Passive Resistance

Since I've read that 'passive listening' has for the most part been proven to have little value in learning a language, I've been trying to focus more on the audio of the Spanish TV shows and movies I've tried to tune into every day.  It's very easy to just watch and let the words and their meanings just glide by without having understood a word of the dialogue. 

Since I've made a concerted effort to more actively engage in my listening exercises, I really do think I've seen some improvement in my comprehension.  I try to watch mostly programs that are dubbed into Spanish from English, because it seems that the speech is just a tad slower and less slurred than original Spanish dialogue.  I'm finding that I'm grasping individual words and even entire phrases and sentences at times.  Some learners abandon the visual aspect completely, preferring to listen only to MP3's, CDs, or other purely audio media.  I also do this sometimes, but I've found that the visuals in Spanish TV and film actually help some with comprehension.  If an actor is discussing, say, peaches, and I see him clutching one of those fruits as he speaks, then I can easily pick out the word for 'peach' (melocotón).  

If on the other hand, I don't concentrate on the audio and just watch the action, it all just becomes background chatter that the brain easily tunes out.  I think this practice will also be helpful when I get the nerve to speak one-on-one with a Spanish speaker.  I'll be able to concentrate on what she's saying more intensely, instead of the fear and embarrassment I'll be feeling.  

Hasta pronto...

Here's another Spanish tune (with lyrics):