Garfielduk

We as a family have applied to emigrate to Canada but that was only after considering many locations including those in the EEC and beyond in Europe.
The major stumbling block was langauge because my wife is from Ukraine and speaks Russian, Ukrainian and now she has learnt English to a fair standard after 4 years. She was dead against going anywhere where she would potentially have to learn another language as she said she found English difficult enough to learn, also our son of 11 has had some difficulty also with learning english in the written and reading sense (verbal wasn't as it came very easy). Our daugther of 2 never came into the equation as we knew being so young she could adapt and learn more easily than anyone.
And so Spain as a topic was a non starter as my wife said we could not possibly go without learning Spanish to some degree, I would have tried at college but she still refused. I argued that many people go over from the UK without any or little knowledge of the language and that in many areas of Spain these days many Spanish as well as the Brits in these high density areas of British Expatriation there wouldn't be a problem. Also that English Teaching Schools are also available if required in these areas.

I would just like to know of any others who have done what my wife says is not possible and how you have got on. Was I talking rubbish or not ?

big wheels

I know some Brits who have lived in Spain for more than ten years and still don't speak a word of Spanish. Providing you live on the coast in a popular holiday spot there will be no problems with the language. Your wife will also find quite a few people speaking in her own native tongue.

It's not my idea of living in Spain. But it can be done, as thousands of Brits have proved.

BW.

lynnxa

I know loads of Brits that have been here for years & barely speak a word of Spanish...........really p's me off. I'm not fluent (after 2 years) but getting there and wish people would at least make the effort.
I was in a phone shop yesterday topping up my mobile and there was a couple in front of me wanting to report their landline out of order. You can phone telefonica & usually get someone who speaks english but they had gone into this shop (not a telefonica shop) and got the guy to ring them and get an english speaker on the phone for them. When they got through the customer made a sarcastic comment along the lines of 'at last someone who speaks english!!!'
That really got to me & when he'd finished I asked him if he'd expect a BT operator to speak spanish!!!!!

pwwm

Afraid I do have to agree with the previous post in the fact that you should at least try to learn the language.
Yes we also know people that are here and have not bothered with the language, but they find it quite hard as very few English speakers in our corner of Spain, also like the previous post we have been here two years and are getting to grip with some of the Spanish.
As the first posting has said, you can move into a British enclave where there are British shops etc, but why come over if not bothered with learning the language.
You can get free lessons here anyway, does not matter what nationality you are everyone mixes in.

Re Telefonica, quite right, you would not find BT having a Spanish speaker to help out.
If you do decide to come over, please give it a try, we have some Russians etc here, not many but they attend the class's and are having fun.
pwwm

Garfielduk

Thanks for your replies, maybe people have misunderstood me a little. I didn't say we didn't want to try, my wife said if at least one of us doesn't know decent Spanish before we went she would not even get on the Plane. Of course we are great believers in that wherever you go you must try and learn the Lingo as best as you can and if you do mix around the locals it is always easier when there than trying to learn strictly from a book or in an English College at night. I personally thing it a little disrespectful to other countries if people expect them to speak English all the time.

coralsoft

Eh? Organised, or a reference to class experience speaking with the locals?

lynnxa

organised

the local Ayuntamientos (councils) in many areas run free spanish lessons, and where I live, valenciano lessons too

Gray C

Hi

We, like you have applied to emigrate to Canada (AOR July 2004) and we are also looking at moving to Spain if our Canadian application is rejected. We are hopeful that we can move to Canada but we need a backup plan and Spain certainly appeals to us as a place to live.

If you are prepared to live on the coast, or in a British community, you should be able to get by without learning Spanish. However, as a language, Spanish is one of the easier languages to learn. In the long run, learning Spanish will help you.

With regard to your Canadian application, are you learning French to gain the extra two points?

Where in Cheshire do you live?

Graham & Pauline

Garfielduk

You are well ahead of us in the Canada process as our AOR was not until August 2005 after applying in May.
As regards your french question, No we are not learning French to get an extra 2 points, I did GCSE in French but don't know whether that counts, ces't la vie if it doesn't.
And we live in Helsby near Frodsham if you have heard of it ! I guess you live near to Cheshire or in it seeing as you asked the question ?

Gray C

Just come back from Tesco in Helsby. We live in Preston on the Hill (about 3 miles the other side of Frodsham).

As for the French, basic French as denoted by CHC is at about A level

Garfielduk

That's pretty close to us then. Where did you say you were looking at in Canada ?

Gray C

We are not sure yet to be honest. Pauline's sister lives in Brantford Ontario and we quite like it around there. We have also visited Nova Scotia and really like it there also. We are hoping to visit either BC or Alberta sometime soon.

Where are you wanting to go to in Canada?

Do you want to PM me and we can carry on this discussion without blocking up the Spanish forum?

Graham & Pauline