Do I have to learn Spanish? Italian?
 

We are off to Barcelona for a week and then back to France (our favorite) for a month. I have Pimsleur tapes for France that I use, and wondered if I could just use a small dictionary for the Spanish?..will that be enough to get by in Barcelona?

Going to Italy in the Fall. Same question applies altho I think learning Italian would be more important as we will be there for 3 or 4 weeks.

Would like some feedback. Thanks.

Personally, I enjoy trying to learn some of the launguages of the countries I'll be visiting. I think it's shows respect for the culture and people. I would learn useful phrases in Spanish instead of picking through a dictionary. I found that spanish and Italian are so similar that one helps you remember the other.

Would it be just Spanish in Barcelona or Catalan as well?

Or would it be Catalan more than Spanish?

I agree with Sandi - in addition to what she says, I think knowing a little bit of the language will only add to your trip.

Learning languages is always a great idea. I have never been annoyed at being able to communicate with people, and my attempts, even the most rudimentary ones, have always been welcome.

Barcelona is an interesting place because yes, many people there speak Catalan and you really never know who does and doesn't. However, everyone speaks Spanish, so that is always convenient. I would try to learn a few key phrases (which ones do you want to know?. . . I can write them down for you) and preface things with "I'm sorry I don't speak Spanish. . ." There is a huge difference when you start with that as opposed to "Do you speak English?" By doing that, you transfer the responsibility and "blame" onto yourself. And, in a worst-case scenario, you get a Catalan nationalist who responds to you in Catalan and says that you don't need Spanish in Barcelona, as you are not in Spain, but Catalunya.

Claire

My favorite response is one I got in Italy in 1999; I said in Italian "I'm sorry, I don't speak much Italian" his reply in Italian was "that's ok, I do".

In cities and major tourist sites there is literally no need to speak anything but English. Once you get off the beaten track a little knowing a couple of basics of the local language can help.

In any case, it's most polite to learn at least a few words of the language of any country to which you go. I compromise by learning "tourist" of wherever I'm going:

Hello, please, thank you, you're welcome
Days of the week
Numbers
Directions
Where is/How much is

will get you incredibly far.

Also very important is some sort of menu reader - this is the most difficult thing to sort out. We have a Berlitz menu reader - a tiny book we have torn into sections by language (I think it had 14 originally) that does the trick everywhere - and helps you avoid those ghastly tourist restaurants with pictures and 8 languages on the menu.

Separately, Spanish and Italian are so close that if you know some of one you can understand/make yourself understood on a basic level in the other. (My brother was able to bumble along in both Italian and French [the latter written only - since spoken is so different] on the basis of a couple of years of very old high school Spanish.

Sandi LOL!!!!
Loisco: in Italy:

Sono spiacente, io non parlo italiano molto bene ma il mio inglese è migliore

I disagree with the concept that just because they can speak English then you shouldn't try. I think that's very disrespectful...but that's just me.

Intrepid??..can you translate??

I like your suggestions...all of you. When I said I would take a dictionary, I meant a phrase book. I will memorize the important stuff on the way over.

I once took Spanish here in San Diego..but I kept answering the teacher in French so it didn't work out
well. I am more motivated now.

You bring up an important thing...the food?...there is no Patricia Welles glossary for Spain?..I will definitely get the Berlitz book.

Merci.

Catalan is what you need for Barcelona. Most people will speak a bit of English but not as much as in the rest of Spain. English is the 4th language for many people there, after Catalan, Spanish (Castilian) and French. A phrase book is a good idea and you will be able to buy one there.
Carolena

I tried to learn a few basic Spanish phrases for Barcelona. But found that where that wasn't enough & people didn't speak much English, that we could communicate in French.

The first time I went to Italy I didn't know any Italian & I struggled with just a phrase book; so I'd say yes, it's worth learning some Italian.

Interesting, French is common in Barcelona?

I wouldn't say that French is common in Barcelona. Then again, I never communicate there in anything but Catalan and Spanish. However, language-learning there is English, then French (in public schools) and museums usually have both Catalan and Spanish, then English, then possibly French or German.

French, though, is a latin tongue, so you could try it. Basically, when in doubt, break out whatever language you have at hand. I went to a convenience store in l'Hospitalet (right by Barcelona) and ended up talking to the guy behind the counter (from Pakistan) in Norwegian. You never know.

Claire

I found that wherever I had a problem using English, everyone spoke French.

Hola

I can speak Italian and when in Spain recently I thought I could stumble along with it. I could pronounce most of the words but couldn't understand most of it. Using it to converse with the Spaniards failed miserably. The "closest" to the Italian language was in Valencia (was under Roman rule) - they speak another language known as Valenciano. I got the impression the Spanish didn't speak much English - most of the menus didn't have translations for eg. Now before anyone flames me with "Why should they speak English, they're Spaniards". Fair point - it's just that alot of other places I visited in Europe do use English as a bridging language. No biggie anyway (I come from a non English speaking background). Command of the English language in Italy was excellent. If I was stuck for an Italian word I'd say it in English and they would translate it for me. Anyway getting back to Spain in desperation I bought a Collins, Spanish Phrase Book & Dictionary at the Royal Palace bookshop in Madrid. It's pocket size hence very portable. With the use of some very basic phrases and a menu translator things got a lot easier. Definitely recommend it.

Adios