# Is valenciano obligatory in public Alicante shcools?



## Sophia B (Feb 24, 2016)

Hi, I'm kind of going crazy with trying to find a place in the Valencian province where you wouldn't need to study much valenciano in primary and secondary school. Is it an impossible task??

Somewhere it said there are schools in Alicante where you are only taught in castellano, but is that true.. ? I've tried to find information on official ayuntamiento pages but can't seem to find any... Which are the towns with predominio linguistico castellano..?

What IS the deal with this!? I know some say it's not a biggie to study in valenciano but for me it seems like a HUGE deal 

Please help me!


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Sophia B said:


> Hi, I'm kind of going crazy with trying to find a place in the Valencian province where you wouldn't need to study much valenciano in primary and secondary school. Is it an impossible task??
> 
> Somewhere it said there are schools in Alicante where you are only taught in castellano, but is that true.. ? I've tried to find information on official ayuntamiento pages but can't seem to find any... Which are the towns with predominio linguistico castellano..?
> 
> ...


Hmmmm. If it's such a big deal for you, why have you chosen Valencia? 

You will have much the same problem elsewhere in Spain as they all have their own language (Catalan, Basque etc.) and are very proud of their heritage.

We were told that you could choose the 'stream' (Spanish or Valencian) in ESO but that proved to be false as there was no such streaming and some lessons were in either language.


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## Sophia B (Feb 24, 2016)

We'd like it so much otherwise, and we happen to have some family there... Are you saying it's really not a biggie?

I quite don't understand how you people take it so lightly -especially if your kids don't even speak Spanish to start with... Isn't it overwhelming enough to move to a new country and start in a new school and all of that..? To then add (not one but ) 2new languages!? Please explain why it's ok so we can move there too


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Schools*



Sophia B said:


> We'd like it so much otherwise, and we happen to have some family there... Are you saying it's really not a biggie?
> 
> I quite don't understand how you people take it so lightly -especially if your kids don't even speak Spanish to start with... Isn't it overwhelming enough to move to a new country and start in a new school and all of that..? To then add (not one but ) 2new languages!? Please explain why it's ok so we can move there too


My kids were brought up in a Spanish/English speaking home and entered a French Lycee at age four. Kids are so much more receptive to languages than their parents. There were kids with four and five languages, but mine only had the three.


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## therese1 (Jan 28, 2016)

Sophia B said:


> We'd like it so much otherwise, and we happen to have some family there... Are you saying it's really not a biggie?
> 
> I quite don't understand how you people take it so lightly -especially if your kids don't even speak Spanish to start with... Isn't it overwhelming enough to move to a new country and start in a new school and all of that..? To then add (not one but ) 2new languages!? Please explain why it's ok so we can move there too


The folks where you want to live may not be too enamoured of your attitude towards the language of their birth and in which they converse on a daily basis.
Why shouldn't they promote their own language alongside Castiliano. They are more than willing to speak to us in Spanish if that is what we've learned, your children will be offered the opportunity to study both languages - that is a major plus.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Yes it's obligatory in the Comunidad Valenciana & roughly (at least) half the curriculum will be studied in Valenciano, & it is also likely to be the language of the classroom, even if the textbook is in Castellano

No it isn't a biggie if the children are young - say under 10 - when they start.

It's also obligatory in all private schools - including the 'British' or 'International' schools, although it might be studied just as a language - or perhaps one subject will be taught in Valenciano.


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## Sophia B (Feb 24, 2016)

Yes, i suppose they are entitled . Though i do believe there are more than a couple valencianos/spaniards who think in the same tracks as i do... And who cannot afford private schools but wish their kids could chose to go to school in castellano (and only study valenciano a few hours a week)...

I myself come from a country where two (or more..) official languages are spoken, and i think i understand the discourse... And i really don't want to get into it when it comes to Spain nor do i feel it's my place to do so. I'm just determined to do what's best for my children and don't want to hurt anybody's feelings at all!

My kids are also multilingual, and i totally am for learning as many languages as possible, but i feel that, unless Valencia is the land of your ancestors, and you have deep roots in that community, it's smarter to put your time and efforts in learning something more useful, like french or portuguese or mandarin 

And therefor i think we will go to lovely Murcia instead !!


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Language*



Sophia B said:


> Yes, i suppose they are entitled . Though i do believe there are more than a couple valencianos/spaniards who think in the same tracks as i do... And who cannot afford private schools but wish their kids could chose to go to school in castellano (and only study valenciano a few hours a week)...
> 
> I myself come from a country where two (or more..) official languages are spoken, and i think i understand the discourse... And i really don't want to get into it when it comes to Spain nor do i feel it's my place to do so. I'm just determined to do what's best for my children and don't want to hurt anybody's feelings at all!
> 
> ...


Most of Spain is a glorious adventure. You say that your kids are multilingual, so they will be receptive to other languages. Give it a go since you have family there and if you feel your kids are unhappy, then move on.


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## mickbcn (Feb 4, 2013)

Good luck in Murcia!!


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## el romeral (May 8, 2012)

Nightmare! That would definitely be the single biggest reason for not moving to that area with children. Only one language in southern Spain - for the moment at least.


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## mickbcn (Feb 4, 2013)

This a the problem of the fathers,not of the children,they have a brain big enough to asimilate 2,3,4 or 5 languages without problems,don't be afraid their brains don't explode,and for they will be more easy to learn and understand all the romanic languages, here in Catalonia there are thousands of children from Russia,China,Rumania, Poland,some of they even with other alphabet, in a couple of years in the school they speack spanish and catalan very well,like me.


