In last week's poll we asked:
Can you hold a conversation in Spanish?
266 responses were received and the verdict is:
It appears that the majority of respondents can manage to chat away in Spanish, which sort of goes against our original understanding on this matter.
The following comments were left by the respondents:
but ... in a few weeks we start living out of Spain in stead of elsewhere in Europe. First thing to do is 4 weeks of lessons, so that I can tick your box in another way next time.
Diploma level - but only after 4 years of hard work!!!
Problem Ive found with ex-pats trying to learn Spanish has been that their command of the grammar of their own language is very poor and consequently they are unable to absorb the building blocks of Spanish grammar.
I know a lot of verbs and can put together sentences but as soon as the Spanish speak to me I do not know what they are saying
If you really want to learn Spanish you have to completely immerse yourself in the language and learn Spanish the same way you learnt English, and most toddlers can do that fairly well! all the translating and studies just complicate the issue.
I've found that there is a useful website called www.spanishdict. which helps learn vocabulary and pronounciation.
I am not as fluent as I would like and sometimes struggle for words which I find frustrating. I am naturally a fast talker in English so I do feel somewhat stilted. I feel the more time you spend with Spanish people the better you become although I suspect the grammar is not always correct!
Living,as I do in Casares,it is essential to be able to converse with the people here and it is lovely to chat with my Spanish neighbour over a cup of coffee.
in the late eighties when we were renovating(near Jalon) I could cope with all the building terms etc, and make myself understood. Gradually over the years it has become less and less necessary to do so, and I think I have lost much of what I knew then.
Mijas Town Hall provide lessons for all 'strangers'
15 euros a MONTH will get you 3 lessons a week. 4 levels, brilliant teachers and these run from October to May.
1 did all 4 years - was a struggle at times but 10 years down the line am I glad I stuck at it.
Living in Quesada it is difficult to find Spanish people to talk wih when I visit for holidays. Would love to link up with a famiky who want to practise their English in return for opportunities for me to practise Spanish. As a retired teacher who has had lots of experience teaching children and adults who arrive in Engand with little or no English I would welcome a chance to meet up with Spanish families for mutual help. Anyone oiut there who may be interested in setting up a voluntary 'Conversation Exchange?'
I can converse with Spaniards, and they can understand what I say, but - in Andalucia - I can't always understand them!
I do think that if you're intending to live in Spain for any length of time, you should make an effort to get on in the language.
Depends a bit on the Spanish person. If they speak fast . . and then with a regional accent . . .
I spent a month last year in Salamanca at the Don Quijote school learning Spanish. Fantastic experience, well worth the money as I am now much more confident in speaking. Also listened to the Michel Thomas CDs up to advanced level. Can now do my necessary business in Spanish as well as chat.
Understanding Sanish, or reading a newspaper, no problem although I have trouble on the phone with no body language and the rapid speach.
Talking Spanish is more difficult and llimited to present tense; the school I was at folded before I progressed beyond that. However the Spanish are very patient and I can, eventually, get the message across. The important thing is to keep trying.
I think I would be fluent by now if I could get lessons for a couple of hours every day with a native speaker. I've tried once and twice a week for an hour/two hours (and done my homework) and it's not enough!
I have tried with lessons here in England but find it hard, I can manage some conversations but I have to really know the topic first. Hopefully by the time we move to Spain permanently it will be better
As a Dutch national I have been trained to speak various languages from a young age. Unfortunately, Spanish was not one of them and being older now I find it extremely difficult to speak Spanish and even more difficult to understand the replies I get. Have not given up yet though.
I learnt spanish at a level and used to be very good, but not had much practice for many years! Would love to get back into it!
Hola, yes I speak fluent Spanish as I lived in Spain the most of my life, I was brought up in Fuengirola, Malaga, lived in Granada with my husband and two children, I now live in England but would love to talk to Spanish people as I miss that very much, waiting to hear from you, hasta pronto
It depends who I'm speaking to. Our farmer neighbours
( lovely people ) have , like most locals around our area
( Antequera ) very strong Andaluz accents, which can make it very difficult to understand them. If I was talking to someone who spoke clearly ( and slowly ) and with less of an accent I would be able to converse more !!
