No Hablo Español........
There are tons of language schools in Barcelona ready to take the eager students’ cash and teach him Catalan, Spanish, English, Italian, French, whatever. Many foreigners (unless they are like my friend Steve, who can learn by osmosis) need language help when they arrive in Barcelona and lucky for them there’s no shortage of programs, which range from expensive to free.
Because of its usefulness, Spanish is usually the language students and new arrivals want to study. It makes sense. Spanish is spoken all around the world and speaking it allows a basic understanding of Latin-based languages such as Italian and Portuguese. The problem with studying Spanish in Barcelona is that people here don’t want to speak it. The national language is Catalan and most locals would prefer that you speak to them in their native tongue. I guess this is fair enough.
Catalan is spoken in Catalunya, Andorra and on the Balearic Islands. While that’s quite a stronghold for a language that could have been wiped off the map, it doesn’t come close to the estimated 400 million native speakers of Spanish woldwide. If you’re like me, then learning a language takes blood, sweat and tears. I have to study, practice and make it to class on time to learn the verbs in the past, present and future. With such a huge investment of time necessary for most learners, it is no wonder that most people chose to study Spanish in Barcelona instead of Catalan. But what about after class on the street? An issue in studying in Barcelona is also where to practice. There are two forces against the Spanish student: 1) Catalan 2) English. Because Barcelona is such a cosmopolitan city, English speakers will have it way too easy. Most young people speak some English in Barcelona and pretty much all of the foreigners do, (the northern Europeans sometimes have a higher English level than some people I know back home!).
The truth is, if you are thinking to come to Barcelona to learn Spanish, you’d be better off in Madrid or Seville. I love Barcelona and came here with a near fluency in Spanish. Still, because of my work and being a native English speaker, it seems like my Spanish has topped out. How do I use the conditional? What’s the subjunctive? I can’t remember. This is why I am going back to school to take an intensive Spanish grammar class. Maybe I should be taking level two of the Catalan course I began and abandoned, but I just can’t justify it right now. Both Catalan and Spanish are important in Barcelona, but unless you have unlimited time and money, a choice must be made.
Language School List:
Babylon Idiomas – www.babylon-idiomas.com
Spanish Express –www.spanishexpress.es
Speakeasy- www.speakeasybcn.com