Settling in Spain 2: Getting up to speed with Spanish
3 tips for staying afloat when thrown into the deep end.
Note: Settling in Spain is a series for anyone planning to move to Spain or for those who want to feel more “at home” when visiting. As mentioned in the first post, these are available exclusively to paid subscribers - regular La Comunidad posts remain free.
The early days of living life in another language are a severe shock to the system.
Plenty of people move to Spain to escape northern Europe’s weather - or Donald Trump - and arrive with at least some Spanish, even if it’s only Duolingo-level.
But living life in Spanish is a different story.
Suddenly you’re not just ordering a cerveza or café con leche - you’re ordering fresh fruit at the local market and trying not to sign your life away while deciphering legal documents when opening a bank account or renting an apartment.
To be fair, we’re not alone: more than 80% of Spaniards consider legal language to be excessively complicated and difficult to understand.
Nonetheless, unless you’re proficient in Spanish before arriving, you will need to dedicate time to learning the language - enough to truly enjoy everything this amazing country has to offer.
You don’t have to be fluent to make an effort to integrate and make friends.
But as mentioned by James Blick of Spain Revealed, just existing in another language doesn’t mean you’ll learn it.
“I made a big mistake here when it came to learning Spanish. I assumed I’d just pick it up. I’d pick up Spanish as I went, especially given that my wife is Spanish. Huge mistake. It really slowed down my learning progress massively and impacted my confidence.
So here are three things that helped me get up to speed quickly on the ferocious treadmill of life in another language.
Back to school
As I mentioned recently, during my first two years in Spain, I lived in the charming university city of Alcalá de Henares. It was perfect for my Spanish - nobody spoke English.
But what helped me most were my midweek classes at the local Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (EOI).