv shows in Spanish will allow you to hear conversational Spanish in real-time and teach you a bit about the culture from where they’re based. Start off with movies or shows you’ve seen in your native language, and then work your way to Spanish only.
Dora The Explorer popularized the Spanish language into American Culture for about 2 decades.This cartoon brought an audience outside the Latin countries, and made the Spanish language fun and accessible by watching and enjoying Dora, her friends and Diego’s adventures.
Disney Movies
Some easy-to-watch movies you can enjoy in Spanish that will be fun and teach you a bit about music and culture are Disney Pixar’s Coco and Disney’s latest release,
Encanto. Both movies are available on Disney + and are available in Spanish.
Coco is based on a boy in Mexico, and the movie touches upon Dia de Los Muertos, regional Mexican music, and architecture. Encanto is set in Colombia, in which you can appreciate native animals like the tucán, foods such as arepas, and Colombian musical stylings.
Casa de Papel
If you are looking for a tv show instead of a movie, a good choice is Money Heist or Casa de Papel. This show is a crime drama that mainly takes place in Madrid, Spain. There are 5 seasons, with roughly 8 – 10 episodes each. A man referred to as the Professor recruits a group of people to pull a heist on the Royal Mint of Spain and then the Bank of Spain.
El Laberinto del Fauno
A movie you will want to watch if you haven’t already is Pan’s Labyrinth or El Laberinto del Fauno. It is written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, a Mexican director. The movie takes place in 1940s Spain. This fantasy movie will take you into another world and captivate you so much that you will soon forget Spanish isn’t your native language.
Acapulco
A starter show you can watch that mixes Spanish and English is Acapulco on Apple Plus, however, you can also change the language settings to Latin American Spanish or Spaniard Spanish. There is one season and isn’t a major commitment when you’re first trying to watch tv in Spanish.
Make Learning Enjoyable
These are just a few examples of movies and tv shows that you can enjoy while broadening your understanding of Spanish and different cultures. Other tips we have here at Hola for you are:
Watch movies or shows that you’ve seen in English, dubbed in Spanish.
Take notice of the language used in real-life situations that may help you become more fluent and conversational.
Letting the movies or shows play will help your ear become used to hearing Spanish.
Your vocabulary will improve the more media you take in.
Don’t feel forced to watch a show or movie you aren’t interested in.
You want to enjoy yourself while you learn! Have fun experiencing entertainment in Spanish and learning as you go.
