I'm a 4th year Spanish student in high school, not including the 3 years of repetitive basics in middle school, and I know the language pretty well I feel, but I just have issues connecting everything together, like understanding Spanish like it was spoken to me in English or speaking it fluently. Is there a way, other than actually going to a Spanish county, because that is out of the question at the moment, that I can achieve fluency in Spanish by myself? My teacher is currently teaching us pretty well but at a slower pace, and I would like to take things into my own hands. I've thought about watching tv in Spanish and listening to the radio and stuff, but is there anything else? I just want to fill in the cracks and have it become second nature to speak and understand the language without pausing for a few seconds to attempt to comprehend what I just read or heard. I am a gifted student, which is on record, not just me blowing my own horn, so give me anything you've got that you think will work, I'm open to anything and will attempt it even it it seems weird or hard. Thank you
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You could try slightly more interactive, still online activities in Spanish, such as answering Yahoo! Questions in Spanish, and doing other chatting activities online in Spanish.
I hate to be a bummer, but I feel like language is communication, and therefore, the only true way to naturally improve any further or progress in learning a language is to speak it with others. It may not require moving to another country, but if you're in the USA, there is MILLIONS of Spanish-speakers. Find areas where they are around. It would benefit you to make Spanish-speaking friends, and speak as much and you can as often. By doing this, you'll also learn commonly used phrases, slang, you'll comprehend quicker.
TL;DR: The trick to learning languages is to speak them, constantly, and with others.