How much Spanish do you need to learn?

[WGroleau]

How much Spanish do you need to learn? Opinions here range from "a lot" to "none." To help you decide for yourself:

Percentage of people in Spain who “speak well enough order to be able to have a conversation” in (language):

97% Spanish
38% English
18% Catalan
13% French
4% Italian
4% Galician
1% Romanian

This is from page one of a 2024 survey:

https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/api/deliverable/download/file?deliverableId=92124

which contains other data on what Spanish folks say/think about languages.

I presume that any not listed are less than one percent.
Although Basque is not listed and I'd be surprised if that isn't comparable to Catalan or at least Galician (Gallego).

 

[henrythedog]

I’m notoriously dim.

Just to clarify - does the data above say that 38% of ‘people in Spain ’ believe they could have a conversation in English?

 

[WGroleau]

I’m notoriously dim.

Just to clarify - does the data above say that 38% of ‘people in Spain ’ believe they could have a conversation in English? In uh

That's what they told the surveyers apparently. I've been in villages where I'd guess the percentage is zero.

 

[WGroleau]

Although Basque is not listed and I'd be surprised if that isn't comparable to Catalan or at least Galician (Gallego).

Wikipedia says 2.6% read their news in Basque but only one percent speak it at home. Of course, most of those are in País Vasco and Navarra.

 

[Tincatinker]

I guess they interviewed a lot of ex-pats. Some of the ex-Brummie coke dealers currently holed up in Marbella could, probably, hold a conversation in 38% English

 

[David Tallan]

It may also be worth noting that there is a difference between being able to hold a conversation and conduct a transaction in a defined conversational space. So the waiter who cannot hold a conversation on the current state of Spanish politics in English, may be able to understand your order, or your request for additional water (or wine), and ask for and take payment for your meal all in English.

 

[Kiwi-family]

It may also be worth noting that there is a difference between being able to hold a conversation and conduct a transaction in a defined conversational space. So the waiter who cannot hold a conversation on the current state of Spanish politics in English, may be able to understand your order, or your request for additional water (or wine), and ask for and take payment for your meal all in English.

That is true AND the pilgrim who cannot hold a conversation on the current state of any politics in Spanish might be able to learn the words for water please, more wine please, bill please, thank you.

 

[David Tallan]

That is true AND the pilgrim who cannot hold a conversation on the current state of any politics in Spanish might be able to learn the words for water please, more wine please, bill please, thank you.

Oh, absolutely. I probably spend at least an hour a day trying to improve my Spanish. I'm not saying that there isn't a benefit to learning Spanish. Just that the statistics present may not have been that useful for "How much Spanish do you need to learn?".

Of course, the answer to that question depends on why one wants to learn the language.

 

[Tincatinker]

Yep, it’s all fairly easy: Hola. Buenas tardes. ¿Qué hay para comer? Gracias. Me gustaría el menú del día. Las lentejas y el pescado, por favor, y un poco de cerveza. No hay postres, pero un café estaría bien

Any translation app will get you lunch. So will a little effort and some atrocious Castilian delivered with a sincere smile

 

[Robo]

How much Spanish do you need to learn? Opinions here range from "a lot" to "none." To help you decide for yourself:

Percentage of people in Spain who “speak well enough order to be able to have a conversation” in (language):

97% Spanish
38% English
18% Catalan
13% French
4% Italian
4% Galician
1% Romanian

This is from page one of a 2024 survey:

https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/api/deliverable/download/file?deliverableId=92124

which contains other data on what Spanish folks say/think about languages.

I presume that any not listed are less than one percent.
Although Basque is not listed and I'd be surprised if that isn't comparable to Catalan or at least Galician (Gallego).

I wonder if the survey was conducted mainly in the Cities?

 

[Sirage]

How much Spanish do you need to learn?

Almost none, just the words for coffee and beer and wine and the words to create common phrases, preferably with Spanish-like pronunciation otherwise it is just gibberish to a Spaniard.

However more Spanish improves the probability you will get the meal you want. What is your risk profile?

 

[Lindsay53]

I have found "Un bocadillo con jamon y queso, y una cerveza grande por favor" meets most of my needs, along with "Donde esete el bano?" delivered in my best Australian accent.

 

[WGroleau]

I wonder if the survey was conducted mainly in the Cities?

Possibly. I'm fairly certain I was the only person in several villages I visited (off the Camino) who could speak English.

