The power of studying Spanish is incredibly strong. Learning Spanish will allow you to communicate with an estimated 440 million native speakers in 20 different countries.
Starting your journey could lead you to Spain, Argentina, Mexico, or Colombia. But before you land, you'll need to know how to learn the language to get you started.
Of course, there are Spanish classes, such as those you may have taken in school or those you have seen advertised at university.
Some of you may have attended workshops with evening classes or started learning Spanish on your own, in front of your computer screen by following online Spanish classes or videos in Spanish.
But one thing that people often neglect is the pronunciation of words. They assume that speaking Spanish revolves around studying grammar and learning words.
There are many ways of improving your Spanish skills, but how can you go about specifically improving your accent and Spanish pronunciation?
Aside from practicing, you should try to listen to as much spoken Spanish as you can. By watching TV shows and films in Spanish you could improve your Spanish pronunciation whilst having fun, without even necessarily realizing it.
It doesn't matter if your favorite genre is horror, thriller, or documentaries - you are sure to find something that you love. This is partly in thanks to work by Spanish-speaking directors such as Pedro Almodóvar and Guillermo Del Toro who have contributed massively to Spanish-speaking cinema in Europe and Latin America, winning 4 Oscars between them including the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, best picture, and best director.
12 Best Spanish Movies For Learning Spanish Language
"Y Tu Mamá También" (And Your Mother Too)
This coming-of-age film directed by Alfonso Cuarón is known for its colloquial language and is set against the backdrop of Mexico.
"El Secreto de Sus Ojos" (The Secret in Their Eyes)
An Argentine thriller that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2010. It offers a mix of drama, romance, and mystery.
"Amores Perros" (Love's a Bitch)
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, this Mexican film is a gritty and intense portrayal of life in Mexico City, told through three interconnected stories.
"Rec"
If you enjoy horror, this Spanish found-footage horror film is a good choice. It's tense, fast-paced, and a good test of your language skills in stressful situations.
"Volver"
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar, this film is a mix of drama and comedy, showcasing the complexity of female relationships and family dynamics.
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"El Laberinto del Fauno" (Pan's Labyrinth)
Guillermo del Toro's dark fantasy film set in post-Civil War Spain. It's visually stunning and offers a unique vocabulary related to fantasy and war.
"Biutiful"
Another film by Alejandro González Iñárritu, this one is a drama that follows the life of a man dealing with mortality and the challenges of life in Barcelona.
"Nueve Reinas" (Nine Queens)
An Argentine crime drama that revolves around a scheme involving counterfeit money. It's a fast-paced film with clever dialogue.
"La La Land"
While primarily an English-language film, the Spanish dialogue and subtitles in some scenes can help you practice your language skills.
"El Secreto de Sus Ojos" (The Secret in Their Eyes) - 2009
An Argentine-Spanish film that combines elements of crime, drama, and romance.
"Under the Same Moon" (La Misma Luna) (2007)
This film tells the story of a young Mexican boy who travels to the United States to find his mother.
"Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang" (Zipi y Zape y el club de la Canica) (2013)
A Spanish adventure film suitable for family audiences, centered around two mischievous brothers.
"Ferdinand" (2017)
An animated film about a gentle bull who would rather smell flowers than participate in bullfighting.
"Tad, the Lost Explorer" (Las aventuras de Tadeo Jones) (2012)
An animated adventure film following a construction worker who becomes an accidental hero.
"The Secret of the Magic Gourd" (El Secreto de la Hucha Mágica) (2007)
A Chinese-Spanish animated film that tells the story of a young boy and a magical gourd.
Good Family Movies to Watch in Spanish on Netflix
My Octopus Teacher (Mi maestro el Pulpo)
"My Octopus Teacher" is a documentary film released in 2020. It was directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed and produced by Netflix. The film follows the story of Craig Foster, a filmmaker and free diver, who forms a unique bond with an octopus in the kelp forests of South Africa.
The Road to El Dorado (El camino hacia El Dorado)
"The Road to El Dorado" is an animated adventure film released in the year 2000. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Eric "Bibo" Bergeron and Don Paul. The film follows the journey of two Spanish con artists, Tulio and Miguel, who accidentally find a map that supposedly leads to the legendary city of gold, El Dorado.
The Rodríguez and the Beyond (Los Rodríguez y el Más Allá)
"The Rodríguez and the Beyond" (Los Rodríguez y el Más Allá) is a Spanish-language film that was released in 2019. It is a Spanish-Argentinian co-production and falls under the genres of adventure and family. The film is directed by Paco Arango.
The Legend of the Chupacabras (La leyenda del Chupacabras)
"The Legend of the Chupacabras" (La Leyenda del Chupacabras) is a Mexican animated fantasy film that was released in 2016. It is the third installment in the Leyendas (Legends) film series, following "La Leyenda de la Nahuala" (2007) and "La Leyenda de la Llorona" (2011). The film is directed by Alberto Rodriguez and Edgar Ibarra.
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Does Watching Spanish Movies Help You Learn Spanish?
