La Sociedad Española

OP

magnad

It might be a good idea to learn some Catalan too :smile:

Repeat the above in A french accent :biggrin:

Reply 1382

kinkajou

paddylad

Repeat the above in A french accent :biggrin:

i can cope with the french accent :p:

thanks

Reply 1383

paddylad

Repeat the above in A french accent :biggrin:

magnad

It might be a good idea to learn some Catalan too

nah you wont need iot if your going on holiday, it is quite hard to come across a bonafide catalan in barcelona especially if you're a tourist, i have looked. and you will only really hear it "in vitro" where it wont be hard to understand, pretty obvious signs etc in the airport, on the metro etc. and nine times out of ten they translate it into spanish, and english (sometimes even english before spanish). i lived there for a few months and not once did anyone, in shops or whatever, adress me in catalan, even if i hadnt said a word, and even if i tried to speak catalan, once they knew i was foreign they only used spanish. i look very foreign though so maybe they knew im not native, if you look catalan they might use it on you.

so if youre sticking to barcelona and tourist areas in catalonia (like monserrat, which i reccommend highly, its lovely), you wont need catalan. if you venture off the beaten track and to another city it will be a different story. but you should learn it anyway cause its good!

Reply 1384

Jammertal

3

Hmmm, I experienced the opposite: when I went to buy a bikini the shop assistant refused to speak English or castellano even though she could speak English. Don't ask me why... no other incidents like that though.

Reply 1385

garethDT

13

When I was in Pineda de mar in Catalunya I was spoken to in Catalan on several occasions though I only used it once when the menu was only in Catalan so I made my order in Catalan.

You will find in Barcelona though that Catalan is everywhere, if you're interested come over to the Catalan society lol.

Reply 1386

Jammertal

Hmmm, I experienced the opposite: when I went to buy a bikini the shop assistant refused to speak English or castellano even though she could speak English. Don't ask me why... no other incidents like that though.

i tried so hard to speak catalan but no one ever gave me a chance! apart from at my uni where they only used catalan, even when i was signing up for a beginners course and in theory had no knowledge of it. people i know who have been to barcelona and not spoken catalan have said they tell people who speak it to them that they dont understand and they change to another language willingly. and my teachers were always trying to defend the catalans saying "we only want to protect our language, we are happy to speak otehr ones. we are a nation of diversity!" i had many many lectures and discussions about this, they are quite defensive. its a constitutional right to be able to use spanish or catalan as you wish, i think that shop assistant may be an exception to the rule, and a silly one at that. but that's just from my experience.

Reply 1387

garethDT

You will find in Barcelona though that Catalan is everywhere

this is true, it is the normal language for planned "in vitro" use and is on all road signs, things like "push/pull" on doors, in free newspapers, on billboards, in starbucks... you will definitely see it. but for "in vivo" spontaneous use its more possible that castillian will be used. i studied this, its very interesting.

Reply 1388

unfinished sympathy

Jammertal

Hmmm, I experienced the opposite: when I went to buy a bikini the shop assistant refused to speak English or castellano even though she could speak English. Don't ask me why... no other incidents like that though.

you will find that very often,most shopkeepers refuse to speak english unless you mumble things out first in spanish, some tend to help you, others just look pissed off!

Reply 1389

OP

princessa

i tried so hard to speak catalan but no one ever gave me a chance! apart from at my uni where they only used catalan, even when i was signing up for a beginners course and in theory had no knowledge of it. people i know who have been to barcelona and not spoken catalan have said they tell people who speak it to them that they dont understand and they change to another language willingly. and my teachers were always trying to defend the catalans saying "we only want to protect our language, we are happy to speak otehr ones. we are a nation of diversity!" i had many many lectures and discussions about this, they are quite defensive. its a constitutional right to be able to use spanish or catalan as you wish, i think that shop assistant may be an exception to the rule, and a silly one at that. but that's just from my experience.

Yeah you legally have to either speak both languages or have someone that speaks them in an establishment/place of work, so technically there should always be someone that speaks Castillian in every shop, café etc. And if they refuse to speak in Spanish when they can, just learn how to say 'it's in your constitution!!' Failing that, learn various swear words. Or demand to see the manager. I doubt they like having irrate foreigners slagging them off to their managers!