 

[AlanSykes]

I'm fairly certain I was the only person in several villages I visited (off the Camino) who could speak English.

Agreed. Last November I didn't hear a word of English between Valladolid and Sobrado dos Monxes, where the brother hospitaler is English (and as chatty as every Trappist monk I've ever met).

I suspect there's also an age divide, with younger people tending to be more likely to speak English. In rural España profunda, many of the young people have decamped to find work in the cities, so you're even less likely to encounter the language of Shakespeare.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

How much Spanish do you need to learn?

I'm definitely in the 'none' category.
An example: back in the early 90s I spent nearly two months travelling across China, a country that at that point spoke very little English. Other than 'thank you' I speak zero Mandarin or Cantonese. I didn't need to speak the language to have a great experience.

That said in nearly every other country I have visited I have tried to learn at least a few pleasantries. And in my opinion, the more you speak, the more you gain from your experience.

The statistics you have quoted are the highest I have come across. (A quick Google search suggested 11.7% through to 27%, so the study you reference is significantly higher) It's also curious that German doesn't feature because according to all of the other sources I looked at German is spoken by between 1.2 to two percent of the population.

As others have suggested, Urban areas (large towns and cities) are likely to have a greater percentage of English speakers than rural areas. Especially when you consider how many small rural villages have almost no inhabitants under the age of 60 (two sources suggested they first regularly started teaching English in most Spanish schools approximately 40 years ago, no idea how accurate that is).

Whilst children are taught English in school from the age of six, apparently the emphasis is on test results rather than proficiency. And unless they live in a touristic area, most will have no use for the language outside of school. Several Spanish respondents to a similar thread on reddit suggest that the only reason they are proficient is because they are avid gamers.

 

[Kathar1na]

Don't attach too much importance to the percentages in the first post. You might draw the wrong conclusions.

Eurobarometer is a regular survey about many topics of interest in the EU. It is interview based. In this case, they interviewed 1009 people in Spain. The detailed results can be found in the full report of 73 pages.

They happened to interview 2 people in the Spanish part of the survey who gave German as "the other language, if any, do you speak well enough in order to be able to have conversation? - First other language." Which means that a person who speaks German well enough but has English as their most important first other language (other than their "mother tongue") would not say "German" because it would be their second or third "other language".

See link (click on "Data Annex" and download the full report):

Europeans and their languages - The Eurobarometer survey on Europeans and their languages provides information on citizens' language skills, use of languages and attitude to language learning within the European Union. It also allows us to see the evolution over time, as results are compared with the previous language survey conducted in 2012.​

https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2979​

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have not learned Spanish so can not carry on a conversation, knowing only know a few simple pleasantries since my first camino in 2015 and walking every year thereafter. If I didn't have a family member or friend going with me on Camino, it would be a more lonely experience and I would never choose the less traveled routes that I have done in more recent years. I am wistful when I read on the forum of conversations pilgrims have chatting with locals along the way and know my experiences are lacking the little extra that others enjoy. That said, I appreciate and love all other aspects that keep me coming back, year after year.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

Agreed. Last November I didn't hear a word of English between Valladolid and Sobrado dos Monxes, where the brother hospitaler is English (and as chatty as every Trappist monk I've ever met).

I suspect there's also an age divide, with younger people tending to be more likely to speak English. In rural España profunda, many of the young people have decamped to find work in the cities, so you're even less likely to encounter the language of Shakespeare.

The spring on the Camino Madrid, I met a total of one English speaker after Segovia. it was good for me, my rudimentary Spanish became less rudimentary!

@WGroleau On the Camino Francess, people seem to get along without any Spanish at all. I think on most of the other Camino's, you better learn something. That 38% English-speaking number seems optimistic from my experience

I always try to pick up a few basic phrases anytime I visit a foreign country. The only time I was not able to do this was in some places in Asia, where I just couldn't learn it. But if you are a tourist, and walk into a restaurant or a bus station or a hotel anywhere, they know what you want anyway.

 

[Kathar1na]

Eurobarometer is a regular survey about many topics of interest in the EU. It is interview based. In this case, they interviewed 1009 people in Spain. The detailed results can be found in the full report of 73 pages.

I see now that the 73 pages do not cover the full report, just the fieldwork results. The full report is 181 pages. And although it says "Europeans and their languages" it refers only to those in EU-27 (the UK population was included in the 2012 survey but not in the 2023/2024 survey). I don't know whether they interviewed any EU residents or only EU citizens (nationals of at least one EU country who can vote at EU level). I am sure it is mentioned somewhere.

