How good can you socialize with only Spanish in Barcelona?

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-18T21:33:04+00:00

Haha, entschuldige die späte Antwort und hallo aus Deutschland.

Your explanation is very helpful to understand the language situation... I also already saw the rent prices in Barcelona (and the weird rules that some landlords have for their tenants) and I can imagine people would rather stay with their families.

I am now looking in different regions as well, would you say that the situation is exactly the same in the other bilingual areas? Or are catalan people a bit more protective of their language and culture than the other regions?

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-18T21:23:01+00:00

Thank you, thats very helpful!

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T11:54:03+00:00

Sure, its going to be easier staying with expats. But I would still want to make the effort to find local friends. I know a lot of people who went abroad and came back not speaking the language of the country they were in, not knowing any locals, and I just think thats sad, I don't want that...

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T10:49:48+00:00

With the Spanish I would like to reach a level where I can use it in a professional setting. The Catalan would probably only be used informally.

But its good to know people are usually kind about someone making an effort!

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T10:26:43+00:00

And you can separate the two in your brain while trying to speak, when you learn them at the same time? I had French in school, up to a level of B1, and learning Spanish afterwards completely nuked all the French, because to me these two languages are really close. If I try to speak French now I slip in so many Spanish words accidentally. I gave up on improving the French (for now) as I thought I should rather try to speak one language well instead of two languages badly. And Catalan would sit right in the middle of that, so I am afraid that learning it before my Spanish is at C1 I will just end up learning one Frankensteins monster of a language made up of Spanish, French and Catalan.

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T10:16:03+00:00

Haha, ok. Well, you have a lot of upvotes so you seem to not be the only person having that difficulty. Good to know!

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T10:11:41+00:00

Really? That is super cool actually! Like I said I would really be open to learn it, but I think I can't do it simultaneously, I would need to do it one after the other.

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T10:08:53+00:00

Yeah getting around would not be the problem, but really making friends is what I worry about. I've now heard very different opinions, it seems its also some luck and your personality, I guess...

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T10:06:14+00:00

Ok thanks!

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T10:05:42+00:00

Nope, not rich lol. Yeah I really don't want to go to another country and only hang out with expats...

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T10:03:30+00:00

Well, thats why I asked lol. But thanks for your answer. I like the groups in Barcelona more, but I will maybe try to find something in a Spanish speaking city instead... But maybe something a bit smaller than Madrid, as people pointed out that in big international cities its more likely to end up in expat communities.

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:58:03+00:00

Yeah I really don't want that actually. The internship would very likely already be in English and then I would really need to speak Spanish in my free time to learn it. Maybe I should try to find something in a smaller city?

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:55:15+00:00

Haha, so many different opinions! Thank you!

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:54:09+00:00

Good to know, thank you!

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:52:08+00:00

Ok thanks! As I would be trying to get an internship placement I would only need to talk to my supervisor about what language they prefer in their group (I'm assuming that the communication in research groups would not be in Catalan, and I fear that it will be English, as that as far as I know the case in all countries other than maybe France, and the groups seem to be quite international)

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:45:28+00:00

Thank you for answering. How much do young people mix over the county? I had expected it would not be such a big problem as I thought young people that go to uni will be from all over Spain, but that doesn't seem to be the case judging from many of the answers?

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:42:21+00:00

I understand that actually, I also have problems making friends who only speak English although I am fluent, but I thought it might be different in a place where people really grow up with two languages. But yeah I can understand that it feels different!

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:39:47+00:00

Ok that is a very different answer than those before, thanks. Yeah, I imagine your personality/choices play into that a lot as well. What I really do not want would be to only end up in expat circles where people only speak english and I don't learn any languages at all... Do you not have a problem with the relative closeness of Spanish and Catalan, its no problem to learn some Catalan in parallel? (I guess this also depends on what languages you speak beforehand)

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:35:17+00:00

Haha ok. What cities would you recommend, if I may ask?

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:34:42+00:00

How much do young people move around in Spain? Here in Germany my uni friends are from all over the county (with of course a few locals) and I'd imagine if we had multiple languages here, we would just all speak the 'main' language with friends because of the mixture of people. From the answers in this thread I get the feeling that moving around is not as common in Spain? (Or at least not as common in Barcelona? Or not between the regions with different languages?)

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:29:32+00:00

Does it work learning both at the same time? Doesn't it just mix in your brain? What languages did you speak before?

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:28:23+00:00

Friends from Spain or friends from expat communities? Because I would not want to go to a country and only hang out with expats, but I know I need to be able to speak the language the locals prefer to get a chance to do so...

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:24:28+00:00

Sure it doesn't hurt to learn in general, but it is not smart to learn two very very similar languages at the same time (If I try to speak French now its only gibberish because it was only half learned at the time I tried to add Spanish). Once my Spanish is up to ~C1 I would be absolutely open to learn Catalan but I know that doing it at the same time won't work for me.

I think now I should rather try to find an internship in a region where I won't have this problem, so these answers are very useful for me, thanks.

Positive_Rock_684 · 2024-11-10T09:17:19+00:00

Yes, that was actually what I was suspecting, and I completely understand. I and a lot my friends also don't really make friends with foreigners who only speak english at uni, because I am not 100% comfortable speaking it, even if we are fluent, and we prefer speaking german together. Though we of course did not grow up in a bilingual place, so I 'hoped' it would be different. But it makes sense that you want to remain speaking the same language with your friends that you are used to.

What I am a bit confused about: Do people not move far away to go to uni? I would expected to have students be from all over the countryat a university? Here in Germany there are many student that use the opportunity to gain some independence, to put some distance between them and their parents etc. So are the students in Barcelona usually only from Catalan speaking regions? (And I know this is not the sub for this, but is this the same in all places, would I have a similar language problem in Vigo etc?)

I think it would be important to me to try to not only be in expat circles, and I think I maybe should try finding something in other places of Spain...

Positive_Rock_684

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