Regional differences
 

Are the regional differences within Spain as large as the media wants to portray them? I mean that in the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia they have their own languages and none of them would like to be called Spanish but it is still possible to live in any of those regions speaking Spanish, or what?

I think that Catalonia must be a region where you really must learn the local language, Catalan, in order to get by. In the Basque-country or in Galicia the speakers of the regional languages are in the minority.

As Spain is a fairly vast country there are surely differences also within the Spanish-speaking areas. Madrid is one of the richest regions within the EU while Andalucia is one of the poorest.

Re: Regional differences
 

I've learned recently that Catalan is the first language in schools in Catalonia now....... and even 20 years ago shop signs were bilingual Spanish/Catalan; I know we've people in the region, hope they pick up on this thread.:)

Re: Regional differences
 

Oh, my god YES!

It get's a bit tiring on your third English class of the day you start talking AGAIN about why local Catalan people hate Madrid and feel their taxes are used to support the rest of Spain (primarily Andalucia).

Barcelona is MEGA political, EVERYONE here has an opinion against the Spanish government.

Their main complaints are;

The AVE (why seville-madrid first??? Not Madrid-Barcelona)
The use of taxes generated in Catalaluna
The Madrid-centred media portrayal of Catalunya

In Barcelona, the people feel more 'European' than Spanish.

I can understand some of the points raised though, and actually a lot of their complaints spring from the fact that the government has not encouraged investment and development in other areas of Spain... Just my opinion! :)

Re: Regional differences
 

Catalan is spoken everywhere, EVERYWHERE in Barcelona. Spanish is not a language that is widely appreciated here! :eek:

Re: Regional differences
 

That's interesting. I would have thought it is the rural areas where people don't speak any other languages than Catalan but Barcelona being a big city must have a lot of international feeling about it which includes speakers of other languages as well, including Spanish.

Re: Regional differences
 

It's for political reasons - they honestly don't really want to be associated with the rest of Spain.

If you speak Spanish, they will make the effort, but the locals in Barcelona will speak Catalan as a first choice.

Needless to say, many of them are Basque country sympathisers too..

Re: Regional differences
 

Oh - and its also compounded by the number of immigrants here - the people are lovely when you get to know them, but that is the problem -GETTING to know them. They don't want much to do with immigrants/tourists, unless they are making money out of them!

I guess that sounds awfully negative - but it is the reality if you live and work here! ;)

Re: Regional differences
 

Nationalism has its negative points:thumbdown: And it's not just displayed in anti-foreigner outbursts...
It's funny though - I find that the Basque people I've met (not a great number I admit) tend to be very similar to Spanish. Yes I know it's a very broad generalisation. But the Catalans do seem more intense, more driven, perhaps even more gifted? It's such a shame that they seem to be heading down an isolationist hate-foreigners/reserve all jobs to Catalan educated people that will harm their economy- an economy which was once streets ahead of Madrid, but no longer.

Re: Regional differences
 

I've been waiting to post a similar question so thought I'd incorporate it in this thread without starting a new one, if you don't mind. I was just wondering if any of you were living in regions where one of the regional languages was spoken apart from Spanish. Has anyone managed to learn the regional language as well as Spanish? Has anyone experienced any problems because they can't speak Catalan, Basque, Galician, Valencian, Aragonese, Bable...... ;)

I live in Andalucia. The people where I live feel quite remote from Madrid and always have a few words to say about the Catalans!!

Does anyone have any children who go to Spanish state school where their children are taught in one of the regional languages?

Thanks for bringing up a really interesting topic. :)

Re: Regional differences
 

There's the old joke about the Catalan worried about his fridge - he worries about the light staying on when the door is closed. I suppose they are the butt of being tight in the same way that the Scots are.
Here's a typical Spanish joke about the Catalans:

Re: Regional differences
 

If Sarleon's view is anything to go by, living in Catalonia is very difficult if you don't know Catalan.

I wonder are they only hostile towards Spanish and Spaniards while having no problem whatsoever speaking English to people from other countries.

This Catalonia vs the rest of Spain-divide was no news to me. I've always known that they really don't want to be associated with the rest of the country.

