Do you need to speak Spanish when living in Spain?
Yes, yes, yes and, did we say, yes?
Over the years, we’ve met many expats who live in Spain and know barely more than three words of Spanish. Most of them have no Spanish friends, don’t understand much about Spain, miss out on registering for services and events they’d love to have if they knew they existed, and live on the outside of Spanish society.
Although they live in Spain, they don’t really ‘live’ in Spain — just have a British, American or German lifestyle that happens to take place in a country they have little connection to.
In order to take advantage of all the many incredibly wonderful things living in Spain has to offer, you must learn and speak Spanish.
Ordering a coffee or a meal, being at the doctor’s office, at a concert, a movie theatre, meeting new people — all of these things are a thousand times more fun and more pleasant if you can speak Spanish.
Plus, if you want to work in Spain, unless you speak Spanish, 99% of the jobs here are closed to you and always will be.
So, while some expats will tell you it’s not necessary to speak Spanish in Spain, don’t believe them, it is.
To start to learn Spanish, either sign up for a class at a local language school or check at your local town hall or senior center for local Spanish classes. Or, if you really don’t feel comfortable learning in a group outside your home, then why not invest in a course online or on your computer?
The Rosetta Stone is one of the best Spanish courses out there, as is Rocket Science, which you can now learn online. Or, if you want something a bit cheaper, why not start out with Learn to Speak Spanish Deluxe. It’s only $17.99 from Amazon.com, and you can download it straight to your computer in minutes.