What's the language barrier like on the Camino Frances?

[Too Many Choices]

I'm just wondering what the language barrier is like when walking? I'll endeavour to pick up some Spainish before I walk, but do many people over there speak English?

 

[tyrrek]

Hi!

Difficult question. Some people do and some don't.

It's a very good idea to learn a bit of Spanish before you go. On a couple of occasions I saw pilgrims treated quite rudely because they assumed they could just use English in cafe/bars etc. It can be seen as a bit insulting not even to attempt to speak Spanish. People don't expect you to be fluent though, and the more effort you make the more they will try to meet you half way.

Knowing how to greet people, say please and thank you, basic numbers, common requests (cafe con leche, for example) will get you a long way.

Spanish people are quite expressive, and body language is important. Walking into a shop/bar, smiling and confidently saying 'Hola. Buenas!' you'll get more respect than shuffling in looking nervous, even if you are.

Buen Camino!

 

[grayland]

However, it is interesting that on the Camino Frances English is the common language among Pilgrims. Germans, French, Belgium, Korean, Swedes, Italians, etc. all use English as the common tongue. Spanish pilgrims are the least likely to speak any English.
It is a wonderful gift for most of us Americans who are language nerds.
I can get by with Spanish...single words and baby talk. :?
I will be leaving for the Le Puy route in about a month and expect to have a pretty lonely walk as I have no French. I spent six months in France a few years ago and don't expect to find a lot of English spoken. I never got past hello, thank you and please in the six months I was there. I tried but French just doesn't work for me.

 

[micbook]

If you mean in terms of getting by, you'll have no problem on the Camino Frances. It's accommodating enough and many pilgrims don't speak Spanish at all. My experience was that there were plenty pilgrims speaking English and the amazing thing was that you're able to communicate with pilgrims even when you don't share any language in common

Buen Camino!
Michal
--
http://michalrinkevich.wordpress.com/tag/camino-de-santiago/

 

[iago1709]

I remember one time I was doing the Camino sitting in the bar beside the albergue. I think it was in San Juan de Ortega but I'm not sure. Anyway a French pilgrim walked in and asked for the toilet in French. The barman finally worked out what they wanted and pointed the way. The French man went into didactic mode and continued in French explaining that toilet was 'toilettes' in French. The barman muttered darkly in Spanish that this was Spain not France and the word the pilgrim needed was 'servicios'.
So basically you'll get by on the camino if you go around speaking to everyone in French, or in English, but you might not make all that many friends in the places you pass through...

 

[tyrrek]

Anyway a French pilgrim walked in and asked for the toilet in French...

This reminds me that I met an Irish pilgrim who thought it was better to speak to Spanish people in schoolgirl French rather than be rude and just speak English. This just confused the situation further.

The people I felt a bit sorry for were the non-English speakers who made the effort of using English thinking it's a neutral or international language, but were assumed to be ignorant Brits/Americans etc.

Buen Camino!

 

[GunnarW]

If you cross a peregrino, you will always exchange "buen camino".
In fact I always searched for some details to know from which country the other peregrino was. It was very easy with Canadians and Brazilians as you could see in general the symbol on their backpack.
I met once a lady from Austria. She made a small billboard with the languages she speaks.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

do many people over there speak English

No, not among the Spanish who provide most of the services along the Camino. Other pilgrims speak English and some hospitaleros speak English. Everyone is very accommodating, but clerks and waitresses generally speak only Spanish (or Basque, or Gallego). Gestures and smiles work pretty well, but remember, repeating the question in English, but louder, will not work.

 

[FatmaG]

remember, repeating the question in English, but louder, will not work.

Love it!

 

[dougfitz]

The language barrier is what you make it. My experience was that I travelled in South America some years ago without any Spanish beyond basic greetings, and it was difficult. When I decided to walk the Camino, I found a couple of beginner Spanish classes at the local adult education centre, and bought a learning Spanish CD and book, and played the CD to myself whenever I got the opportunity.

Once in Spain, I found this helped, but the language was far more complex, and spoken at a pace that was so rapid, that it often took some repeats to understand. At this point, mime and pointing are good fall backs, certainly not raising one's voice.