I can speak a bit more than 'dos cervezas por favor' but not hold a conversation yet. I'm finding it very difficult to learn the language but am persevering.
Really a struggle. Easily for my hearing in the north and when travelling better As soon as we hit the c De Sol we get spoken to in english before we open our mouth and I am not wearing shorts and socks with a hanky on my head!!
I can order food and drink with no trouble, I can say few simple sentences about myself. I probably understand much more then I can express myself... still learning though..watching news is good as they speak very clearly..
Lack of practice is my problem, I take one lesson a week but it is important to practice speaking Spanish, knowing how to use verbs is a good thing. I have met a few Brits who say yuo don't need to know verbs, I don't know how they manage.you often hear "I only want to learn enough to get by".
I'm afraid a lot of Brits have the attitude that "it'll do"
In all honesty I fall somwhere between "no problem" and "just about".
When I came to live in Spain in june 2003 I had never been to Spain before and I knew no Spanish. I took classes and got to a reasonable standard in about 9 months and then stopped. Without any Spanish neighbours to practice with, a lot of my Spanish went. However, two months ago I started classes again and this time I am determined not to lose it.
I love your site - keep it up!
I can understand a lot more than I care to admit. With me is a confidence thing, if I cannot Habla Perfecto then I always push my husband forward to do the talking - his pronunciation however is terrible - got all good fun and I enjoy laughing at him making a fool of himself!!
It's a beautiful launguage, I go to classes once a week, and enjoy the company and the challenges.
Present tense is coming along.
But the business of two past tenses is beating the pips out of me.
I am learning in a classroom in Holland through the medium of Dutch, which doesn't help this poor, confused English soul.
I realise that I need practical experience in Spain.
A few weeks holiday is never enough, and there are so many Brits down there to occupy limited communication channels.
somewhere between "dos cervezas" and "just about" really
i believe that i can get by
Problema surely?
I have been speaking spanish for the last 35 years, in my opinion , it is almost an imposibility to have a stress free lifestyle here without the Spanish language , or understanding of it..
But, of course, there is always more to learn.
Mi espanol no es el cojones de pero. :-(
Can manage with the guy who came to fix the damp, but in trouble when it's a chat over the garden fence. Suddenly everyone's talking at 120 k/h and it's about the kids' school, the traffic, Barcelona football, weather and why we mad Brits clip our hedges ourselves. No entiendo!
It's difficult as all speak in English, but fortunately have some spanish friends who can't speak English. Remembering the vocabulary is the problem if you haven't spoken spanish for a while.
A lot of retired people have made Spain their home. Unfortunately, learning a language involves quite a lot of memory which often declines with age. Despite trying to learn it, retaining it is the biggest problem. When the teachers start on the verbs, a lot of us are lost since we never learnt at school (some 50 years ago) what a verb was. With English, there's no need to know what a verb is. We were told what nouns and adjectives were and that sufficed until we had to start learning Spanish.
There's no better way to tackle a language than having a go at a real conversation with a native speaker. In general, Spanish people are pleased if you try to speak their language and will patiently wait whilst you try to remember words that you can't recall instantly. Some of my best experiences in Spain have been from being with a group of Spanish people and being part of their conversation. It's well worth putting in the effort.
I'm fine with asking questions, and a bit of conversation, its when the reply comes back too fast that I get stuck!
Ordering food is all very well, but unless we are engaging with local people about the issues that matter to them, then we are merely holiday-makers (however much time we spend there). This year we have had to be very sympathetic with our neighbours (all part of a fruit & veg growing co-operative) about the heavy rain and its impact on the land, the loss of crops, and how they are all struggling financially. We also chatted to the city mayor while Barry was taking Semana Santa photos on behalf of the Turismo Puente Genil Facebook page.
Have been doing spanish lessons, 2 hours a week, for the past year. Some good days, some bad days.
I think it is essential to learn Spanish if you intend to live permanently in Spain. It is a bit annoying on the coast though to order a whole meal for example, in Spanish, and then to be addressed in nothing but English!
I learned Spanish solely through listening and speaking with my Spanish neighbours - no lessons at all. That is how you learn as a child and it still holds good today.
