Spanish Proficiency Exercises
Talk about your TV viewing habits.
Simplified Example
"El sistema de cable o de satélite..."
Libia Contreras Julián
México, D.F.
"A mí me gusta ver el noticiero de la televisión..."
Alejandro Ernesto Madgits Gutiérrez
Perú, Lima
"Bueno, me gusta ver el noticiero, no leo mucho el periódico..."
Carmen Gioliana Vila Raguz
Perú, Lima
"En la mañana cuando me despierto, veo el noticiero..."
Carmen María García Cuevas
España, Murcia
"La verdad es que no tengo mucho tiempo para ver televisión..."
Luis Emilio Aguilar
Costa Rica, San José
"Bueno, mis malos hábitos televisivos..."
alquilar   to rent
campeonato (m)   championship
caricaturas (f)   cartoons
control remoto (m)   remote control
descubrir   to find out, to discover
frecuencia (f)   frequency
noticiero (m)   TV news
oportunidad (f)   opportunity
película (f)   movie / film
periódico (m)   newspaper
resumen (m)   summary
Apaga la televisión antes de que nos vayamos. Turn off the television before we leave.
Pon el video de la película "Argentina". Play the tape of the movie "Argentina."
Compra un equipo de televisión nuevo para ver la Copa de Fútbol. Buy a new television set to see the world cup.
No apagues la tele porque va a comenzar el resumen del noticiero. Don't turn off the TV because the news summary is going to start.
Enciende la tele que ya es la hora de las caricaturas. Turn the TV on, it's time for the cartoons.
No tomes el control remoto todo el tiempo. Don't always take the remote control.
Alquila el video antes de que cierren la tienda. Rent the video before they close the shop.
Revisa la sección de deportes del periódico porque quiero ver los horarios de los partidos. Check the sporst section of the newspaper because I want to see the schedule for the games.
No vendas tu equipo de sonido. Don't sell your stereo equipment.
Programa la videograbadora para que grabes tu programa favorito. Program the VCR so that it records your favorite program.
Verbs with similar meanings

Mirar/Ver/Buscar
The English verb to look is expressed by mirar in Spanish when you want to say to look at or to watch. The verb ver is also often used to express the idea of to watch.

¿Qué quieres ver, el partido o este programa? What do you want to watch, the game or this program?

To express the idea to look for, use the verb buscar.

Estoy buscando un canal sin anuncios. I'm looking for a channel without advertisements.

Escuchar/Oir
Whereas oir refers to the physical capacity to hear, escuchar implies that one is paying attention to a sound.

No te contesté porque no te oí. I didn't answer you because I didn't hear you.
  ¡Nunca me escuchas cuando te hablo, mi hijo! You never listen when I speak to you, my son!
  ¿Qué quieres ver, el partido o este programa? What do you want to watch, the game or this program?

Other problems might surface due to false cognates.

Tener éxito/Lograr/Suceder
Note that suceder does not mean to succeed. It means, to occur, to happen or to follow in succession. To talk about success in Spanish use tener éxito or lograr.

Andrea siempre tiene éxito en todo que hace. Andrea is always successful in everything she does.

Soportar/Mantener/Apoyar
Whereas soportar can be used to refer to things that physically support one another (walls support roofs) it can also mean to put up with. Mantener is used to express the idea of supporting a family or any other person financially. Apoyar means to support in the sense of to back or to help.

¡Ya no te soporto. I can't stand you any longer.
  Marcos mantiene a toda su familia. Marcos supports his entire family.
  Hijo, siempre te hemos apoyado. Son, we have always backed you.

Realizar/Darse cuenta (de)
Realizar refers to the accomplishment of something. Darse cuenta means to realize in the sense of become or be aware of something.

Realizamos nuestro sueño. Ganamos el torneo. We achieved our dream; we won the tournament.
  No me di cuenta que la puerta estaba abierta hasta que llegué a casa. I didn't realize that the door was open until I got home.