Depending on how advanced your skills are, I’d start with children’s television shows. Sesame Street, Barney, and the like. If your comprehension skills are high then look for some classic movies. "China Town", "The Thin Man" series, or just about anything on the Turner Classic Movies website.

Another thing is to mimic what you’re watching. Repeat your favorite English lines that you hear. Talk back to the movie in English.

And yea. Your teacher is right. Your mind can do so much more without the crutch of subtitles in your language. Your mind will quickly make those connections for you. Many language teachers will teach without using a word of the class’ native tongue. You’ll pick up on words as they’re used.

So turn off the subtitles and learn a bit quicker.

Learning language well requires being as active as possible and making the learning as FUN for oneself as possible. Taking lessons is always important, but equally important are these:

1) Listen/watch: Listen to internet radio stations like BBC, watch TV shows in English (use only subtitles, NOT voice dubbing!), etc.

2) Write/communicate: Try to find discussion forums from the web about things that you find interesting (music/various artists, hobbies, etc.) and start communicating there with other people using English. Start using instant messaging systems in case you find some new friends or start emailing them.

3) Buy yourself a proper dictionary, and each time when you see a strange word that you do not understand, look it up. Putting words into their context is one of the best ways to broaden one’s vocabulary, the more you read and write the better. Memorising is NOT the best way to go with learning vocabulary or any other language areas!

The main point in ANY language learning is to make it as fun as possible for yourself. Try to find topics that INTEREST you, read online newspapers (Times, Guardian, Independent…), listen to BBC/NBC and other radio stations online, if you find a discussion forum for e.g. your favourite hobby or your idols in music do participate there, etc. The key word here is CONTEXT, which means that it is easier to learn new words and their usage as well as grammar when you use/see them in their real CONTEXT.

I’m sorry there is no easy way out with this, one really must develop language skills in ALL these language "levels" or dimensions in order to reach better language skills!!

Last but not least: NEVER EVER use ANY online translators, they are nothing but utter rubbish!! English is practically EVERYWHERE in the online world these days, you just have to use your imagination to find it! Learning pace is always personal, it takes the time it takes so there is no reason to hurry it up too much. If you do, you will not learn so well.

Good luck!