Reply 1390

unfinished sympathy

paddylad

Yeah you legally have to either speak both languages or have someone that speaks them in an establishment/place of work, so technically there should always be someone that speaks Castillian in every shop, café etc. And if they refuse to speak in Spanish when they can, just learn how to say 'it's in your constitution!!' Failing that, learn various swear words. Or demand to see the manager. I doubt they like having irrate foreigners slagging them off to their managers!

that doesn't work :p:

they just don't serve you, believe me i've tried!!!

Reply 1391

OP

unfinished sympathy

that doesn't work :p:

they just don't serve you, believe me i've tried!!!

Really? Well I have a short temper and they'll just have to see what happens next then :rolleyes:

They should be grateful I have no pepper spray, or martial arts knowledge. Hi-ya *karate chops*

Reply 1392

unfinished sympathy

paddylad

Really? Well I have a short temper and they'll just have to see what happens next then :rolleyes:

They should be grateful I have no pepper spray, or martial arts knowledge. Hi-ya *karate chops*

i'm sure that'll work paddy! :wink:

they'll send the guardia civil with their guns to frighten you :smile:

Reply 1393

unfinished sympathy

i'm sure that'll work paddy! :wink:

they'll send the guardia civil with their guns to frighten you :smile:

ooh no, every catalan i knew hated the guardia civil with an unbridled passion if they ever came up in conversation. it's all about the mossos d'esquadra with their weird lop-sided berets.

if they dont serve you they don't deserve your custom! it's awfully petty, to not speak to a foreigner who can't speak your language not least because it is practically impossible to learn it outside of the region, and you're the one losing out if you do. but i never encountered this, not even the spanish people i know when they have been to barcelona. i guess its the luck of teh draw. tourism and commerce depends on you being to communicate with your clients, not them being able to communicate with you. silliness.

paddylad

Failing that, learn various swear words.

somewhat ironically, when i spoke to pro-catalan language catalans about this, from young students to learned professors in the language, they all said they swear and curse in spanish. when i asked why they said "well swearing in catalan just sounds stupid!". i think this is a strange view to take for a language you claim to be part of your identity, profanity is what makes a language live. but in any case:

esta tienda es una mierda= aquesta botiga es una merda

joder=fotre

i have no idea how you could use it in a sentence thou. fotre't? yeah it does sound stupid.

Reply 1394

OP

princessa

ooh no, every catalan i knew hated the guardia civil with an unbridled passion if they ever came up in conversation. it's all about the mossos d'esquadra with their weird lop-sided berets.

if they dont serve you they don't deserve your custom! it's awfully petty, to not speak to a foreigner who can't speak your language not least because it is practically impossible to learn it outside of the region, and you're the one losing out if you do. but i never encountered this, not even the spanish people i know when they have been to barcelona. i guess its the luck of teh draw. tourism and commerce depends on you being to communicate with your clients, not them being able to communicate with you. silliness.

somewhat ironically, when i spoke to pro-catalan language catalans about this, from young students to learned professors in the language, they all said they swear and curse in spanish. when i asked why they said "well swearing in catalan just sounds stupid!". i think this is a strange view to take for a language you claim to be part of your identity, profanity is what makes a language live. but in any case:

esta tienda es una mierda= aquesta botiga es una merda

joder=fotre

i have no idea how you could use it in a sentence thou. fotre't? yeah it does sound stupid.

I suppose I can see the logic in the swearing thing, I mean for them Catalan is the language if their ancestors so swearing in it must sound odd.
If I do go to Barcelona I'll have cards printed saying, in Catalan, exactly what I think of people who refuse to serve me because I don't speak Catalan, which I can hand out in such occaisions. And they say I don't go prepared :rolleyes:

Reply 1395

OP

So I'm moving house to Ireland and once again it looks as if I'll be leaving my soc in someone elses hands. As my leader-minions are both on holiday ( :rolleyes:

, only in a language society) if seems as if yet another co-leader must be appointed. And after careful consideration, the new co-leader shall be unfinished sympathy***.
Hasta luego, and remember, think Spanish thoughts!
:wavey:

***EDIT: Unfinished sympathy isn't going to be the new co-leader anymore because she apparently isn't actually a member of this society yet! The new co-leader will be Brimstone!

Brimstone: Sorry for dumping this on you at the last minute but I'm running out of time! Just check the join requests and post here from time to time! Maybe it will keep your Spanish up :biggrin:

Reply 1396

Jammertal

3

"Being Spanish"... Hmmm, wasn't it the last time something like speak Spanish or talk about Spain?! :p:

Reply 1397

Candy-Kills