FWIW, when I walked on the Camino Frances to Santiago in Spain, I barely spoke in Spanish with other pilgrims. It was next to always in English or in another European language but not in Spanish.

 

[RRat]

How much Spanish do you need to learn? Opinions here range from "a lot" to "none." To help you decide for yourself:

Percentage of people in Spain who “speak well enough order to be able to have a conversation” in (language):

97% Spanish
38% English
18% Catalan
13% French
4% Italian
4% Galician
1% Romanian

This is from page one of a 2024 survey:

https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/api/deliverable/download/file?deliverableId=92124

which contains other data on what Spanish folks say/think about languages.

I presume that any not listed are less than one percent.
Although Basque is not listed and I'd be surprised if that isn't comparable to Catalan or at least Galician (Gallego).

You don't need to be fluent in spanish. The real question is, do you want to be that guy that doesn't or isn't trying.

 

[LTfit]

How much do you absolutely need? Probably none, but being able to communicate at least a little bit with locals and fellow Spanish pilgrims will give your Camino a whole different dimension and believe me, it is appreciated.

Being able to actually hold a conversation - with the baker, the store keeper or an albergue owner/hospitalero - will literally open up your world but that holds true when you speak any language other than your mother tongue.

Sure some are more adept at learning another language but making the effort really does pay off.

 

[MXGARCIA1]

Yep, it’s all fairly easy: Hola. Buenas tardes. ¿Qué hay para comer? Gracias. Me gustaría el menú del día. Las lentejas y el pescado, por favor, y un poco de cerveza. No hay postres, pero un café estaría bien

Any translation app will get you lunch. So will a little effort and some atrocious Castilian delivered with a sincere smile

Gustaría not generally used by Spaniards. Quisiera is preferred

 

[Tincatinker]

That's a classic example of no matter how hard I try I still get it wrong but still get understood. The important bit is that I get lunch

 

[Varekai]

Gustaría not generally used by Spaniards. Quisiera is preferred

"Me pones" is even more commonly used in Spain.

 

[pjacobi]

Here's the words of expert traveler:

Leaping over Europe’s Language Barriers

www.ricksteves.com

-Paul

 

[WalkinRon]

You don't need to be fluent in spanish. The real question is, do you want to be that guy that doesn't or isn't trying.

@RRat I agree 100%!
I always tell my friends and family that, when in Spain, please please please when you enter someone's business the first thing you say should be: "Hola". The first thing you say should never never never be: "Do you speak English?"

 

[MariaSP]

Gustaría not generally used by Spaniards. Quisiera is preferred

I'm Spanish and I don't think I've ever said "quisiera". I don't hear other Spaniards around me say it either. "Quería" is more common.

"Me pones" is even more commonly used in Spain.

Yes, "me pones" is what people use the most.

 

[Getwood]

I've tried to get up to A1 level in preparation for my first (and likely last) Camino in September, but I'm woefully behind. I have surprised myself by casually perusing (for example) my Instagram feed and discovering I can understand most of the Spanish postings (at least in broad outline) and, more worrisome for me, the Spanish-language advertisements. Hoo boy.

 

[Tincatinker]

I'm Spanish and I don't think I've ever said "quisiera". I don't hear other Spaniards around me say it either. "Quería" is more common.
L

Yes, "me pones" is what people use the most.

Me pones? “You put me / you put [for] me”?

I guess that this is the cultural shift. I state what I would like - gustaria or require - requerir or Quería? But common practice is that I instruct? You, put me two beers?

I think I’ll just revert to pointing and smiling to avoid confusion

 

[MariaSP]

Me pones? “You put me / you put [for] me”?

I guess that this is the cultural shift. I state what I would like - gustaria or require - requerir or Quería? But common practice is that I instruct? You, put me two beers?

I think I’ll just revert to pointing and smiling to avoid confusion

"¿Me pones dos cervezas?" would be the equivalent of "Can I get 2 beers?" I know the literal translation sounds very weird in English, but that's how people say it, and it's perfectly polite.
Literal translations are a recipe for disaster...

 

[WalkinRon]

The above discussion suggests that, at least for me, "me gustaría" would be the way to go... Not only does it still manage to get the request across, there's the added benefit of communicating "I'm doing the best I can, please speak slowly and clearly."

