Many people are put off moving abroad because of the language barrier that may exist. Does this need to be a problem in Valencia?
Castellano is Spain’s main language and the principle tongue in Valencia. It is advisable to learn what you can before you arrive as, although more Valencians speak English than English people speak Spanish, few have enough English to hold a proper conversation and you certainly cannot rely on them to get you by. The locals will appreciate you making that little extra effort and having a grasp of the language will help you to integrate into society. There are various language schools in Valencia offering comprehensive classes for everyone from beginners right through to proficient speakers and the fees are fairly reasonable. Once you have learnt the basics you should have little difficulty in picking up the rest through simple day to day living.
Valencia also has its own language, Valencià, a dialect of the Catalan spoken in Catalonia. There is no need to learn this one before you arrive or even when you are here as there are very few Valencià speakers who are unable to speak Castellano although it is interesting to see the similarities between Valencià, Castilian and French. It will be useful (and interesting) to be able to recognise words on signs and in shops, just to make life a little easier for you.
One of the words you will see everywhere is
Carrer. This is the Valencian word for road and is used on every street in the city. Its Castilian equivalent is
Calle, but is used less often.
Both words will prove particularly useful in navigating around Valencia and its surrounding area, especially as the street maps that exist are sometimes quite out of date or inaccurate.
This article has been submitted by Suzanne Bailey for Ibericity.com
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