# Spanish Spoken in Valencia



## michael_23

Hey

I've heard that they speak slightly different Spanish in the Valencia region than the rest of Spain. 

What I'm wondering is, how different is it? Is it that they just say some phrases differently, or is it quite a significant difference?

Thanks


----------



## RagsToRich

SteveHall said:


> It's a whole different language! Valenciano is a co-official langauge in the Comunidad Valenciana
> 
> That said ..... castellano is 100% understood so as a tourist you will have no problems. If you want to live there you should learn both


I am going to Valencia in August, I've put over 100 hours into learning Castlian, and I've got to say I jumped a little when I read this :spit:

I DID NOT REALISE that Catalan was spoken prominently in Valencia...

But then I read this on the wiki...

"A study [4] published by the Generalitat Valenciana (Servei d’Investigació i Estudis Sociolinguístics) in October 2005 revealed that most Valencians do not usually speak in Valencian. According to the study, which sampled more than 6,600 people in the provinces of Castellon, Valencia, and Alicante, 39.5 percent of residents use the Valencian language at home, while 33 percent speak Valencian with their friends and just 18.8 percent speak Valencian in large department stores."

That makes me feel better. But this is still a stick in the side for my employability, if it comes to that. 

Esa es la vida.

I'm thinking of sticking with Castellano at the very least until I move. The flexibility of speaking the more general language is preferable to learning something specific. At an estimate, how great will it affect my employability to not be able to understand Catalan?

Edit: More GOOD information for me...

"According to a 2008 survey, there is a downward trend of everyday Valencian users. Currently, 52.5% of the Valencian population can speak Valencian. The lowest numbers are at the major cities of Valencia and Alicante, where the number of everyday speakers are in the single digits."

Definatelly sticking with Castilian.


----------



## xabiaxica

RagsToRich said:


> I am going to Valencia in August, I've put over 100 hours into learning Castlian, and I've got to say I jumped a little when I read this :spit:
> 
> I DID NOT REALISE that Catalan was spoken prominently in Valencia...
> 
> But then I read this on the wiki...
> 
> "A study [4] published by the Generalitat Valenciana (Servei d’Investigació i Estudis Sociolinguístics) in October 2005 revealed that most Valencians do not usually speak in Valencian. According to the study, which sampled more than 6,600 people in the provinces of Castellon, Valencia, and Alicante, 39.5 percent of residents use the Valencian language at home, while 33 percent speak Valencian with their friends and just 18.8 percent speak Valencian in large department stores."
> 
> That makes me feel better. But this is still a stick in the side for my employability, if it comes to that.
> 
> Esa es la vida.
> 
> I'm thinking of sticking with Castellano at the very least until I move. The flexibility of speaking the more general language is preferable to learning something specific. At an estimate, how great will it affect my employability to not be able to understand Catalan?
> 
> Edit: More GOOD information for me...
> 
> "According to a 2008 survey, there is a downward trend of everyday Valencian users. Currently, 52.5% of the Valencian population can speak Valencian. The lowest numbers are at the major cities of Valencia and Alicante, where the number of everyday speakers are in the single digits."
> 
> Definatelly sticking with Castilian.


Catalán isn't spoken in Valencia - it's Valenciano

neither the people of Catalunya no Valencia will admit that it's the same language - well the die-hards won't anyway

_All_ the schools teach in Valenciano - some more Valenciano than Castellano & some vice versa - but_ all_ schoolchildren in the state system will have a high percentage of their lessons in Valenciano

Even private International schools have to teach a certain number of hours in Valenciano - _by law_

In my town a lot of the older generation do speak to each other in Valenciano - as do a lot of the kids! (including mine sometimes)

in Gata, a small town a few minutes drive away from here, Valenciano is the predominant language - as it is in a lot of small communities

however, I know a lot of born & bred Valencian adults who can't & won't speak Valenciano - they consider it to be a 'low class' thing

I met a doctor a few years ago who was brought up in Valencia. When she started working at the hospital in Ontinyent (nr Valencia) she had to take Valenciano lessons in order to be able to communicate with her patients!

I disagreee with Steve though - you don't need Valenciano to get work - Castellano yes helps tremendously

if only there were actually any jobs..................................











off to work again now


----------



## Stravinsky

I live in the Valencia region and go to Valencia regularly. I dont speak any Valenciano at all aprt from Bon Dia and have never really had a problem. Everyone there seems to speak Spanish. The only think I noticed here was at Fallas when all the signs by the statues are obviously in Valenciano so I cant figure.

Someone also stopped outside my house once and asked directions which I gave in Spanish. As he left he said I should learn Valenciano!