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## mickbcn (Feb 4, 2013)

If you call language to "Andalú"...even for me is dificult understand they when talk


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Sophia B said:


> Yes, i suppose they are entitled . Though i do believe there are more than a couple valencianos/spaniards who think in the same tracks as i do... And who cannot afford private schools but wish their kids could chose to go to school in castellano (and only study valenciano a few hours a week)...
> 
> I myself come from a country where two (or more..) official languages are spoken, and i think i understand the discourse... And i really don't want to get into it when it comes to Spain nor do i feel it's my place to do so. I'm just determined to do what's best for my children and don't want to hurt anybody's feelings at all!
> 
> ...


I understand the frustration. I know somebody who brought up their kids in Madrid and was offered a move to Valencia by the company he works for. As his kids were over 10 at the time he chose to stay in Madrid rather than present them with the difficulty of a switch in languages. It's bound to be frustrating when language issues prevent movement within the same country.

We have a similar situation in the UK. Although we are in fact a collection of separate countries, the mainland would share a common language were it not for the pesky Welsh. We have to translate every government document and web site and provide multi lingual services in order to avoid offending the Welsh, even though the massive majority of them (all but 4 at the last count) also speak English.

All of that would be OK if they made a contribution to anything, but they simply sit there sucking resources in a one-way exchange. You might think that there must be a plus side, like, say, it might be a nice place to visit. Well no. We can't read the road signs, and we can't buy anything because the shop staff pretend they don't know how to use English when anybody they suspect to be English is present. They do have a tourism board that exists as another way to get English money over the border. To lure us there they claim to have a green and pleasant land but every time we venture over we can't see anything but a few nervous-looking sheep due to the ever-present rain and mist; it seems that to some extent they shield some of us from the worst the Atlantic has to offer.

It could be worse, of course. We have another resource sucking bunch of loafers north of the border but they're to lazy/drunk/both to let their national pride extend to reviving their ancient language. And most of them can't spell their names.


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Sophia B said:


> Yes, i suppose they are entitled . Though i do believe there are more than a couple valencianos/spaniards who think in the same tracks as i do... And who cannot afford private schools but wish their kids could chose to go to school in castellano (and only study valenciano a few hours a week)...
> 
> I myself come from a country where two (or more..) official languages are spoken, and i think i understand the discourse... And i really don't want to get into it when it comes to Spain nor do i feel it's my place to do so. I'm just determined to do what's best for my children and don't want to hurt anybody's feelings at all!
> 
> ...


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers

Take a look at the list.


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## portygirl (May 12, 2013)

Horlics said:


> It could be worse, of course. We have another resource sucking bunch of loafers north of the border but they're to lazy/drunk/both to let their national pride extend to reviving their ancient language. And most of them can't spell their names.





Wow, that's some statement ! ( Mods, is it allowed ? ) I thought this forum was to offer assistance and information to others not to slate two proud Celtic nations. Gaelic has not been spoken in the majority of Scotland since the 1400's. There has been a recent resurgence and all our Cities now have Gaelic medium schools where parents can choose to have their children immersed in the language. It is mostly spoken in the North West and the Western isles.


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Ha ha*



Horlics said:


> It could be worse, of course. We have another resource sucking bunch of loafers north of the border but they're to lazy/drunk/both to let their national pride extend to reviving their ancient language. And most of them can't spell their names.







portygirl said:


> Wow, that's some statement ! ( Mods, is it allowed ? ) I thought this forum was to offer assistance and information to others not to slate two proud Celtic nations. Gaelic has not been spoken in the majority of Scotland since the 1400's. There has been a recent resurgence and all our Cities now have Gaelic medium schools where parents can choose to have their children immersed in the language. It is mostly spoken in the North West and the Western isles.


As a Scot, I just took it along the lines of the whisky swilling Scot with the kilt and the knobbly knees and mustn't forget the red nose like Rudolph


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## therese1 (Jan 28, 2016)

Justina said:


> As a Scot, I just took it along the lines of the whisky swilling Scot with the kilt and the knobbly knees and mustn't forget the red nose like Rudolph


As an English person living in Scotland for many decades I had a wry smile.
Try not to be offended and think how such views led us to win the Yes argument if not the final vote. 
And going by the tone of Brexit it looks like that vote was only round one.

Slainte math anyway to the vast majority on here who appear to be helpful and go out of their way to be welcoming, regardless of which nation we originate from.


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Horlics said:


> I understand the frustration. I know somebody who brought up their kids in Madrid and was offered a move to Valencia by the company he works for. As his kids were over 10 at the time he chose to stay in Madrid rather than present them with the difficulty of a switch in languages. It's bound to be frustrating when language issues prevent movement within the same country.
> 
> We have a similar situation in the UK. Although we are in fact a collection of separate countries, the mainland *would share a common language were it not for the pesky Welsh*. We have to translate every government document and web site and provide multi lingual services in order to avoid offending the Welsh, even though the massive majority of them (all but 4 at the last count) also speak English.
> 
> ...








Bloody Welsh sitting there trying to preserve a language and a culture... how very dare they.

/SNIP/


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)




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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

portygirl said:


> Wow, that's some statement ! ( Mods, is it allowed ? ) I thought this forum was to offer assistance and information to others not to slate two proud Celtic nations. Gaelic has not been spoken in the majority of Scotland since the 1400's. There has been a recent resurgence and all our Cities now have Gaelic medium schools where parents can choose to have their children immersed in the language. It is mostly spoken in the North West and the Western isles.


I do offer help and assistance to others when I can. 

The fact that Gaelic has not been spoken "in the majority" of Jockland since the 1400s but is now the subject of a resurgence proves my point. Oh the irony. Nationalism gone crazy.

I henceforth offer my services in providing chips to be placed on the shoulders of those who have chips on one shoulder, with the objective of providing balance.


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