The big difference is Migrants to the uk dont pay €20.000 a year tax,they only claim state benefit!!!!

I should think so too........now get yaself back to siesta time mrs

Not all of them do,have met a lot of migrants in London who work and pay tax!

I thought i was there - my sense of direction isnt very good im afraid

One thing that foreigners never understand: if you are moving to one of the autonomous areas of Spain, LEARN THE LOCAL LANGUAGE ! If you are coming to live in Catalunia - where Spanish (Castilliano) is taught in schools as a foreign language- speak Catalan. It is a legal requirement if you want to get a job here.

My friends who refuse to speak Catalan always complain when they visit a government office about the grumpy reception they receive - I ask "what language did you speak ?" they reply "why, Spanish of course !" I go to the same office and in my very poor Catalan start off by saying "I'm trying to speak your language - could you help...." and it's smiles all round.

Personally I think Spain is lucky to have this diversity of cultures and I love Madrid as much as Barcelona and Girona.

But, folks, try to fit in when you come here.....wherever you land up.

RaF

Thats a very good point that completely slipped my mind,def one for the list!

Will you lot try and stay within a mile of the topic, it is getting beyond a joke now and I am not amused.
I spent a lot of time sorting this thread out as it could be very handy.
If you want to play silly games go and start a thread in Siesta time.

Aurias de parlar 'vissenc a calo???

Never had any problems speaking Castellano, after all Uno Pais, uno poble Y una lengua.

Castellano is spoken all over spain, and yes may help fitting into the local community, but then you start with the local dialects, I know many catalans who cant understand Evissenc. At the end of the day it doesnt matter how many languages we speak.....we will always be "girri"

I found this link, you never know, it might help!!!!

"Vissenc",have to say thats a new language to me,looks like it has French roots?,any idea if it does?

It's the ones that won't make an effort I don't like. To struggle is to make an effort.

I definitely think it's important to learn Catalan in Catalunya. Learn just Castillian and you'll risk being a foreigner twice over

I not only lived in Mallorca but also has links through dads boat there for years, and I never once had to speak Catalan.

I had Mallorcan friends, ate at Mallorcan places, drank in Mallorcan bars, even restored dads boat using Mallorcan suppliers and merchants, and never once did I get made to feel I should have spoken Catalan.

People take too much stock in assimilating, the Spanish will ALWAYS treat you as non Spanish, and they make no bones of it, but this isolationist crap is simply counterproductive and any sensible person can see that.


But what do I know, I'm just a sad twat of a loser.

All I can say is that I have seen a big difference between how we are treated over there compared to some of the other Brits who don't try and integrate and don't speak the language.

Before someone picks up on what might be intimated by your post, I never said that people shouldn't learn a language, all I said is that it firstly shouldnt be an issue of hatred, and secondly I cant understand why people say that if you go to a Catalan or whatever area, you HAVE to speak the dialect.


My fiancé in Spain was a Basque, and we spoke in Spanish to each other.

In Galicia they speak gallego... I can speak a fair bit of it but I`m not beaten to a pulp if I decide to just speak spanish instead. I haven`t experienced it first hand but I hear that the Welsh are the worst for giving `outsiders` a raw deal.