Re: Regional differences
 

After almost a year of teaching the Catalans in Barcelona, I put their 'difference' down to their history and the locaton of the city - imagine Barcelona port in the time of fervent trading by sea - and I think we have found our modern Catalan!

Re: Regional differences
 

What have you taught the Catalans? If you don't mind me asking.

Re: Regional differences
 

English!:D

Re: Regional differences
 

Well, do you think that the locals treat you in a more friendly way because you are English and not Spanish?

Do people from the Spanish-speaking Spain move a lot to Catalonia? I mean, if they know they are considered as very unwelcome newcomers.

Re: Regional differences
 

I think they feel European, and admire London as a city and the UK for our once-strong economy.

They don't like our association with the US, but which nationality does!!!?!?!

I often find they are interested in our internal history in the UK, particularly the relationship between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

My husband is Colombian and the South American's do get a different response from us from the Catalans to be honest!

Re: Regional differences
 

The chauvinistic me again. Somehow I automatically assume that all the people I talk to here are males but your "my husband"-bit made me realise that perhaps not all of them are.

Re: Regional differences
 

:rofl:

Re: Regional differences
 

Both my kids speak Valenciano & Castellano

In the primary schools in this area, there is the 'linea castellana' & the 'linea valenciana'

In the 'linea castellana' they are taught roughly 60% in Castellano & 40% in Valenciano - the other way round in the 'linea valenciana'

In primary school, both my girls were in the castellano line, but my older dd has just started at the instituto & has chosen to switch to the valenciano line. She had a spoken test to check fluency. She now studies everything except Castellano & German in Valenciano.

She chose to swap because you get less foreigners in the classes for obvious reasons, and also teenagers brought here from other countries & dumped into secondary school without a word of spanish are put into the castellano line - they often don't want to be here, don't want to learn the language, and disrupt classes :curse: (don't get me started)

I don't speak Valenciano, but I can read it reasonably well, and understand it spoken - but have no real desire to learn it properly (I don't like the sound of it)

On the street you tend to find the locals speaking valenciano rather than castellano - although they will speak to you in castellano - in fact I have been told by locals that they would consider it disrespectful to speak to a foreigner in Valenciano

My older dd loves to 'butt in' in Valenciano in shops if the staff are speaking Valenciano

The expression on the faces of the shops assistants is a picture! This tall, blonde, obviously non-spaniard - speaking to them perfectly in their own secret language:rofl:

Re: Regional differences
 

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

(actually, I'm now wondering how much the various other languages deviate from Castillano. I'm familiar with how Catalan does, in terms of letters used, etc., but is it possible to give a simple example?)

Re: Regional differences
 

Have a look at this.

http://www.xunta.es/linguagalega/an_...ician_language

Compared to the Basque Country, Catalonia, Valencia or the Balearics, a higher % of Galicians actually speak their own regional language. It's strange, as Galicians tend to be in the news less than the other regions because of their wish for more autonomy.

I don't speak Galego but I speak Portuguese and armed with Spanish, Galego is quite simple to decipher. It actually a language in its own right but as usual, because of it's unfortunate geographical location between two heavy-weight languages, it's often been considered an offshoot of either Portuguese or Castillian.



Hello Ola.
How are you? Como estás? Como está?
Fine, thank you. Moi ben, grazas.
What is your name? Como te chamas? (informal); Como se chama? (formal)
My name is ______ . Chámome ______ .
Nice to meet you. É un pracer.

I can't speak Galician [well]. Non falo [moi ben] o galego.
Do you speak English? falas inglés?

Re: Regional differences
 

Hello Ola.
How are you? Como estás? Como está?
Fine, thank you. Moi ben, grazas.
What is your name? Como te chamas? (informal); Como se chama? (formal)
My name is ______ . Chámome ______ .
Nice to meet you. É un pracer.

