Spanish as she is spoke

Today, it began, this business of speaking Spanish. Except that in fact it began last night.

Back in England, Malcolm and I had decided it was pointless to go and study together. We’d only go talking to one another. In English.

So here I am, in Valencia, the paying guest of a delightful Spanish woman who speaks no English. We exchanged a lot of information last night despite the language barriers. We know all about each other’s families, and I know about the parrot next door too.

And today the classes started. My only fellow student is an 18 year old from Beirut. He has eight months to get it right. I have a fortnight. But we devised quizzes, inviting each other to guess where we were born, enquired tenderly after each other’s health, and confessed how old we are, all in Spanish. Not bad for day one.

After three hours of all that, I cleared my head with a walk. Here’s the National Museum of Ceramics, closed today. I’ll be there before the week’s out.

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

19 thoughts on “Spanish as she is spoke”

  1. I’ve been thinking about you! What an amazing building the Museum is. Enjoy the warmth too – it’s really cold again today. x

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    1. Well, we do take notes. A bit. It’s good, but my fellow student has little confidence and it’s really hard to try to encourage him to speak when he doesn’t want to and I do. Class swot, me.

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      1. Ah – it’s difficult for a lot of youngsters. I suppose we get less worried about making mistakes as we get older and speaking a new language leaves you very exposed. 🙂

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  3. Not having been in Valencia, I can only marvel at those orange trees along the streets…. and envy you for your terrific start into a new language. And a nearly 1:1 course too!!!! I should have come with you, I realise now 🙂
    ANY tile or ceramic museum is worth visiting. That’s, incidentally, another thing I adore about Portugal…. their magnificent tiles, an art and trade still thriving nowadays. We even had, at the time, Portuguese tiles sent over to England for our new kitchen. If only I could have that kitchen again….

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    1. I went to the Ceramic Museum today. I was rather too tired to get the best out of it but it was terrific. I’m having a good time …..but will I last out?

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  4. Well I’m exhausted just reading about it! But you’ve gotta love those orange trees…. And it sounds as if you’re doing exceeding well. Keep your energies up and your powder dry.

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  8. I shall follow your experiences with interest. I did a month’s course in Barcelona once, years ago, and I think I’d have got more out of it if I hadn’t been a complete beginner. I had many more classmates and they were all on their gap year … charming, polite, but not the best company for an old fart like me. Hope you have a more productive time! Good luck. Lx

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