lynnxa

cruising for a bruising matey

bil

That's a common problem. When we used to go to the conferences in Germany, they were always very helpful there, and started speaking in English. In the end I said that I'd never get to grips with German if they did that, and they immediately stopped, and helped me as much as they could with the German. Nice, helpful and polite people. I used to love going.

Interestingly, my colleague who went with me reported that he found the Germans standoffish and rude, but then his attitude was that they were a bunch of damned krauts and he wasn't going to soil himself by learning the language.

Like I say, I really believe you get what you are expecting.

jackytoo

Strange that Lynn. A few years ago I had spanish neighbours who had worked all their lives in Switzerland. Originally from Madrid they whinged a lot about andalucía mentality. They always used to say never buy a house or a car off a spaniard as they don't look after them and in the case of cars, never have them serviced.

It is better to learn a few words in any language. Essential if living in Spain to know more. However, That's up to the individual, their loss if they don't. I don't feel embarrassed, spanish people aren't daft, they are able to recognise different classes of people just as Brits can recognise spanish low life. I do think there are many spaniards who dislike the British if spanish forums are an indication. I suppose you all have read them from time to time and seen the comments!

lynnxa

funnily enough I got a phone call this morning - I had no idea what the poor guy on the other end was saying............wasn't even sure what language he was speaking

after I had told him in spanish that I thought he must have the wrong number he then said 'eeeenglis class, no?'

turned out someone had given him my name & number (I don't advertise at all anymore) & he'd been trying to say my name & speak to me in english.............which he clearly can't

we carried on the rest of the conversation in Spanish

it's ridiculous to expect people who want to learn a language to have to book in the language they can't yet speak

jimenato

It can be a bit cringeworthy at times.

I also find it embarrassing when other nationalities use English in Spain - I actually heard someone who was probably Scandinavian saying to a checkout girl "Why won't you speak to me in English?" using a frustrated and annoyed tone. I've also seen road-rage rows conducted entirely in English between non-Brits so it's possible that our reputation is slightly worse than we deserve.

jdr

Exactly the way i think, if you hadn`t spoken in Spanish to him he may of given up.

jonwel

Still, I can forgive Scandinavians, Dutch or Germans for expecting others to speak English. After all it's not their language either and they have made an effort to learn it.

lynnxa

If I hadn't spoken Spanish I think I'd have given up!!!

cricketman

Well thats up to them

The Dutch and Scandis learnt English mainly because their countries were too small to product much TV in their own language.

The Germans learnt English because the Americans colonised them after WW2 and helped Americanise the whole culture including making sure there were plenty of English lessons at school. And of course by rewriting the history books for them This was because Germany was the resistence to the USSR and because the winners of WW2 didnt want another Nazi regime rising from the ashes.

Although parts of Spain do seem like English colonies at times, people must remember that changing the language you speak is cultural colonisation and I do understand why many Spaniards (or Basques, or Catalans) want to speak their own language in their own country. Wars are fought over it and people die for such a right.

JLFS

I seem to have opened up a can of worms, with marida,

It is a word that we used in the UK, along with loads more, nonesence,made up and play on words type words, hermanbro,fathre, mothre,caba, milche, cleaniar, cookinero, and others.

I am sorry if it confused people, as Ihave used it before, I thought everyone knew it was tounge in cheek

Why did we do it?, because we could.

lynnxa

so when will you be writing to the RAE to suggest it as a real word, then?

bil

That's a fun thing we all do. "He looks happy with that." "Yes, he's very gruntled."

ononno

How many of you, if you've paid a visit to Wales, have tried a few words of Welsh?
ciao for now,
'o nonno

bil

I'm sorry. There are limits, you know.

JLFS

I went to Wales once and started to choke on a peanut, I was coughing and spluttering, trying to dislodge it, and the Welsh people were very impressed that I was able to make myself understood in Welsh.