 Learning Spanish is easier than you think! You may be able to get by down on the coast with no knowledge of Spanish whatsoever, but up in the mountains, English speaking Spaniards are much rarer. To immerse yourself in village life and get the most out of every day, even a few words make all the difference.
Imagine being able to order drinks in a bar, or do your weekly shop in Spanish......it really is easier than you think, and once you are here and speaking it every day, you will be amazed how quickly you pick up new words, and make many new friends along the way!
You can choose to have lessons before you move to Spain; this is a good idea to help you get a grasp of the basics, but once you arrive, you will soon realise that the Spanish spoken in this area is Andaluz, and can be difficult to understand after the clear tones your UK teacher has been repeating. Think of it as the difference between the Queens English and someone from Wigan, or Birmingham or Scotland for example, even Spain has its regional accents!
One tip we would offer is to learn the letters of the alphabet first. Spanish is a phonetic language and once you know how to pronounce the letters, you will be reading road signs and wine labels in no time!
If you choose not to go to classes, maybe a private teacher could help you, just look up language tutors in the Yellow Pages or online. Or if you prefer to learn completely on your own, there are hundreds of different books, CDs and computer programs to help.
A new language school has opened in Colmenar, details can be found on their website by clicking HERE.
To get you started, we have given you our version of the phonetic alphabet and a few of the basics below.
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Learning Spanish