In South America, I carried a small notebook and pen, which I would offer to a vendor to write down the price of something. That wasn't as necessary on my Camino - most places had cash registers or the inevitable calculator that could be used to show one the price.

You will quickly learn some standby phrases. I think I could have survived on 'cafe con leche, por favour', 'gracias' and 'buen camino'. Don't forget the 'por favour' and 'gracias'. I am sure that I added them in some inappropriate places, but I feel its better to do that than appear impolite and ungrateful.

I found the locals in Spain always responded positively when I showed willingness to try. Some English speakers will put you out of your agony if they can, which helps. Everyone I met was helpful, even in the cities and big towns where I thought they might have been less tolerant of a non-Spanish speaking pilgrim.

I hope you have a similar experience.

 

[FrancesK]

do many people over there speak English

No, not among the Spanish who provide most of the services along the Camino. Other pilgrims speak English and some hospitaleros speak English. Everyone is very accommodating, but clerks and waitresses generally speak only Spanish (or Basque, or Gallego). Gestures and smiles work pretty well, but remember, repeating the question in English, but louder, will not work.

Nor does speaking louder in English but using a French accent....(I do love my mum, she makes me laugh )

Note - my mum is Australian

 

[nc6000]

Does adding an "o" to the end of every word not work?

 

[fraluchi]

I'm just wondering what the language barrier is like when walking?

Not bad at all with basic sign language. :idea:

 

[PádraigSiúlóir]

Dia duit, hello, hola.
If you have a few basic words such as hola, gracias, café o té (coffee or tea) - con o sin leche (with or without milk) and bocadillo (a sandwich) you should survive each day with ease. To support those few phrases, if you are able to move your head for the standard yes and no signs and use your hands to point you’ll get on famously. Though if all that fails do what I did last year – ask another pilgrim to help you out, any I asked were very willing to oblige and it was also a good way to get talking to other travellers.
Buen camino
Pat

 

[Mark2012]

I'll be starting the Camino in late May, and I really don't want to be one of 'those' people who travel to another country and expect everyone to speak my language; even though I wouldn't mean offence and I'm sure no-one else does either, it strikes me that there is something fundamentally disrespectful about it.

So, after many months of stalling, I finally got around to engaging with learning some Spanish at the start of this year. I borrowed some tapes and mp3s from a friend, and I'm making progress. Not prodigious, but steady progress! I've dabbled with Spanish for Dummies, Spanishpod podcasts, and Pimsleur mp3 lessons, with the latter working best for me so far.

I don't expect or aspire to being fluent, but it's very important to me feel like I will be able to both understand and make myself understood. I think it can only add to the experience and will make me more confident while on the Camino.

As was alluded to in previous posts, I don't necessarily expect to speak much Spanish with fellow pilgrims, but it will undoubtedly be useful in the villages and towns, and my experience in my travels before now has always been that locals appreciate some effort, and are much warmer and friendly when they see you attempting to use their language... even if the actual words might come out somewhat garbled!

 

[annakappa]

I really don't want to be one of 'those' people who travel to another country and expect everyone to speak my language; even though I wouldn't mean offence and I'm sure no-one else does either, it strikes me that there is something fundamentally disrespectful about it.

Well done Mark! There is a big difference between someone visiting a country where you can't speak the language as a tourist for a day or two and one who is going to be walking accross that country for weeks on end, where inevitably you come in contact with the local people. Although English is becomming more and more the "universal language" spoken between people of different backgrounds, you cannot avoid the interaction also between those who provide services for you along the Way! The more you try and communicate with them, the more you are appreciated! Also learning school English has only become more or less universal in schools over the last decade or so. Sometimes not even now. (My 3 eldest grandchildren go to school in the Southern Italian part of Switzerland and none of them have more than rudimentary English - in Switzerland it is thought more important that each of the countries linguistic divisions, learns first the language of their fellow citizens - that is German, French and Italian). The older generations of Europeans from countries other than the British Isles did not always receive English in their school curriculum! Anne