Brits, Language and Spain

[Culebronchris]

I posted something in one of these threads about unhappy Brits unable to speak a word of Castillian bemoaning the ill wind that cast them ashore in Spain.

It didn't seem to ring a bell with many of you. So do you know lots of Spanish speaking Brits integrated into their local communities with balanced opinions about the way Spaniards do things?

P.S. I heard the other day that we Brits are now so popular in the village of Cañada del Trigo (population 187) that five Brit cars have been set on fire.

[ValenciaSon]

I heard the other day that we Brits are now so popular in the village of Cañada del Trigo (population 187) that five Brit cars have been set on fire. Did the Brits in anyway antagonize the situation?

[Jimmy]

I thought that was standard play after each soccer match !!!

[Culebronchris]

Only in so far as they are being Brits who have a duty to maintain all things British in, what they consider to be a "hostile" environment. Where they have to struggle to watch decent telly, read proper newspapers, eat decent food at the proper times etc. I exaggerate a bit, about some, but not much about most.

Language is the key, children aside, hardly any of us can maintain a conversation in Castilian. For the majority malformed and mispronounced words and phrases show that they have a grasp of the language better than their neighbours who can't manage a word - "mucho bien- no problemo"

[Jimmy]

I guess there's always Gibraltar !!!!!! ;)

[Ben]

I have many British friends in Madrid and all of them are completely fluent in Spanish and very integrated into the Spanish culture - to such an extent that some will even support Spain in football competitions before the English team! Many of these are married to or going out with Spaniards, which helps of course. So it seems that the picture in the cities is very different to that on the coasts.

[addled]

In my experience and that of an Australian I work with the secret was simply not to go seeking the ex-pat communities but rather to sink or swim on your own until your Spanish was good enough. It worked for me, although I did have some help from my then girlfriend. Oddly I've not encountered any resistance in doing so. I think that as long as you try to integrate, anywhere in the world, you get a bit of respect.

[Culebronchris]

So it seems that the picture in the cities is very different to that on the coasts.

Spot on; but there are more Brits in Alicante province than there are in Madrid so which group are the norm? And the coast now extends at least 70km inland.

[greytop]

I.... I think that as long as you try to integrate, anywhere in the world, you get a bit of respect.Well said :thumbs-up:

[barry]

I posted something in one of these threads about unhappy Brits unable to speak a word of Castillian bemoaning the ill wind that cast them ashore in Spain.

It didn't seem to ring a bell with many of you. So do you know lots of Spanish speaking Brits integrated into their local communities with balanced opinions about the way Spaniards do things?



The trouble is they cast themselves ashore into english urbanizaciones. Listen to this immigrant guy from Mali who at the age of 17 arrived on the beach at Los Christianos Tenerife after four days in the Atlantic aboard a small boat from Mauritania. After one year in the Canaries and learning spanish in between scratching a living to support himself and his fatherless family (mother , a brother and two sisters) back home in Mali.
No Mali urbanizaciones here. A year later here he is in an interview with Radio Ecca.
click here to listen:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/b.newson/Mali.mp3

[Culebronchris]

The trouble is they cast themselves ashore into english urbanizaciones.........this guy from Mali

I think you should forget this idea of all the Brits being huddled along the coastline in look alike villas. The small town I live in has no urbanizaciones (other than the estates the Spanish build for themselves) but the Brits have taken over the outlying villages wholesale because the locals were more than willing to sell a bunch of leaky, cold country houses to people who, for some unfathomable reason, wanted to live miles away from a bread shop. We are everywhere, at least down here.

I think, though this may be my dodgy memory, that there are fewer Brits in the whole of Extremadura than there are in the two towns closest to my house. Those two towns manage a total population of just over 20,000 people but a Brit population of over 1,300.

Although I suspect that many Britons don't get around to registering there are 500 Brits on the padron in my local town hall and 500 Ukranians.

The Ukranians can't get by without learning Spanish, so they do.

The Ukranians aren't, initially, rich enough to either set up their own business or sit around reading The Daily Ukranian so they find work in the host community.

They don't wear shorts and vests in February, they don't bring Ukranian registered cars. They don't have a food section in Carrefour. They fit in.

[Edith]

The trouble is they cast themselves ashore into english urbanizaciones. Listen to this immigrant guy from Mali who at the age of 17 arrived on the beach at Los Christianos Tenerife after four days in the Atlantic aboard a small boat from Mauritania. After one year in the Canaries and learning spanish in between scratching a living to support himself and his fatherless family (mother , a brother and two sisters) back home in Mali.
No Mali urbanizaciones here. A year later here he is in an interview with Radio Ecca.
click here to listen:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/b.newson/Mali.mp3

When their livelihood depends on it, people are always willing to learn a new language. But in some cases, immigrants enter the country in such large numbers that they are able to create a 'patria chica' of their own which may sometimes become an ethnic ghetto (depending on the circumstances).

I don't mind if people keep their own customs and culinary habits, as long as they do not shut themselves off from mainstream society.

P.s.: I looked for Radio Ecca's website and right now I'm listening to some programs. How I love that Canary accent! :thumbs-up: