Write the dialogue on a sheet of note paper, exactly as the text appears in the book or news article. Copy the subtitle text that appears at the bottom of the screen, if attempting to translate dialogue from a movie.
Refer to the Spanish to English dictionary or phrase book, and search for each word in the dialogue. For example, if the first word in the dialogue is "como," look up "como" in the book to find the English equivalent of the word. Write each translated word in English, below the Spanish dialogue.
Read the translated English dialogue you have written on the sheet of paper, to comprehend what the dialogue states. Place the English words in the correct order, with proper punctuation, to complete the Spanish dialogue translation. Then read the dialogue aloud to ensure the dialogue is sound.
Avoid using an online translator, as the phrasing of the Spanish dialogue may be improperly generated in English. For example, words such as "papa," which means both father and potato in Spanish, may be translated incorrectly with the online translator. A translation dictionary or phrase book provides the correct English translation of the word.