Re: Is Moving to America the answer
 

Fluency in another language is a great skill to have and can open up all sorts of doors in years to come, so I think the concern was a valid one. There may be ways to maintain this skill in the UK though, e.g. via Spanish language clubs etc., if the kids are up for it.

Re: Is Moving to America the answer
 

As did DH....but he didn't know he'd be staying!

Re: Is Moving to America the answer
 

Yeah, a useful tool in todays world, agreed, but not necessarily one worth worrying about if she's weighing it up as a reason to stay in a place for the next 6 years that she doesn't want to be in. I wouldn't agree that it's necessarily a valid reason for her to stay in Spain.
People can relearn languages, and learn new ones without living in a particular country.

Re: Is Moving to America the answer
 

The active practical use of two or more languages is said to aid cognitive reasoning and boost intellect in general. It's definitely a plus in terms of the kid's development to continue to have them speak multiple languages. Many people who are actively bilingual go on to find it easier to learn a third or fourth language if that's where their interest ends up taking them.

Regaining a "lost" language can be more difficult than you might think, especially if done later in life. Mrs tonrob (German with native-level English) used to speak Italian well enough to undertake daily business transactions (as part of a previous job). 10 years later and through lack of practice she's been battling with tapes to try to get some of it back but the confidence is no longer there.

Conversely, in the UK office of my company, bi-lingualism is treated as a minimum for most job roles and tri-lingual (or more) is fairly common. The ability to speak multiple languages can open some very interesting doors, but re-learning that skill (to native level) is very hard without daily use.

I'm not saying that OP should stay in Spain just because of this - but she has accurately identified a benefit to her kids if she did decide to stay, and it's worth factoring in.

Re: Is Moving to America the answer
 

I know I'm late back to the thread but I just wanted you to know I meant what I said. Those years in school in Spain, and the language embedded there (prepuberty) are irreplaceable. The Spanish leaks out without my being aware of it, and my sister's isn't bad either (we were 6 & 8 when we moved there).

The translating made me laugh though.. I used to do that for our mom too. :)
But get out there and pretend gab with them.. your neighbors will be more forgiving of your learning than you might think. :)


Oh YES! I meant to add that Mr Tonrob's post is spot on!

Re: Is Moving to America the answer
 

Gracias! :)

Re: Is Moving to America the answer
 

I thought it was grassy arse. :confused:

Re: Is Moving to America the answer
 

Welcome to BE, and thanks for a thoughtful thread.

How hard have you tried to learn Spanish? This is a genuine question ... I'm not trying to suggest you 'should try harder'.

If ever I leave the US, I'm thinking Spain would be the best place for me; and not a part that has too many Brits, either - I don't want to live on the Costa del Sol and eat Fish n'Chips ... But the language aspect has always been a concern. I learned French at school and 'get by' in France, and I generally enjoy trying to speak a language when on vacation ... but ... maybe I'm deluding myself that at 50 I could really pick up the language sufficiently to enjoy living in a country.

So - would you rate yourself as being 'interested in' languages? Did you study any languages at school?

Good Luck wherever you end up!

Re: Is Moving to America the answer
 

The trouble with Spain is the regional languages as well as Spanish - the OP has to contend with Valenciano, in Barcelona its Catalan, in Bilbao there's plenty of Basque, next there's Galician and many parts of Andalucia, whilst its Spanish, its a pretty thick version - hasta luego is more an "a-go". Madrid seems to be the center of received pronunciation - trouble is it's nowhere near the sea, hot in summer and cold in winter.

If you had some latin at an early age it helps, as does a Scottish education that taught proper grammar V's many areas of England that didn't. I am sure french capability helps, similar structure (verb endings and all that) and many similar words (although so does english).

I think the OP could do worse than looking at Gib - mix of both english and spanish but with the sun and sea.

Re: Is Moving to America the answer
 

Ok in answer to comments posted, im not staying in Spain soley for the children but we always said when we first moved out here that if it doesnt work out at least hopefully the boys would have a second language which could open a few doors for them later and it didnt make moving here a complete waste of time. I would definately try and find some sort of lessons to keep up their spanish tho and i think they would be up for that too.

Meauxna, whilst talking to your neighbours sounds fantastic, im afraid i have a bit of a confidence problem. One of our neighbours gave us some veggies and stuff that he'd grown in his garden, i thought this an ideal opportunity to use some of the little spanish that i knew and go and thank him, I promptly told him that i loved his pechuga they were tasty when i meant to say that i loved his lechuga. He seemed really pleased that i had thanked him and i went home happy, only to tell my husband who nearly spat his coffee accross the room, apparently i had told the man that i loved his 'breasts' instead of his 'lettuces' from this point on i kind of avoid the neighbours when i can. I also get myself into situations when im mucking about but my problem is i cant speak enough spanish to get myself out of it again, so instead i put on my boring head and just smile sweetly,:D its so much easier.

