# Moving to Spain



## Lynette (May 6, 2007)

Hello,
I am an Australian moving to Spain with my Dutch partner in or around June, we have been living in Holland for the past four years.
We will first be living in the area around Torre Dal Mar . 
I will be looking to begin Spanish lessons immediately and also hoping to find some expat groups to join as we do not have any contacts. If anyone can offer me some advice on these things or anything at all i would very much appreciate it.

Kind Regards

Lynette


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## Guest (May 18, 2007)

*Where in Spain.*



Lynette said:


> Hello,
> I am an Australian moving to Spain with my Dutch partner in or around June, we have been living in Holland for the past four years.
> We will first be living in the area around Torre Dal Mar .
> I will be looking to begin Spanish lessons immediately and also hoping to find some expat groups to join as we do not have any contacts. If anyone can offer me some advice on these things or anything at all i would very much appreciate it.
> ...


Hi. 
Have you decided whereabouts in Spain you would move to?


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## atlast (May 24, 2007)

You can start to prepare by taking Spanish lessons or at least getting some CDs to play in the car, so you can work on your accent and learn a few phrases, and learn to roll your R's. Besides, you will enjoy doing some little thing every day that makes you feel a little closer to the move. I did this and was glad. If I only had a talent for languages.


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## Fay (Jun 6, 2007)

It is so good that you are intending to _learn the lingo_.

Whatever you do you must keep this phrase in mind_ use it or you loose it_. You simply must practise your spanish speaking with the Spanish people. Trust me, if I can do it, anyone can!!


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## Goldberg (May 24, 2007)

Hi you dont need to speak spanish to live in Spain.
Look at costa del sol, it is as much english as spanish.
Same in parts of costa blanca.

If you do learn spanish which spanish language. Castellon, Valencian, Basque, Catalan, each has its own language. English, that is all you need. 

Sorry linguists, is true. If you make and bring money here, people will speak English for this is sure. If you want to integrate of course learn the language, it is polite and good for business too.


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## Burriana Babs (Nov 22, 2007)

I live in the Costa del Sol and find I need to use what skills I have in Spanish all the time. If you do not learn the basics you will find you may need an interpreter often. It is also polite to try to learn the language after all we are living in Spain within their culture.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Burriana Babs said:


> I live in the Costa del Sol and find I need to use what skills I have in Spanish all the time. If you do not learn the basics you will find you may need an interpreter often. It is also polite to try to learn the language after all we are living in Spain within their culture.


I think in my first week here I went to buy a garden table. In the warehouse I said to the man "Do you Speak English?" He said "Do you speak Spanish?" and looked at me quizically. I've never bothered uttering those words since, and Spanish people I think appreciate that.


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## scottpilkington (Apr 17, 2008)

hey my name is scott and me and my partner are thinkin of moving to spain and are wondering if you could help ime trying to find sales work and a 2 bed property to rent,but i wouldnt now were to start ive tried searchin and get nowhere.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

scottpilkington said:


> hey my name is scott and me and my partner are thinkin of moving to spain and are wondering if you could help ime trying to find sales work and a 2 bed property to rent,but i wouldnt now were to start ive tried searchin and get nowhere.


If you speak fluent spanish there maybe sales jobs about. Even in the ex pat communities it helps to have a good knowledge of the language and most reputable companies would require it. 

You need to establish which part of Spain you want to live in and come over and have a look. 

Jo


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## Burriana Babs (Nov 22, 2007)

You are right there jojo, they need to decide where in Spain they want to locate first. I know my preference is the Eastern Costa del Sol.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Burriana Babs said:


> You are right there jojo, they need to decide where in Spain they want to locate first. I know my preference is the Eastern Costa del Sol.



I agree, you're not too far from me Babs!!


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

Goldberg said:


> Hi you dont need to speak spanish to live in Spain.
> .... English, that is all you need.
> 
> Sorry linguists, is true. If you make and bring money here, people will speak English for this is sure. If you want to integrate of course learn the language, it is polite and good for business too.


With all due respect - that's rubbish and REALLY bad advice. 

Spain is not just the frilly edge bit - get into real central Spain and using English will leave you lost & hungry. 

Learn CASTILLIAN - This is the Spanish that is SPOKEN (and taught) across ALL Spain in Spanish schools. 

I can cite precise details where foreigners (Americans and Italians) thought they'd get away with English - This was HIGH Level Data processing and a MAJOR Spanish bank - FAILED - 8million USD contract lost.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Goldberg said:


> Hi you dont need to speak spanish to live in Spain.
> Look at costa del sol, it is as much english as spanish.
> Same in parts of costa blanca.
> 
> ...



Personally, if I wanted to speak english I'd have gone to an english speaking country. I didnt like it when immigrants came to the UK and didnt try to intergrate by learning the language - i thought it was extremely rude and arrogant. I wonder if the spanish feel the same??

Jo


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

jojo said:


> I didnt like it when immigrants came to the UK and didnt try to intergrate by learning the language - i thought it was extremely rude and arrogant. I wonder if the spanish feel the same?? Jo


I agree, Jo - and yes THEY DO. ime they are however more tolerant of it than than native English Speakers. But I see comm's frustration DAILY in the Town Hall I work at.

I've had to live and work in Germany and Spain - dealing with fortune 100 multinationals. You want to do business you'd better learn the local lingo even if the folk you're dealing with can speak English (often extremely well). Only once has my being a non-national worked in my favour - but because the customer was arrogant beyond belief and would not talk to anybody who was not US/UK. 

Very rarely now will an Expat have skills unavailable locally. 15-20 years ago it was not always the case.

Doing business here (Spain) ime depends on you building a relationship with the other person. Often hard to do but long lasting if you're successful. This matters so much that it can infuriate companies who believe that the deal matters more than the relationship. 

I know (first hand) folk that are just not prepared to do this - and accept they cannot deal within Spain. And no - if they cant be bothered I'm not going to do it for them. Others are prepared to and so the price goes up as they want their pound of flesh. Often kills the deal stone dead.


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