For example, if I stop someone in the street and, in my best Texas accent: "OH-LA Me-go Estoy Buscando Por..." they're likely to take pity and instead of giving directions, decide to just walk me over there.

 

[Getwood]

The above discussion suggests that, at least for me, "me gustaría" would be the way to go... Not only does it still manage to get the request across, there's the added benefit of communicating "I'm doing the best I can, please speak slowly and clearly."

For example, if I stop someone in the street and, in my best Texas accent: "OH-LA Me-go Estoy Buscando Por..." they're likely to take pity and instead of giving directions, decide to just walk me over there.

My favourite phrase in several Romance languages is "Slowly, please."

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

My favourite phrase in several Romance languages is "Slowly, please."

I had a high school summer course with several instructors. One spoke extremely fast. When we asked her to speak slowly she complied by speaking each word, even the easiest, E_X_T_R_E_M_E_L_Y slowly with each followed by "Entiendas?"

 

[Getwood]

That . . . would have profoundly annoyed me.

I had a high school summer course with several instructors. One spoke extremely fast. When we asked her to speak slowly she complied by speaking each word, even the easiest, E_X_T_R_E_M_E_L_Y slowly with each followed by "Entiendas?"

 

[Varekai]

Me pones? “You put me / you put [for] me”?

I guess that this is the cultural shift. I state what I would like - gustaria or require - requerir or Quería? But common practice is that I instruct? You, put me two beers?

I think I’ll just revert to pointing and smiling to avoid confusion

As the English language amply proves, literal translations of expressions can be wildly different from their intent. "Me pones" is widely used in Spain and perfectly normal and polite. It's also a nice way of sounding more like a local as the language guide books will never use it.

 

[MikeJS]

You could always just use something like sayhi that gives near real time translation.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Here's the words of expert traveler:

Leaping over Europe’s Language Barriers

www.ricksteves.com

-Paul

Smashing bloke Rick Steves, hope his cancer treatment works out OK. He has a genuine love of travelling in Europe and puts out some great videos on his YouTube channel.

 

[Kathar1na]

I did not find an entry of "97% Spanish", mentioned in the first post, in the link provided to the factsheet.

I guess that the OP simply added up the percentage of those who replied to the question D48a Thinking about the languages that you speak, which language is your mother tongue? with "Spanish" (83% of respondents) and the percentage of those who replied to question D48.otherlang And which other language, if any, do you speak well enough in order to be able to have a conversation? with "Spanish" (14%) and these respondents could only name one other language. 83+14 makes 97.

It should not come as a surprise that next to all who grew up in Spain and live in Spain speak Spanish.

And another remark about Eurobarometer surveys because posters commented on the figures in the first post: there are some explanations about sampling on the .europa.eu websites. The interviews are conducted in the language(s) of the EU country concerned and are based on a questionnaire that has been translated into official languages of this country: Two (or more) language versions are used in Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland, and starting with Eurobarometer 62 (October 2004) in Spain, Estonia, Latvia, Malta.

In the case of Spain, I take this to mean that they would not interview anyone who did not consider Spanish, Galician, Catalan or Basque as their first language ('mother tongue') or as one of the languages where they have a high competence.

In several if not the majority of countries they pull the contact data for people to be interviewed from electoral registers or census data - which would mean that the interviewees are EU citizens or at least long-term foreign residents.

 

[jimsheppard]

Agreed. Last November I didn't hear a word of English between Valladolid and Sobrado dos Monxes, where the brother hospitaler is English (and as chatty as every Trappist monk I've ever met).

I suspect there's also an age divide, with younger people tending to be more likely to speak English. In rural España profunda, many of the young people have decamped to find work in the cities, so you're even less likely to encounter the language of Shakespeare.

I think that the order in Sobrado dos Monxes is Cistercian, they are quite liberal and certainly not silent!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Smashing bloke Rick Steves, hope his cancer treatment works out OK. He has a genuine love of travelling in Europe and puts out some great videos on his YouTube channel.

I had watched Rick Steves on television nearly twenty years ago before I ever set foot in Europe. I recall a special background episode where he was being interviewed and it mentioned that he researches and memorizes every detail he speaks about in each episode. I was impressed and quite surprised. I actually think I first fell in love with Europe through his shows.

 

[Tincatinker]

@MariaSP thanks for your helpful comments on my poor Spanish.

