Stumpywop

Hi All,

I hope to move to Spain jsut before my Son goes to seconday school (so he only has one school change rather than the disruption of 2). This won't be until 2015 so I have plenty of time to do my research and find things out.

I already have family is Spain and go back every chance I get. One thing I did wonder though is this - I've been told that unless I reside within an ex-pat community, then I don't stand a chance of getting anywhere in Spain. Is this a sweeping generalisation or just untrue? The family I have in CAlpe at the moment reside within a Spanish community with no English people anywhere near them unles they go to the beach in the summer. Although they've been there since the beginning of time (or so it seems), they don't have many Spanish friends and I wonder if this is becuse the Spanish can be vefy close-knit sometimes. Having said that, we can all be that way.

I would like to think that with some effort and maybe even if I work hard at it, my Son and I could eventually be accepted and integrated into a Spanish community, livin as Spaniards, not living as English people abroad.

Laura xx

Playamonte

Hello Laura.
Yes it is untrue !, if you decide to intergrate you will indeed have a good many Spanish friends, quite simply because they are friendly people.
Yes it will be frustrating at times & you can see that they feel the same frustration in not being able to communicate very well, but as time rolls on and your Spanish improves

Of course it is easier for "any" nationality to live in a community that has a good many people from the same background & many do for this very reason (same in the UK), but to be honest, no matter where you move there will be a Brit living somewhere no far away

Brian

greg

Hi Laura, I very much doubt that is true... The underlying essence being "integration through learning the language" is indeed very important!

P.S. I've moved your post to it's own thread, if you have trouble starting a thread don't hesitate to ask

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JazminesII

Hi Laura

The Spanish are warm and friendly and do invite you round their houses once you begin to intergrate ;-))

KR

Karen

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dkviesfo

Nope. You really do not have to live within the gated English-only community. Not at all. You may find it easier to speak your native language and connect with the folks sharing your cultural background, though. Admittedly, this amounts to taking the path of least resistance.

I spend a few months every year at my home in Palma. I have friends among the Spanish, and I have met a few Brits, too. Basically, I do not differentiate. Either I find someone friendly and interesting or I do not. Nationality does not really matter.

Learning Spanish and acquiring an additional cultural background is a very precious experience. I would not forgo this bit for anything.

I have not found people here to be any more difficult than any other people in the foreign countries I have lived in. If you reach out and do not impose yourself upon them, the chances are that they'll gladly make friends.

Felicity

We have been here nearly 4 years now, and we deliberately chose a non-ex-pat area. Here, north of Valencia city, there are more Germans than English, and they are (generally speaking) even worse than the English for not speaking Spanish!
But you have to learn Spanish!! And not just, " Dos cervezas y un bocadillo, por favor." To become friends with someone you have to know what they are thinking, and the best way is to talk together. Then you realise they have the same problems and the same good times as we do.
Don't be embarrassed to speak the language every chance you get. Practise, practise, practise...

CDThader

Felicity, in your area, it isn't only the Germans and Brits that don't speak much Spanish. In Valencia the Language is Valenciano... I moved to the south of Alicante province where the Spanish speak Castellano, because I wanted to improve my Spanish...Do the locals speak to you in Castellano or are you learning Valenciano??

CD

Felicity

They speak in Castellano, but, due to watching Canal 9 and Punt 2, we can understand most of what is being said if they speak in Valenciano.
We work here with Spaniards, so we speak Spanish reasonably well, and I speak German as well, so that helps. I try to learn a new word or phrase every day. Try just opening the dictionary and sticking a pin in (figuratively speaking).
And anyone who is serious about learning & speaking Spanish must not be embarrassed in trying it out when shopping or eating out. People are generally very kind and will listen & then try to work out what you said! I have told all my friends to correct me when I say something horribly wrong, but that's getting less & less now, thank goodness. Still have trouble with the subjunctive!!
How is everyone else doing with their Spanish?

JazminesII

Hi Felicity

For me the biggest problem is that we work in a WW/EMEA roles and unfortunately the international language is "English"....thus we don’t get to “think, speak and dream” in Spanish.......also we frequently flit between Spain and the UK (work grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr).....

In about 5 years I would like to work for myself; however prior to doing that I quite fancy a 6 month stint at the Ayuntamiento or Oficina de Turismo........Of course with the current climate everything could change……..but hey ho….

We have Spanish friends who don't speak English and we manage fine but I would like to increase the speed of my spoken Spanish…..

I agree subjective and imperfect subjective can be a little tricky but as the saying goes “practice makes perfect”……As you mentioned before you have to go through the learning curve to get it right and the locals are thrilled you are making the effort and are happy to help/correct when necessary

On a closing note Pete did Latin at school and that helps him for sure

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Felicity

Hi JazminesII,

I agree with the Latin thing! I did Latin as well, at the time when there were still Grammar Schools (yes, THAT long ago). People used to say it's a dead language, but it's at the root of so many words in so many languages.

Quite often you can guess at the meaning of a word if you recognise the Latin root.

As for the subjunctive: the main thing you have to look out for is the difference between 'cuando vengas...' and '¿cuándo vienes...? the first being 'when you come...' and the second 'when are you coming...?

Took me a while to work out the funny looks I was getting!!