Our Andalusian Adventure

Our Andalusian Adventure is me trying to let you into our journey from the UK to a small village in the mountains, myself Danni, Paul, our two daughters Olivia and Chloe and our pets Ted the staffie and Duke and Duchess our cats.

Learning the lingo and forms, forms and more forms
Wednesday, May 30, 2018 @ 10:46 AM

I have just started learning Spanish again with Duolingo which isn't easy but the hardest part is trying to get my girls involved and coming up with a way to make them realise how a basic knowledge of teh language will really benefit them when they start school. I'll keep trying.

I had my first Skype conversation on Monday evening and after a tricky start (the microphone wouldn't work) i quite enjoyed it. The reason for the call was to fill in the girls school forms which are due in next week luckily our estate agent Toni had offered to translate! I must say I am looking forward to the school side of things with the different hours, extra activities and culture. The girls have certainly not complained about the 9.30am - 2.30pm day!

After a lot of recommendations we have chosen a Abogado for the conveyancing and of course to get the ball rolling we have another form to fill in. Once i've finished writing this, that's what i'll be doing on this dreary day in the UK. So far the communication has been good and all our emails have been answered in full promptly. As have our dealings with Toni, she has gone above and beyond to help. The house we are buying needs a little work, mainly because it has an inner courtyard which i believe is common in a town house, to prevent you from getting wet when it rains, the current owner added a roof with guttering. Unfortuantely the family that rented the house during last summer were not desirable and somehow kicked a ball into the downpipe which blocked the pipe for the winter causing a flood in the courtyard. The inner walls are a nice shade of green in parts, we will have the works needed carried out as soon as possible. I have added a photo but i can't make it rotate, ha ha. If anyone knows how please let me know. Here is also a picture of the view from the patio (the pool needs a clean). Apparently Pepe is the man

As it's half term here i must go now and try to make them learn Spanish... i mean entertain them, and of course not forgetting fill in another form! !

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9 Comments

eos_ian said:
Wednesday, May 30, 2018 @ 11:23 AM

Good luck! I wouldn't worry too much about the kids and Duolingo. They'll learn more in a month at school than they will with Duolingo in a year or two. They'll want to learn it as soon as they want to communicate with new friends. You'll find that they will become fluent way before you and they'll end up teaching you!

From the school hours you mentioned, they are clearly at primary school still so they will be fluent in under two years. The language shouldn't be a worry.

DANNI1 said:
Wednesday, May 30, 2018 @ 11:44 AM

Thanks Ian, yes, they are 10 and 7 years old.
I'll stop bothering them now ha ha

eggcup said:
Saturday, June 2, 2018 @ 9:03 AM

I disagree. If they were 3 and 4 you wouldn't have to bother. But for the one aged 10 especially, it would be good to get them to do as much as possible now. I saw 10 year olds really struggling when arriving in Spain. A friend with a child aged about 8 also had to spend hours after school every day working with her son on all the work that he had been unable to do/complete in school. So, she was effectively teaching him the Spanish at that point. The more they know when they arrive, the better.

anthomo16 said:
Saturday, June 2, 2018 @ 9:17 AM

I would agree with eggcup make it fun simple phrases like "can I have an ice lolly please" get them to repeat a fewtimes and then when they want the ice lolly they can ask in Spanish - when out walking pointing and asking "what is that" have your spanish book with you so that you will all benefit from the answer.
Don't make it a chor but a bribe often works well.
I too am learning now that I have decided to spend more time here and have found Spanish with Paul sooooo good .
As I said before don't make anything a chor just enjoy this beautiful country. By the way your house looks fantastic.
Keep in touch,
Mo

DANNI1 said:
Saturday, June 2, 2018 @ 9:29 AM

Thanks Mo and eggcup for your comments, very useful! Thanks Mo for your compliments on the house.

Kayann said:
Saturday, June 2, 2018 @ 5:04 PM

If you are getting back into Spanish I would recommend lightspeedspanish.co.uk They give lessons at three levels : beginners, early intermediate and advanced intermediate. Sometimes lessons are linked to specific situations eg. At the dentist/ hospital/ hairdresser/ supermarket. Good for vocabulary.
If you want something lively and dynamic look at Español con Juan on YouTube.That's learning by repetition. Good luck with all your plans.

dunworkin said:
Sunday, June 3, 2018 @ 8:49 AM

I learned most of my spanish from language exchange friends. Having a beer and a chat is more enjoyable than sitting in front of a computer and its a great way to make new friends. Many spanish people are keen to improve their english with a native english speaker, so why don't you ask the school's teachers to help you find families with similarly aged kids that you can spend time with. Although this may seem a bit overwhelming at first I'm sure you would all quickly get used to living here as spanish people are generally lovely and your new friends would help you to settle in.

DANNI1 said:
Sunday, June 3, 2018 @ 12:33 PM

Thanks for the good wishes x

MO18 said:
Saturday, October 27, 2018 @ 10:18 AM

I am going to try Español con Juan -gracias por la recomendación - Babbel app es un poco aburrido!

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Wild at heart
I am a 38 year old girl who is keen to share her story of relocating her family to Spain in the aim to help others do the same, and maybe put some humour and alternative subjects into the blog and make it a interesting read.