Perhaps you could help me out with this one before I get the T-shirts printed: "I'm sorry. I won't do this again!"

"Lo lamento. ¡No volveré a hacer esto!" or "Lo siento. ¡No volveré a hacer esto!"

I'm also looking for an image of the "shell" with a big red cross through it but I'm hoping @Jeff Crawley will help me out with that one

 

[Jeff Crawley]

@MariaSP thanks for your helpful comments on my poor Spanish.

Perhaps you could help me out with this one before I get the T-shirts printed: "I'm sorry. I won't do this again!"

"Lo lamento. ¡No volveré a hacer esto!" or "Lo siento. ¡No volveré a hacer esto!"

I'm also looking for an image of the "shell" with a big red cross through it but I'm hoping @Jeff Crawley will help me out with that one

¡NO CAMINO!

 

[MariaSP]

@MariaSP thanks for your helpful comments on my poor Spanish.

Perhaps you could help me out with this one before I get the T-shirts printed: "I'm sorry. I won't do this again!"

"Lo lamento. ¡No volveré a hacer esto!" or "Lo siento. ¡No volveré a hacer esto!"

I'm also looking for an image of the "shell" with a big red cross through it but I'm hoping @Jeff Crawley will help me out with that one

Lo siento. No lo volveré a hacer
Lo siento. No volverá a ocurrir (it won't happen again)

 

[David Tallan]

"¿Me pones dos cervezas?" would be the equivalent of "Can I get 2 beers?" I know the literal translation sounds very weird in English, but that's how people say it, and it's perfectly polite.
Literal translations are a recipe for disaster...

I can't help but notice that this seems to use the informal "tú" form. If the person I'm asking is significantly older than me should I be saying "Me pone..." or has the usted more or less fallen out of use in shops and bars when asking for things?

 

[AlanSykes]

I think that the order in Sobrado dos Monxes is Cistercian, they are quite liberal and certainly not silent!

you are quite right, it is Cistercian. Specifically, the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance. Usually known as Trappists, after Armand de Rancé, the 17th century Abbot of La Trappe, who established the order.

The porter, or Brother Hospitaler, (currently) Fray Lawrence, has specific exemption, under the rule of St Benedict, from being silent (in English, Spanish or Italian). Which he enthusiastically exercises. His lovely cat Maximilian purrs very loudly as well.

 

[Tincatinker]

Fray Lawrence. Now there’s a man I’ve always been happy to spend time with. Even when I’ve been 10th in the queue

 

[C clearly]

has the usted more or less fallen out of use in shops and bars when asking for things?

Yes, more often than not.

 

[pjacobi]

"¿Me pones dos cervezas?" would be the equivalent of "Can I get 2 beers?

That is way too complicated for non-native speaking traveler! There is no need for complete sentences, and you probably won't get the grammar correct. Keep it extremely simple with just "Dos cervezas". Maybe add a "por favor" in there. That's all you need.


-Paul

 

[Jeff Crawley]

That is way too complicated for non-native speaking traveler! There is no need for complete sentences, and you probably won't get the grammar correct. Keep it extremely simple with just "Dos cervezas". Maybe add a "por favor" in there. That's all you need.


-Paul

Too complicated? If you say so, just don't do what I saw a couple of English people do in Tarragona once: the man leant across the counter, stuck two fingers up in front of the barman's face and said (loudly) "TWO beers! OK? TWO beers!" - in English, of course - honestly makes me feel ashamed to be British at times

 

[MariaSP]

That is way too complicated for non-native speaking traveler! There is no need for complete sentences, and you probably won't get the grammar correct. Keep it extremely simple with just "Dos cervezas". Maybe add a "por favor" in there. That's all you need.


-Paul

It's just 2 words, "me pones", in front of your order. I don't see how that's more complicated than adding 2 other words ("por favor") at the end. And you sound much nicer with "me pones" than with "por favor".

 

[WGroleau]

As the English language amply proves, literal translations of expressions can be wildly different from their intent. "Me pones" is widely used in Spain and perfectly normal and polite. It's also a nice way of sounding more like a local as the language guide books will never use it.

I was discussing “to do” (hacer) vs. “to make” (hacer) with my students. The exchange student from Ecuador asked, “Why do you use two words for the same thing?” I pointed to the “ser” vs. "estar” poster that was already on the wall.

