Keithevert

Well finally bitten the bullet and my partner and I will be renting in Javea from Oct 1st in the Alatamar urbanisation.
Taking advice we will be there for 11 months with the intention of buying a property should we like the lifestyle.
I will likely be working in Valencia so will travel to and from there every day, but my partner Karen will be home alone.
She will be looking to make friends but urgently require spanish lessons to attend.
The aim is that she will set up a business there as she makes all kinds of greeting cards as well as glass painting.
Any tips for what we need to do in the 1st few weeks?

stuboy

Why Javea? That is one heck of a commute each day to Valencia.

montgomail

Lynn will be along shortly, I'm sure. She runs a comprehensive programme of lessons, mainly at Cafe Cortado in Javea Port.

Keithevert

I am actually working in Almussafes, but have chosen Javea as i can use either Valencia or Alicante Airport. My job takes me into Europe so this is a good location to take advantage of both airports

Keithevert

Oh that would be good, where we will be living it is easy to get to the port

lynnxa

here I am

just finished a class

I'll PM you a link to my blog & facebook page - I have lots of 'public' groups & I also do one to one or small private groups - gently does it or more intense if you want to learn quickly

Vicky P

Hi there,

I will also be moving to Javea in the new year with my husband and 2 year old daughter.
I would appreciate any advice on schools and how easy it is to make new friends.
Much appreciated, Vicky

lynnxa

hi

with a 2 year old you'll soon make friends at the school gate

there are several state schools in Jávea - exactly which one your daughter will go to will depend upon exactly where you live

what year was she born? Children born in 2009 were starting infants school last month.

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Lynnxa is a fountain of knowledge on the area as well as an excellent teacher.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Vicky P

Thanks very much for your speedy replies!

We have visited Javea many times as my parents live there but we desperately need information about schools and how easy it is to make new friends.
We have a great social life here (Leeds) and don't want to hang out with my parents all the time
My daughter also goes to lots of activities and I'd like her to start a nursery as soon as we move there.
We will also need Spanish lessons!!!

We are looking at international schools for my daughter. Do you have any information about the firs/XIC or LAUDE?

We will be over on holiday in November and I plan to do some investigating. Any help would be much appreciated!!!
Many thanks
Vicky

Rosemary

Can I ask why you are looking at international school for you daughter when she is only two years old because from what parents on here say I would have thought that state school would have been good for her due to her age. Most seem to advocate international schoold for much, much older children.

Rosemary

lynnxa

I would totally agree - however, if Vicky really wants International I'd recommend Laude Lady Elizabeth - it's bilingual now so that children learn Spanish in a natural way - not as much as in state school where of course it's all Spanish, but the next best thing

If planning to make a future in Spain though, you're better off putting your child in Spanish school, while ensuring that they learn to read in English when they get older

when we came heer 9 years ago, my younger daughter (now 13) couldn't really read in any language when she started Spanish school here, so Spanish is really her first 'written' language - but we have always exposed her to books & magazines in English - not formal lessons - just exposure

even though she is dyslexic, her reading level in English is age-appropriate

my older daughter (now 16) could obviously already read & write in English when she started Spanish school - & has continued to do so at home - again, not formal lessons - but her writing & spelling in English is better than most English children I know of her age who have been educated in the UK system

Vicky P

Thanks very much for replying!
I guess it's because we don't speak Spanish ourselves yet and my daughter has never been away from me, I want starting school/nursery to be as less traumatic as possible for her! I would also want to help her with her homework. She speaks very well already and I am just worried about making the wrong decision...
We plan to stay in Spain but you never know with the economy etc, just being cautious.
Are there any toddler groups in the area? I'd like to investigate when we are there in November. We aren't sure where we will be living yet, we plan to rent first. We quite like Benitachell.

Thanks again, Vicky

lynnxa

I couldn't speak any Spanish either when we came - I just made sure I learned really fast so that I could help the girls with their homework!! I actually learned a lot by helping them!

at your daughter's age she would pick up Spanish so quickly you'd be amazed - & she will hardly even realise it's a different language - if you keep speaking English at home she'll just switch naturally from one to the other almost without thinking

I have heard that there is a mother & toddler group somewhere in Jávea - I'd have to remember where I heard it & investigate - but because children start infant school so young, there aren't many in general

there are guarderías - like nursery schools - but again, children go into free education at 2.5 to 3, so your daughter would be one of the oldest there

also - in my opinion - even if you did end up returning to the UK in a few years - her education wouldn't have suffered, but she'd have the gift of fluency in another language

it might be hard when she reaches 10 or so, but that's a long way away - & if you found that you were planning to go back you could always get her some extra English lessons before you went to get her up speed - that's what one family I know are doing - they are planning their return for next summer, so the older children are having some English lessons with me until they go.

Vicky P

Thanks Lynn, that is reassuring!
I plan to have a look at lady Elizabeths too when I am over next.
It is nice to hear that your girls are so happy in Javea.
I am already worrying that my little girl will miss her friends!
Thanks Vicky