Learning Spanish

If you plan to buy a property in Spain, learning Spanish is a good idea for a several reasons: If your intention is to make Spain your permanent home, speaking Spanish is pretty much essential. Dealing with the Spanish authorities, finding a school for your children, just day-to-day normal activities like eating out, going to the chemist, visiting the local market – all these things will be immeasurably easier if you can speak some Spanish. If you want to find work in Spain you are at an immediate advantage if your Spanish is up to scratch.

You’ll be in good company – around 400 million people worldwide speak Spanish, making it the 4th most spoken language. A Romance language, with its roots in Latin, Spanish dates back to the Castilian dialect spoken in Northern and Central Spain in the 9th century. As the Moors were gradually driven out of Spain, the Castilian language spread and today is spoken by around 74% of Spanish people (the other main dialects are Catalan, Galician and Basque).

There are several ways to set about learning Spanish. It’s a really good idea to learn the basics before moving to Spain. You can borrow language tapes and CDs from your local library, go to weekend or night-classes, sign up for an intensive course, even learn online. Once in Spain, there are numerous courses available – there are Government run courses in many cities and provinces, which are very reasonably priced. Of course the best way to learn a language is to live in a country – take a deep breath and practice! You will find most Spanish people very encouraging of any attempt to speak their language.

The bad news? Once you pass the age of eight, your ability to learn a new language diminishes. If you have children, they will find it much easier than you do – though don’t buy into the myth of “they’ll just pick it up.” They will, but starting a new school in a strange country is enough of a challenge without the added complication of being unable to speak the language at all – try and ensure they speak some Spanish too.

The good news? Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages to learn, with a great deal of vocabulary very similar to English. Written Spanish is mostly phonetic – making it much easier to read and pronounce. Basic grammar can be grasped quickly (though mastering it is another matter) and in a very short time you will be able to understand and make yourself understood.

In short, if your dream is of a new life in Spain – owning your own finca or villa on a mountainside, or an apartment overlooking the sea – the best way to make the most of this life-changing experience is to learn Spanish.

Buena Suerte!

Suggested links:

www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish
Really useful website with online Spanish lessons, fun quizzes and games to test your knowledge, a search facility for UK Spanish courses near you, Spanish for children, and links to television and radio programmes.

www.spanish.about.com
Excellent website with online Spanish lessons, course listings, and interesting articles about all aspects of learning and speaking Spanish.