Moving to a country and not wanting to speak its language limits you a great deal, even if you think you don't need it.
Summary
- The problem: foreigners in Spain stay culturally isolated because English is enough to get by in tourist areas.
- The reality: not speaking Spanish limits your experience of life, your access to history and art, and any real connection with local society.
- The solution: language coaching, an adaptive, practical method for overcoming fear and the barriers of traditional learning.
The reality of integration on the Costa del Sol
On the Costa del Sol there's a sad reality: people who don't want to speak the local language, Spanish.
Foreigners believe they don't need it.
It's true that everything here revolves around tourism, with a huge influx of foreigners who come for a few days' holiday, and others who stay to live.
Along the coast, they tend to be people who, at first, aren't interested in mixing with local society, even though we Spaniards are among the most welcoming and easy-going people you'll meet.
But then, if people answer you in English at the supermarket, you can order a few beers in sign language, and your circle is mostly other foreigners who speak English with each other…
So you genuinely think there's no need at all to learn the local language.
A deeper reflection
But far from that, we really ought to ask ourselves a deeper question:
What did we come into this world for?
Many will say to live life, spend all day on social media and follow the latest trend.
But I think the answer might be to learn and to experience life to the full. If you limit your learning, you're missing out on a great deal.
The richness of learning Spanish in Spain
When it comes to not learning Spanish in Spain, the reluctance to speak it is a sad reality. A country's essence lies in its culture, its roots, its history, its language, its literature, its art and, above all, its people.
When you don't want to learn another language, you shut yourself off from an extraordinary wealth, whether in Ireland or in Hong Kong.
Even if you feel embarrassed, scared or unsure whether you speak it well, native speakers will always appreciate the effort you make to learn their language (except the French, who will want you to speak it almost perfectly before they accept you even a little).
The solution: language coaching
If you don't want to live the sad reality of refusing to speak another language, and you'd like to see the world differently, language coaching is the most effective and practical approach you'll find, with highly qualified teachers who adapt to your schedule and circumstances.
You can get in touch here and we'll reply with our availability so you can start overcoming whatever language barriers you have.
Have a great day.