Steerpike, im with you, we moved to the Valencia region because there werent loads of brits and we wanted to move here and try and integrate with the spanish. Because there arent loads of brits here there also arent many language schools, and the ones that are here, speak no English at all, which for me makes it very difficult, i need things explained to me im afraid. Also they seem to skip from one lesson to the next. If you enjoyed learning french then maybe you will be ok, i never enjoyed french at school and im not into languages, it makes me feel too stupid when i cant get it to go in. I have however found myself somewhere where i am learning but it does blow my brain :blink:

Sun is shining again and so im still happy, especially when speaking to my mum,today its bloody freezin back home, that makes me feel a whole lot better. Thanks for your comments it good to hear another point of view.

Re: Is Moving to America the answer
 

trace, I'm LMAO at the lechuga/pechuga story! :lol:
But these things happen to us all the time, everywhere! This is what makes moving around the world so interesting and fun.

Just think, if you moved to the US and approached your new neighbor over the fence..
"Aye, I've been meaning to get down to Walmart to get some rubbers for the kids. They can't get to school without them! It's stressing me so much; can I pinch a fag?"

Neighbor falls over.

Lady at church asks you "How do you like my new fanny pack?"

You fall over (laughing your assets off).

It's like that.. give n' go.. your neighbors will getcha.. give them a chance and remember that it's your confidence problem, but people generally like to help each other. :)
Well, you don't need me to talk you in/out of it but it's that funny thing isn't it.. Steerpike and I would be happy to live in Spain. Don't you wish it were easier to swap around?

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I laugh about it now, infact i laughed about it at the time, a man was shouting at me ages ago now and i just shouted back a few words n stuff and my son asked me why i called that man a full stop??

Theres just no saving me

In fairness the spanish have been lovely to us, i think they get just as frustrated as me when they are trying to talk to me and i just dont understand them. In saying that my youngest son had his friend round yesterday and her mum is lovely, i spent 2 hours generally chatting to her, she is so good, she speaks slowly, uses other words or mimes and we get through, she puts my confidence right up.

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Oh she sounds nice :)

When my folks were living there, they had a tutor in on a regular basis since their Spanish was some strange accumulation of years in Mexico, Spain & California (my father insists on "peepeearia" for the toilet, which is actually pretty funny).
Anyway, maybe a regular private thing like that would be good for you.. and sympathies on the Valenciano. I know that's a particularly difficult dialect (but I'll trade you for Mallorquin anyday).

My last move was to Greece. It really took me out of my element language-wise, so I'm not unsympathetic.. I couldn't even read the letters! I used to watch tv programs in English that were subtitled in Greek, that helped a lot. And when I was working in the cafe that used my English, we took our siesta breaks with a group of the village men who'd sit around and yammer and I picked up quite a bit through repetition (because typical of village men everywhere, they only talked about sports, politics and chicks).

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I would think that a follow-up conversation would be a hoot -he probably found you charming! Making mistakes 'breaks the ice' and shows you are human. I deal with techie stuff all day, and have to support some pretty novice, utterly non-technical users. They are so embarrassed sometimes to admit they are clueless, but it doesn't bother me at all and I just do what I can to make them feel comfortable. After a couple of interactions, they are totally at ease.

Weather has a different effect on people, I've noticed. Even though I spent the first 25 years of my life in the cold, damp, drizzly climate of England, I've spent the last 25 years in the sun of California and even today, when I wake up and see that blue sky and feel that warmth, I feel 'good'. And when I go back to UK, I get depressed by the gray, damp, cold weather. But others don't seem to have that reaction at all. You and me both, we need that good weather!

If I were to go to Spain I'd probably go for inland Andalusia -away from the beaches, but still good weather; plenty of historic towns and villages around. Maybe Granada, Seville, or points in between. Personally, I LOVE the sound of Spanish! It trumps French to my ears. I have heard horror stories, though, about BarTHelona and their use of Catalan, and the folks in ValenTHia.

Anyway - good luck! Don't do anything hasty!

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I so agree about putting the other person at ease!

And the weather. :( (Steerpike, you're going to have to stick to Bend if you come North. I don't think Portland's clime would agree w/you).

When we lived there, Catalan, Basque and all the regional languages were banned under Franco so I never did 'get' Catalan. I can follow it, slowly, but wouldn't dare open my mouth.