I can't speak Galician [well]. Non falo [moi ben] o galego.
Do you speak English? falas inglés?[/QUOTE]

:thumbup:Thanks for that...it often amazes me how similar many of the Latin languages are yet they're all distinct - we were in a pizza/pasta place last week & the woman asked my little boy his name & he answered (Spanish). Except I did a double take & twigged that she'd spoken to him in Italian & he'd answered in Spanish .. & I once had a not terribly fluent conversation with a woman in the Caribbean about Spain & things Spanish..... yet she was actually Portuguese & I don't speak a word of it:thumbup:

Re: Regional differences
 

:thumbup:Thanks for that...it often amazes me how similar many of the Latin languages are yet they're all distinct - we were in a pizza/pasta place last week & the woman asked my little boy his name & he answered (Spanish). Except I did a double take & twigged that she'd spoken to him in Italian & he'd answered in Spanish .. & I once had a not terribly fluent conversation with a woman in the Caribbean about Spain & things Spanish..... yet she was actually Portuguese & I don't speak a word of it:thumbup:[/QUOTE]


I think many of the differences are written - verbally the Latin languages sound very similar........I can't speak Italian - though I can recognise it - and used to manage conversations with an Italian neighbour:thumbup:

Re: Regional differences
 

I think many of the differences are written - verbally the Latin languages sound very similar........I can't speak Italian - though I can recognise it - and used to manage conversations with an Italian neighbour:thumbup:[/QUOTE]
I speak cockney, but can still converse with Brummies and scousers etc. :rofl:

PS fiona don`t cut the quote tags off, look at what happens to the text. ;-(

Re: Regional differences
 

I speak cockney, but can still converse with Brummies and scousers etc. :rofl:

PS fiona don`t cut the quote tags off, look at what happens to the text. ;-([/QUOTE]

Don't think it was me, guv.....honest;)
...or maybe it was...don't understand what's happening.

Just managed it in another thread, maybe it's when double-quoting it gets complicated:confused:

Re: Regional differences
 

Don't think it was me, guv.....honest;)
...or maybe it was...don't understand what's happening.

Just managed it in another thread, maybe it's when double-quoting it gets complicated:confused:[/QUOTE]

looking at it, I thought it was me - but I don't think it was:confused:

Re: Regional differences
 

looking at it, I thought it was me - but I don't think it was:confused:[/QUOTE]

Aha! happened again! Harrumph!:p

B*****.....and again. must be the double quote:o

Re: Regional differences
 

Aha! happened again! Harrumph!:p

B*****.....and again. must be the double quote:o[/QUOTE]

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: Regional differences
 

Aha! happened again! Harrumph!:p

B*****.....and again. must be the double quote:o[/QUOTE]

:rofl::rofl::rofl:[/QUOTE]

Look at your text showing there is no quote tags at the front of the sentence, don`t quote for a while and it will sort itself out.
Do you use the multi quote box ?

Re: Regional differences
 

:rofl::rofl::rofl:[/QUOTE]

Look at your text showing there is no quote tags at the front of the sentence, don`t quote for a while and it will sort itself out.
Do you use the multi quote box ?[/QUOTE]

I know it definitely wasn't me that time:rofl:

Re: Regional differences
 

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

(note I wisely didn't quote anyone, myself included:blink:

Re: Regional differences
 

I did!!:rofl:

it's easy really - just hit the quote button & add your post below:p:rofl:

Re: Regional differences
 

..:ohmy:..but that's what I was doing all those posts ago..(and have been ever since someone wised me up on where to find smileys:o)
It's got to be trying to use a quote of a quote in a post....:blink:

Re: Regional differences
 

like this?

hit the little button to the right of the quote button




make sure if you want to write between the quotes that you don't get inside the '[/QUOTE]' marks


and if you're still not sure you did it right, check by hitting 'preview post' before submit

Re: Regional differences
 

You'll be pleased to hear I think I've cracked it.....:o:blink:

Re: Regional differences
 

where?

Re: Regional differences
 

In our pueblo Castallano and Valenciano are both spoken. The older people speak Valenciano but most of the children learn both languages. I am learning Castallano but can understand my elderly neighbour when he speaks to me in Valenciano...however I don't think he understand me :rofl:

Re: Regional differences
 

Is it necessary to call Spanish Castellano in Spain? I understand that by calling it Spanish might irritate people from the regions but do most Spanish-speakers themselves call the Spanish spoken in Spain as Castellano?

Re: Regional differences
 

It might irritate them if you call it Spanish - particulary in the areas where they have their own language.

I've heard it called both Español & Castellano around here

I'll ask one of my students (if I remember)

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Yes they do. A lot make a joke though, and call it Cristiano.