I still wonder why the school let her join a Spanish class. Maybe so the othe students would get some genuine practice. Maybe to report whether the teacher was unqualified.

 

[WGroleau]

I guess that the OP simply added up the percentage of those who replied to the question D48a Thinking about the languages that you speak, which language is your mother tongue? with "Spanish" (83% of respondents) and the percentage of those who replied to question D48.otherlang And which other language, if any, do you speak well enough in order to be able to have a conversation? with "Spanish" (14%)

Of course. Obviously the native speaker can hold a conversation in the language. Since the point was “do you need Spanish?” both groups would allow you to say “no” if big enough. As for the reliability of the statistics, I also pointed out my reason for skepticism.

I stand by my opinion expressed more than once elsewhere that if you learned one language you can and should learn another.

 

[WGroleau]

I can't help but notice that this seems to use the informal "tú" form. If the person I'm asking is significantly older than me should I be saying "Me pone..." or has the usted more or less fallen out of use in shops and bars when asking for things?

Third person formality is far less of a thing in Argentina and Spain than in all the other “new world” countries.

 

[pjacobi]

It's just 2 words, "me pones", in front of your order. I don't see how that's more complicated than adding 2 other words ("por favor") at the end. And you sound much nicer with "me pones" than with "por favor".

If Spanish was the only language in Europe, then it might be worth learning the full phrase, but Europe has so many languages to learn. Learning the pattern of <number> <noun> is something that can be learned easily in multiple languages, plus the "polite" words:

dos cervezas, por favor
duas cervejas por favor
deux bières s’il vous plaît
due birre per favore
zwei Bier bitte


-Paul

 

[DenWhite]

How much Spanish do you need to learn? Opinions here range from "a lot" to "none." To help you decide for yourself:

Percentage of people in Spain who “speak well enough order to be able to have a conversation” in (language):

97% Spanish
38% English
18% Catalan
13% French
4% Italian
4% Galician
1% Romanian

This is from page one of a 2024 survey:

https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/api/deliverable/download/file?deliverableId=92124

which contains other data on what Spanish folks say/think about languages.

I presume that any not listed are less than one percent.
Although Basque is not listed and I'd be surprised if that isn't comparable to Catalan or at least Galician (Gallego).

Hello, goodbye, thankyou, beer, wine, food, toilet, which way?

 

[KevinWilcox]

This sketch always makes me laugh

but also illustrates a point; there are plenty of people who probably could have at least a basic conversation with you in English but for one reason or another (including lack of self-confidence) won’t or don’t. So, I take those results with a massive pinch of salt. I’m now well into my ‘60’s, have travelled pretty extensively including in Europe (as I live in England), know my European peers were taught English at school just as I was taught French, but they mostly learned better, and I’ve only had one or two experiences in 40 years where no-one understood a word of English, both of which were in the most incredibly remote locations a long, long way from Western Europe.

However, even though I’m 99% sure we’ll be using English within 15 seconds of me starting a dialogue, it’s just good manners to at least say ‘hola’ or ‘bonjour’ as an opener and have a go at using what little of the language you have.

As an aside, way back I was taught Kiswahili, and the mode of tuition was that, from the very outset, the tutors simply wouldn’t use English. They taught us the same way that babies learn, through repetition and total immersion. There was no translation and therefore no literal translation, no grammar rules, none of that, and I think we all learned far more in three weeks than we otherwise would have. And that’s why I’m going to try to remember “me pones…”, and forget the literal translation, because that’s not important!

 

[dick bird]

I have met people walking the camino with no Spanish and no English or any other European language. It is possible. But it is also very difficult. The more Spanish you know, the easier and pleasanter it will be, especially if you pay attention to the non-verbal aspects of communication, e.g. smile, eye contact, waiting and intonation, not to mention the importance of greeting before asking.

 

[Pilgrim9]

I was discussing “to do” (hacer) vs. “to make” (hacer) with my students. The exchange student from Ecuador asked, “Why do you use two words for the same thing?”

It was a good question. I know why, somewhere in the murky depths of my mind, but don't know how to articulate it.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I have met people walking the camino with no Spanish and no English or any other European language. It is possible. But it is also very difficult. The more Spanish you know, the easier and pleasanter it will be, especially if you pay attention to the non-verbal aspects of communication, e.g. smile, eye contact, waiting and intonation, not to mention the importance of greeting before asking.

I've noticed that Japanese and Korean travellers get by very easily with just a smile, a head bob and a