Yes - I am working on all of these suggestions. I am reading out loud to myself. I am trying to watch my favorite movies with the Spanish voice overs. I am trying to watch Spanish television. I'm using that website that someone posted here a few weeks ago (
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/spe/beg01.html). It's still hard. When my Peruvian friend says something to me in Spanish, I NEVER understand her. When I ask her to repeat herself, or to explain to me what she said, I almost always know that I should have understood her ... but didn't really get it. Ugh!!