It is invaluable to learn any languages,specially when you choose to live or frequently visit a country.
Spain is no different and although the language is some what difficult it is not impossible to learn this beautiful and so useful language.
Do not expect the locals to speak your language instead take time to learn some basic Spanish for your own benefit and take this challenge like part of everyday life. Slowly but surely it will come.
I mastered the vocabulary first with Greetings then foods, furniture, and so on. used scrabble and children's card games, listening to Spanish news both on radio &TV and topping it up with some news papers, and of course watching the live conversational programmes with the wonderful language courses on
www.bbc.co.uk/ learn Spanish.: Current interactive programme "Mi Vida Loca" is Very interesting and easy to follow and with several episodes with Pratice sections, Grammar, and test sections that one can repeat over and over until one gets it right.
www.dictionary.com
Many local town halls are offering Free basic,intermediate and advanced courses as well. So there id no excuse no matter how old you are learning is for lifetime. Remember "Practice makes it perfect."So forget about that time you spend windows hopping as pass time,looking at things you already have and window shop the language anywhere you can and donot be ashamed to speak it it will get better
I even talk to myself to pratice questions and answers as
well as the answers and the spellings. just five a day will do. Most of all keep writing things down as this will help you remember it and to improve your memory the numbers game works wonders. Count and count to 100 and then the sums and you can just go on and on and on until you learn to speak with out thinking and translating it from your mother tounge.
One can also do the GCSE papers as one advances.
Conjugate just 3-5 sentences at a time in present ,past and future and repeat them with -I,you,he/she,we,you(P) and they.
This will prepare you for much of the daily conversation. .
Please lets give the benefit of doubt and learn to live with them and conversing in a common language before the government make it compulsory for all the extranjeros to learn and speak Spanish before they arrive.
Improving but not up to conversational standard. Can sort out problems just but it is not always in Spanish, a bit of English thrown in and also Sign Language. But getting there.
As a teacher would say on the report, Could do Better, needs to Try Harder.
¡Pero tengo un problema con "no problemo"!
Need to work at speaking the lingo!
I know the odd word but to put into a conversation No. I tried some lessons but when you are retired the brain does not absorb the details as quick as the young!!!
I try very hard to talk with the locals. The phrase I use a lot is, puerde hablar mas despacio por favor. There is a Geordie couple who live up the road and I can't understand a word they say. I'm now studying georgdie.
My husband and I plan to live in Spain for a few years and I believe it is wrong to arrive in another country and not attempt to speak their language. In readiness for our move I studied Spanish for 1 year remotely and, at the end of it, achieve a Grade A at GCSE level. One of my finest achievements!!
Would describe my level of conversation as "good working knowledge" i.e accent and depth of vocabulary good but certainly not fluent. Rusty after 50 years but capable of
successful brushing up.
Susanne and I, we go to school to learn Spanish. It's hard work, as we also have our regular work as pastors in the English Church, but we want to get integrated in the canarian's life as much as possible! Best regards.
Must admit I forget some words so it probably quite often sounds like spanglish but the spanish are very forgiving jan
estoy aprendiendo el idioma en casa y tambien en la escuela de noche, pero es un poco dificil para me, yo quiero aprender mucho mas y mucho rappido!!
Luckily I´m fluent, Being married to a Spaniard for 20 years & having 4 children helps. To get there, you need to fully integrate.
3 lessons a week, then going home to speak & watch UK TV is not going to get you there.
we can speak parts of sentences.. so in between your four answers..
I learned to speak Spanish, lucky for me, when I was eighteen. I went to Cartagena, Murcia, to a Spanish family, to look after their children. Four of them,actually, aged 7,6,5, and 4 years old. Id gone for sun sand and sea. When I got there no one spoke English. So it was a case of having to learn their language. It was the best thing I ever did. I eventually worked for British Airways as Cabin Crew. Ive never looked back!!! Regards Linda Whyborn
Just passed my GCSE (O Level to my generation) with a Grade A. Wish I'd shown as much effort when I was at school!