----------



## timr

The results of the survery come as a bit a of surprise. In the area where I live (Vall d´Álbaida), Castellano is treated as very much a second language with Valenciano being preferred by the vast majority. Just about about the only time I hear Castellano, is when it is being spoken to an extranjero. Again that just my experience over the last few years in this particular area.


----------



## RagsToRich

Haha!

The point about work seems to be getting hammered in a lot... by everyone.

Well... it's just a case of being prepared to work that much harder at finding a job isn't it


----------



## jojo

SteveHall said:


> Absolutely. "If you want massive success, double your failure rate" .....and "the harder you look, the luckier you will get"
> 
> To be honest you seem far too entreprenurial and success-driven to want to be an employee. Surely, self-employment is the key to your success in Spain?


errr. Its sensible when starting out in unknown territory to learn from others first. Start at the bottom, get to understand, get the feel and the fibe and then think about starting out on your own!

Jo xxx


----------



## jojo

SteveHall said:


> Don't see it myself! Who is there to learn from? Spaniards who will not employ you or Brits who are offering commission-only opportunities. (You MAY get paid) Saw an estate agent advertising last week in La Marina. Wanted a MINIMUM of three languages spoken/written including Spanish and Dutch/Flemish for a commission-only role ......... as a receptionist!!
> 
> OP sounds like his own man and he does not come on saying, "I will do anything to stay in Spain" He seems to have the xxxxs to make a go of it here in Klondike. Sounds like the type that expatshire needs.


Why am I not surprised!!?? Knowledge and experience are king! The only way to gain knowledge is to look up at the top and strive for it, not the other way round! That info is the first rule in the Entrepreneurs handbook!!!

Jo xxx


----------



## MaidenScotland

Valencian is compulsory in state schools, so any child coming to Spain and not speaking Spanish has to learn two languages.


----------



## RagsToRich

SteveHall said:


> Absolutely. "If you want massive success, double your failure rate" .....and "the harder you look, the luckier you will get"
> 
> To be honest you seem far too entreprenurial and success-driven to want to be an employee. Surely, self-employment is the key to your success in Spain?


Absolutely Steve and I really really hope that self-employed will work well for me. But it's not something I've ever tried before so it's a big jump into the unknown.

In-fact I've just sent my application off to the HMRC to set-up a business as a sole trader.

But I like to have safty nets. It's only smart to do a TEFL and be prepared to teach English if the market dictates. :boxing:

If the worst comes to the worst, I do have bar work on my CV... :confused2:

I completely agree with your quotes though. Unemployment figures do not tell you that there's no jobs out there, they just tell you how much harder than everyone else you have to look.


----------



## jojo

SteveHall said:


> Indeed.....we have never heard your OH come on here and ask about skimping a living, cleaning villas or doing dodgy airport runs. If he comes here I am sure he will run his own show and be his own man.
> 
> OP does not strike me as the type of guy who will be happy hoping to get a call to clean a holiday let or pretend he knows how to plaster.
> 
> Self-employment is NOT for everybody but it IS the norm in expatshire. ¡Esto es España! ... or expatshire at least!



My OH started his business in the UK only after learning the trade. He wouldnt start a business in Spain because he doesnt know the rules or have the experience. What he was planning to do was to go in with a partner here who has a similar set up in Spain to OHs in the UK and they were gonna use each others experience in their different fields. Cos actually the chap here found that running a business in Spain, altho he's been here 11 years is fraught with complications and he wanted to put it under an English company 

My husbands opinion, is that it would be crazy to start a business in a country that is notorious for its strange rules and regulations, which you would be unfamiliar with, where you dont have a full command of the language and where you are considered to be a foreigner! Its ok for one man band type outfits, but not for larger employers - which is what my husband is in the UK and wouldnt settle for anything less here!


Jo xxxx


----------



## dunmovin

SteveHall said:


> Absolutely. "If you want massive success, double your failure rate" .....and "the harder you look, the luckier you will get"
> 
> To be honest you seem far too entreprenurial and success-driven to want to be an employee. Surely, self-employment is the key to your success in Spain?


Sounds like good advice, but there is always the drawback that worst boss you can ever work for is yourself


----------



## littleredrooster

Apparently Valenciano has Latin or Italian origins from when they settled the area 2000 years ago,however it comes over as being quite a mixture.
If you understand French,Castillian and Italian, then you may have half a chance of deciphering it.:confused2:


----------



## valencia-hombre

xabiachica said:


> I met a doctor a few years ago who was brought up in Valencia. When she started working at the hospital in Ontinyent (nr Valencia) she had to take Valenciano lessons in order to be able to communicate with her patients!
> 
> I disagreee with Steve though - you don't need Valenciano to get work - Castellano yes helps tremendously
> 
> if only there were actually any jobs..................................
> 
> 
> off to work again now


in catalunya the imigrants (latins etc) have to take clases and an exam in catalan not castellano before applying for a residencia. how strange !!

in valencia on the metro / bus / tranvia the announcements of the next stop say "proxima parada" (castellano) followed by the catalan name of the stop .. primat reig which can be quite confusing as for exmaple burjassot is pronunced quite differently in castellano compared to catalan.


