As every mother will know, from the moment that we find out that we are pregnant the days where we may have put ourselves first are numbered. Finding a quiet moment to read a book, take a bubble bath, watch our favourite programme on television or flick through a glossy magazine by the pool all become distant memories.
So what of our Mums in Spain, perhaps falling pregnant after only a short time here, or those with young families who made the brave move to a new country and hopefully a better way of life? With so many other things to think about and prioritise, something as obvious as learning the local language can easily be overlooked or put to one side for when you have more time.
There are many regions of Spain where it is conceivable that you could cope with speaking no or very little Spanish. But having a young family tends to make that unlikely, or at best more difficult. Something as simple as registering your baby’s birth can become a complete nightmare if you aren’t able to make yourself understood at your local Town Hall. Enrolling your little one in the local school might seem a thoroughly daunting task when you struggle to understand the application form or the admission instructions. But it isn’t just bureaucracy that can become more laborious and painstaking because of a lack of language skills.
Standing outside the school gates, waiting patiently for your little one to come running out at the end of the day, but feeling like you need to blend into the background in case someone talks to you and you don’t understand. Knowing that you are in English a very sociable and outgoing person, but because of your complete lack of Spanish you end up feeling isolated and frustrated. Being nervous of any school activities like parents’ night or school sports day, or simply not understanding your now bilingual child when they play with friends or socialise on the beach or in the park.
But like everything, it is possible to find the time and the rewards on offer from finding that time, from taking what for many is a brave step forward, are many and varied.
Julia Mattey, Language Co-ordinator with Abla Lenguas has students who have lived in Spain for years and sign up for a total beginner's course. “They hadn't found time to learn the language so far and were quite happy getting by with half a dozen sentences” says Julia. So many of us are guilty of this, and to be perfectly honest depending on where you live in the country it would be possible to get by, but you risk missing out on so much.
Of course enjoying the experience of learning anything is also key to long-term commitment and success. “We try to make our classes lively, fun and full of student participation with the main emphasis on speaking practice” Rosa Renuncio of Fun & Culture told Mums in Spain, “our classes are very much designed to increase confidence”. We all know confidence is one of the most important things to have when learning and using a new language out in the real world.
It is one thing to apply yourself in the class room, but it can be all too easy to simply seize up when we step outside of this protective environment! A good friend of mine used to say to me “feel the fear, and do it anyway” – I used to feel that way myself when I first started practising my shaky Spanish but with the right encouragement and preparation this fear doesn’t have to engulf you!
If you happen to be a mum who might be considering improving their Spanish or even starting from scratch, it can be so easy to put up hurdles for ourselves and hide behind certain excuses. But there are lots of professionals out there who are able to offer you flexible class times and even if you aren’t able to consider going to classes regularly for whatever reason take a brave step and reach out into your Spanish community, maybe smile and say hello to a Spanish mum at the school gates. Embrace your life in Spain, there is no need for you to blend into the background.
No comments:
Post a Comment