Do other people in the UK have the same problems as me in finding evening courses at the next level? I live in Bristol so there are three colleges and two universities but no part time Spanish classes after GCSE. Any advice? (Please don't recommend tapes/CDs as I can't hear well enough to use them!)
Good range of vocab and can read better than speak - need more practise.
Learning to speak the language is one thing, learning to listem is another. Anyone looking to learn Spanish should ensure that their course content has a good balance of listening excercises and techniques.
My Spainish is very bad I´d you it enough and sometimes I have a slight stammer, which makes me loose confindence even more. I must try harder which I keep saying, but I can read it and I think pronouce it.
the first choice you have is wrong.it should say(si,no problema)
I have been learning at night school in the UK for nearly 2 years and can order a beer or a coffee or a tea.
The problem is not using the language in between the classes.
I can speak Spanish resonably well but I am hopeless when they speak to me
I've been learnin!g Spanish for about 4 years now and I love it! I would say my level is advanced in terms of listening and reading but intermediate for speaking. I can hold a conversation quite easily with a Spanish speaking person as I understand them well, but wish I could recall more vocab when I am doing the speaking. If I eventually realise my dream to live in Spain, hopefully my speaking will come along leaps and bounds! For now I will carry on practising when I can with the Spanish friends I have made on the internet and the one Spanish person I have managed to find in the North East of England!!
Im fluent in both written and spoken Spanish.
I'm at the stage where I can ask a question in reasonable Spanish - but can't understand their answers - any tips as to how I get over this stage? I visit Spain regularly but live in UK and haven't found anyone local for one on one conversation.
I have spent the last three years learning Spanish at home in the uk, I can speak and talk to myself very well indeed! however, when I am in Spain, I cannot understand a word in response to my questions, they understand me perfectly, but I do not understand them as they talk so quickly. Is this just me, or all Spanish learners?
Though |I'm sure if I lived in Spain, and had daily practice, I'd be 'Si, no problemo at all'
creo que es mucho mejor attendir una clase gramática en lugar de clase conversación.
Living in Coin - you have to know some Spanish!
Yes, although with a fair bit of groping after verb endings... I usually take a trial-and-error approach to these.
I would like to be better but can't find enough people to practice with but have only been here full time just over 5 months. I put my name down at my local town hall and got a call to join a class already started but I'm rather over my head as it turned out to be intermediate but it's free and I must be learning more translating the excersises before I can deal with them. I won't be giving up. Carol
When the person I am speaking with is standing next to me and the conversation is in context then I can usually get by. It is a different matter when it is a phone conversation, particularly if I am the recipent of a call. I suppose it is down to practice, practice, practice!
I am fluent at Spanish having studied and taught Spanish for a living.
No tengo nungún problema, porque he estudiado el español durante cinco años.
Having a conversation is much easier if it's about a particular subject. We had spanish builders into our house in Spain and I managed fine as I'd swatted up on words for beams, partition walls etc. The problem is when you meet someone in the street and they say something. Fine if it's hola or que tal but if not it could be about anything on earth!!!! My usual response is the great british one - say something about the weather! Jean
I speak fluent spanish. Sorry to correct you - problema (not problemo)
I am trying to learn Synergy Spanish, although I am a bit slow I can now have converse in short sentances. I also subscribe to a free internet Spanish course called Spanish dict. They have interactive lessons and send daily words for you to learn. Just looking at one a day broadens your vocabulary.
trying to learn lingo but struggling, did manage to ask where huevos (eggs if spanish not correct) were in a supermarket. Quite an achievement I thought.
Have still not got round to learning anything but have all the tapes, cd's and books etc
I AM HINDERED BY THE SPANISH LANGUAGE IN VIEW OF THE DIFFERENT PRONUNCIATIONS OF E OR I WHEN PRECEDED BY C.
WE OWN IN THE BENALMADENA PUEBLO AREA AND PEOPLE SEEM TO USE EITHER VERSION, BUT WHEN I TRY I NEVER SEEM TO BE UNDERSTOOD
ablo mucha espanol.he aprendido espanol por dos anos mas o menos.Me mucha gusta el espanol porque al ayudarme mi comnicar con mucha hente aqui y entener las colturas y costumbres de hente vive aqui