I'm Italian, I have never got language courses, I've learned this little of English knowledge reading english books and watching english movies or interviews or Ted speaking.

Could anyone tell me why I have less problems to understand plain lessons about topics not familiar to me or also to understand chat to wich I casually assist between english people than to follow easily some  english movie dialogues or some english songs?

Forgive my poor writing skills: I think in Italian and then mentally translate in English...

(evidently not using online translator or automatic correctors)