When I lived in Spain 20+ years ago I did manage to pick up quite a bit of the language (a fair deal of it was slang though!) but feel that I have forgotten as much as I ever knew. However, on my last trip, I did find that after a couple of days I was sometimes able to catch the drift of spanish conversation. So, I am hoping that I will be able to pick it up again once immersed in the culture and its people.
Janice took an evening class over in Ireland and found that several of her classmates were also buying property in Spain. She did not find the class very helpful though because although it was meant to be a basic course, the tutor assumed a lot of prior knowledge. She felt that she learnt more from a CD that she borrowed from the library.
With only 18 of the 80 buyers so far identified as british on my streetplan, it seems likely that we will have several spanish families as neighbours. It would be nice to be able to converse with them in the native tongue. Also, when I lived on the Costa del Sol all those years ago, there was definitely a dual price band in shops and bars. If you could speak the lingo (no matter how poorly) the local traders showed their appreciation for the effort made by giving a discount. Maybe it's the same nowadays. If so, there is even more reason to learn the language....cheap cerveza and vino!
Terry 19b