----------



## xabiaxica

valencia-hombre said:


> in catalunya the imigrants (latins etc) have to take clases and an exam in catalan not castellano before applying for a residencia. how strange !!
> 
> in valencia on the metro / bus / tranvia the announcements of the next stop say "proxima parada" (castellano) followed by the catalan name of the stop .. primat reig which can be quite confusing as for exmaple burjassot is pronunced quite differently in castellano compared to catalan.


must be confusing


especially since *primat* means primate!!!!


----------



## djfwells

My 3 year old daughter has been attending a Spanish Nursery here in Valencia since she was 6 months old, and now speaks Valenciano more prominently than Castillian. Obviously, she speaks English at home, and Valenciano at nursery, but only speaks Castillian very infrequently with her friends who have Castillian speaking parents.
She starts pre-school tommorrow morning when for the first 4 years her lessons will be taught exclusively in Valenciano (with the exception of English, as a foreign language), however, it is expected that the children learn a little bit of basic Castillian at home.
This will obviously put my daughter at a disadvantage at the point when lessons start to be introduced in Castillian !


----------



## xabiaxica

djfwells said:


> My 3 year old daughter has been attending a Spanish Nursery here in Valencia since she was 6 months old, and now speaks Valenciano more prominently than Castillian. Obviously, she speaks English at home, and Valenciano at nursery, but only speaks Castillian very infrequently with her friends who have Castillian speaking parents.
> She starts pre-school tommorrow morning when for the first 4 years her lessons will be taught exclusively in Valenciano (with the exception of English, as a foreign language), however, it is expected that the children learn a little bit of basic Castillian at home.
> This will obviously put my daughter at a disadvantage at the point when lessons start to be introduced in Castillian !


which is why it's so important for the parents of immigrants to learn Castellano


----------



## djfwells

xabiachica said:


> which is why it's so important for the parents of immigrants to learn Castellano


I couldn't agree more ! - I only wish that I was afforded more time to learn them to an adequate standard one at a time as opposed to all at once ! - Also, it can be a little more daunting learning the regional language as there are far fewer phrase books, TV programmes, books , radio stations etc... that a newbie can learn from.


----------



## xabiaxica

djfwells said:


> I couldn't agree more ! - I only wish that I was afforded more time to learn them to an adequate standard one at a time as opposed to all at once ! - Also, it can be a little more daunting learning the regional language as there are far fewer phrase books, TV programmes, books , radio stations etc... that a newbie can learn from.


true........

I've pretty much cracked Castellano after 7 years - not totally & probably never will *totally*


I can read, understand & translate Valenciano - no choice really - but I have no interest in speaking it

nor do I have the need to

I teach English to some locals & have asked them about Valenciano

some of them use it at home - but most don't & haven't spoken it since they left school


----------



## djfwells

xabiachica said:


> true........
> 
> I've pretty much cracked Castellano after 7 years - not totally & probably never will *totally*
> 
> 
> I can read, understand & translate Valenciano - no choice really - but I have no interest in speaking it
> 
> nor do I have the need to
> 
> I teach English to some locals & have asked them about Valenciano
> 
> some of them use it at home - but most don't & haven't spoken it since they left school


...but there must be at least 1 local out there who takes offence to Castillian - you only need to take a look at the "Javea" and "Jalon" road signs that have been defaced to read "Xabia" and "Xalo"


----------



## xabiaxica

djfwells said:


> ...but there must be at least 1 local out there who takes offence to Castillian - you only need to take a look at the "Javea" and "Jalon" road signs that have been defaced to read "Xabia" and "Xalo"


they do it less & less now

most of the road signs are in both languages in any case


----------



## Tallulah

There is always that in any autonomous community in Spain - a lot of the Castellano signs have been sprayed over with graffitti to reflect the Gallego here and then re-sprayed again back to Castellano. There's always nationalist groups (or individuals with nationalist leanings) with nationalist slogans been painted here and there. A regional language is hugely political and held very close (but more often than not here it appears by a much younger generation).


----------



## Balens

michael_23 said:


> Hey
> 
> I've heard that they speak slightly different Spanish in the Valencia region than the rest of Spain.
> 
> What I'm wondering is, how different is it? Is it that they just say some phrases differently, or is it quite a significant difference?
> 
> Thanks


They have a local dialect called Valeniciano which is quite different to Castellano. Some people compare it to French. Some words are similar but that is where it ends.