For over a year and a half, I've been learning Spanish.
I grew up in a Spanish-speaking environment and learned Spanish, just as many of my classmates did, in high school. Even if I can say that I have a certain advantage when it comes to learning Spanish, it is only over the last 18 months that I have really decided to learn this language more actively. There are loads of great videos to help you learn to speak Spanish on YouTube, but I decided to expand my horizons beyond these.
As far as my skills are concerned, I can say now that I really speak Spanish without having made a linguistic trip and that I can hold a conversation in this language and still feel at ease.
There are a number of ways to improve in Spanish, and watching movies is just one of them. It's not a new fad from a magician's hat; Spanish-speaking movies in their original language can not only help you with your listening comprehension and your Spanish pronunciation but also to understand a conversation in Spanish because you hear concrete words with the appropriate intonations.
Listening Skills
Movies expose you to native speakers' natural pace, rhythm, and pronunciation, helping improve your listening skills. When you watch a movie in Spanish you are exposed to various accents and pronunciations, this can not only help in improving your listening skills but also enhance your ability to respond to what you hear in real life.
Different Spanish-speaking regions may have distinct accents and dialects. Watching movies allows you to familiarize yourself with these variations.
Vocabulary
You can learn new words and phrases in context, making it easier to remember and understand their usage. Do not limit yourself to Spanish cinema to learn Spanish, you can always branch out to South American movies to enhance your vocabulary.
Knowing different words can also improve your ability to use different words in different contexts.
When it comes to using Spanish-speaking movies to learn Spanish, consider the following pieces of advice:
- Watch a movie two or three times with subtitles in Spanish
- Do not memorize the subtitles, but watch the movie a sufficient number of times to try to follow it without the inscriptions at the bottom of your screen.
- Then you can watch the subtitles from time to time to see if you have understood a specific phrase.
- Once you feel comfortable with the movie's plot, try to watch it without sound but still have a basic idea of what's going on, and remove the subtitles in English.
As you will be reading, you have to spend a lot of time watching a movie with subtitles.
- Then, watch the same movie in Spanish with your native Spanish comrades and with whom you are often in touch.
- Watch the movie until you can tell the main lines about the actors, even if you have to read the subtitles.
- Finally, the moment will arrive when you will say to yourself: "Hey, guys, I don't need subtitles to understand this movie, take them off."
- You have to watch it over and over and understand everything without the need to read the English translation.
- Speak with your Spanish friends and they will be able to tell you what that phrase means, if your pronunciation is correct and thus bring light to your listening comprehension.
Cultural Exposure
Movies often reflect the culture and customs of the Spanish-speaking world, giving you insights into the lifestyle and traditions of Spanish speakers.
Spanish speakers are not limited to Spain, every country infuses their culture with movies, it is important that you immerse yourself in this experience. The Colombian accent is good for learning Spanish because it is generally quite neutral which makes it easier to understand (although it is slightly stronger in some parts of the country). Therefore with this documentary, you won't only have a chance to test yourself with a new accent, but you can also learn about the fascinating nature that Colombia has to offer.
One example that springs to mind here is the acclaimed Colombia Wild Magic (Colombia Magia Salvaje). This documentary is about the Colombia's hugely diverse range of ecosystems, animals, and plants.
Grammar and Syntax
You can observe how sentences are structured, and this exposure contributes to a better understanding of grammar and syntax.
If you are new to the language, you'll realize that Spanish grammar can be complicated. Spanish movies with subtitles is a great way to improve your Spanish grammar.
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Oral comprehension is therefore strongly solicited here, in the same way as using Spanish podcasts to learn Spanish does.
The Best Spanish Movies Allow for Word Association
With the best Spanish movies, you can associate an image with a word or sentence, and enrich your vocabulary according to the situation.
It is easier to discover and remember the meaning of a word by immediately remembering a particular scene or a shot of a movie. This is especially the case for colloquial words.
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If you want to learn Spanish quickly, little tips like this can help you along the way. For a speedy learning process, you will need to employ all of the tricks in the book to remember vocabulary, and associating words with images in a film is one way of doing this.
What's more, you are more likely to remember these words because you will be focused on the film and therefore you will make the mental connection.
This sometimes isn't the case when it comes to textbooks because there is more of a tendency to drift off if you are not fully engaged with the content.
Learning Spanish means being able to share and communicate with this constantly evolving language.
Of course, Spanish language classes are not excluded, they will be an excellent starting point and will provide you with a solid foundation, but to enrich your Spanish vocabulary, to speak fluently, to progress in terms of Spanish oral comprehension, you must immerse yourself in the culture and daily life of the people who speak the language.
Knowing how to speak like them and using the same idiomatic expressions as they do, will help you to enrich your vocabulary whilst integrating yourself into the Spanish speaking culture.
Seeing action movies, romance movies, adventure films or comedies in Spanish will give you the opportunity to hear this language in various contexts, with accents and varied intonations. You will understand some jokes and adopt new cultural references.
So if becoming fluent in Spanish is your aim, find your favourite Spanish filmmaker and binge away on all of their best movies!
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