That said, most people will speak both.


----------



## xabiaxica

Balens said:


> They have a local dialect called Valeniciano which is quite different to Castellano. Some people compare it to French. Some words are similar but that is where it ends.
> 
> That said, most people will speak both.


ooohhh don't call it a dialect to a Valencian


----------



## Balens

xabiachica said:


> ooohhh don't call it a dialect to a Valencian


Good point....


----------



## Maundler

When I read this I definitely had to come here and write something...

Small explanation..

It is true about what most people say here.. NEVER SAY TO A VALENCIAN THAT THEIR LANGUAGE IS "CATALAN" OR JUST A "DIALECT".. die-hard valencians will eat you alive!!!  I would be careful with that!

Second of all... I have been living in Valencia for the last 7 years!! I came here without any knowledge of Valencian... Valencian is a language that is very important to SOME if not most of Valencians.. HOWEVER, this statistic favors towns outside Valencia... If you go outside the CITY of Valencia, and into little towns you will see that Valencian is spoken everywhere, and in some cases (from personal experience) there are people in these towns that CAN'T speak "castellano"... because they never learned it, they can only speak in Valencian.. But, again, this is just outside Valencia City... In the City and Alicante most of the people speak in "castellano", most of them are "bilingual" in Castellano and Valencian, but they speak "castellano" more often.. I have been here for quite some time and I have to say, I have never had any problems.. AND I DON'T SPEAK VALENCIAN... I landed a job in a Marketing Agency and still working here... If you are going to deal with suppliers in the region, then you would have to know Valencian, since most suppliers are in the outskirts (small-suppliers) of Valencia and speak just Valencian.. 

So, to clarify, if you do not know any Valencian, don't worry, you will be fine!!! Unless you are wanting to land a job in TV networks, public institution employment, radio stations, press, media and other sectors... If you are from any of these industries, then you will have a problem, since they need it a lot... If you are not, then you shouldn't worry...

Language (valencian) should be the least of your worries.... its the unemployment in Spain!!! If you are trying to find a job in Valencia or any other part of Spain, then good luck with that... things are REALLY BAD and going worse here!!!!! People are willing to work for almost nothing!! So, you have to look into this....


----------



## xabiaxica

Maundler said:


> When I read this I definitely had to come here and write something...
> 
> Small explanation..
> 
> It is true about what most people say here.. NEVER SAY TO A VALENCIAN THAT THEIR LANGUAGE IS "CATALAN" OR JUST A "DIALECT".. die-hard valencians will eat you alive!!!  I would be careful with that!
> 
> Second of all... I have been living in Valencia for the last 7 years!! I came here without any knowledge of Valencian... Valencian is a language that is very important to SOME if not most of Valencians.. HOWEVER, this statistic favors towns outside Valencia... If you go outside the CITY of Valencia, and into little towns you will see that Valencian is spoken everywhere, and in some cases (from personal experience) there are people in these towns that CAN'T speak "castellano"... because they never learned it, they can only speak in Valencian.. But, again, this is just outside Valencia City... In the City and Alicante most of the people speak in "castellano", most of them are "bilingual" in Castellano and Valencian, but they speak "castellano" more often.. I have been here for quite some time and I have to say, I have never had any problems.. AND I DON'T SPEAK VALENCIAN... I landed a job in a Marketing Agency and still working here... If you are going to deal with suppliers in the region, then you would have to know Valencian, since most suppliers are in the outskirts (small-suppliers) of Valencia and speak just Valencian..
> 
> So, to clarify, if you do not know any Valencian, don't worry, you will be fine!!! Unless you are wanting to land a job in TV networks, public institution employment, radio stations, press, media and other sectors... If you are from any of these industries, then you will have a problem, since they need it a lot... If you are not, then you shouldn't worry...
> 
> Language (valencian) should be the least of your worries.... its the unemployment in Spain!!! If you are trying to find a job in Valencia or any other part of Spain, then good luck with that... things are REALLY BAD and going worse here!!!!! People are willing to work for almost nothing!! So, you have to look into this....


you're absolutely right

Valenciano seems to have 'pockets' - around here it's spoken in the some of the smaller villages almost to the exclusion of Castellano

one village even has its own version


and you're also right about unemployment


----------



## Cees

I live in Valencia for four years now and I dont speak a word of Valenciano, even in the very tiny town where I live it is not necesary. Almost everybody speaks it between them but they all switch to Spanish when I start speaking in spanish. Only if I want to get accepted in their social life with friends and family it would become necesary.


----------

