Tenerife forum

[kirstyjay]

Well, if you're both seriously planning to make the move, the best thing you can do is get yourselves sone SPANISH lessons while you have the time!!! It'll give you a MAJOR foot in the door for anything you want to do out here and will open up many doors.
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[jenny]

I'll second that Kirsty. It has really helped me, although I didn't speak it before I came, I was determined to learn it when I got here so made lots of Spanish friends and avoided Brits here for a few years.

[GemLou]

Col, i know that when the time comes my friends will think im crazy aswell, i think some people just don't get it !!

And as long as you are prepared to do any job to begin with then what can you lose, im sure after a while you will get a decent job.

Keep in touch Col, as you never know when i get out there next year i might need a floor to sleep on.......ha ha.

Gem x

[kirstyjay]

I really think this should be the FIRST port of call for anyone even thinking about moving out here... I mean it really does mean you can do soooo many more different types of jobs, rather then being stuck with just PR/Bar/Waiting on.

If you have reasonable qualifications in ANY other field, then surely doing that job is preferable... and Spanish is a must for this.

I don't understand why people don't think of this themselves though...!
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[jenny]

If you are both determined and work hard at it, I'm sure you will be fine. Postivity is key!

[Col_Ingram]

I apprecaite the advice Kirsty/Jenny.

This is something I was thinking about but wasn't sure if it was necessary. Thats why I'm here so I do apprecaite it!

To what level do you think it is a good idea to speak the language? How good is the Spanish you would speak on a daily basis?

[kirstyjay]

Go on a course and start learning. You can never have too much
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[jenny]

Also depends on area you are living in and your job. The higher the level you can get it to before you arrive, the easier life will be for you, unless you want to work in an English bar, go to expensive English-speaking supermarkets and make friends with English people. However if you do this you must remember that you will then have to pay someone to go to the Doctor's with you, get NIE/residencia, sign up with the Social Security, and anything else official you might need to do once over here as all thse places now have signs up saying that they will not deal with people who don't speak Spanish!

I speak a lot of Spanish on a daily basis, but that's my fault as I chose to marry a Spaniard

[Col_Ingram]

Gem....that's no problem, I was hoping I might get in touch with someone also planning on moving out soon because it is quite a scary thought doing something like this on your own. It's good to know someone has your back if the poo hits the fan. I might need a floor at some point, so you have a deal!
I don't know exactly when I will be boarding the plane as I want to get everthing in order before I book a flight. It will be some months yet. Getting the house sold making enough money to cover me is the thing I am concentrating most on at the minute.
I was thinking of doing an Open University course in Spanish as I think this would be a good foundation, and if I am not finished the course by the time I am going, I can continue, and finish from Tenerife

[kirstyjay]

[jenny]

You will not be alone if you stay on here. We are all one big family and try to get together once every month.

Good for you wanting to do the OU course but the best of all is to practice speaking. As you and Gem are sinlge, may I suggest my foolproof way of learning Spanish - get a Spanish boyfriend/girlfriend. This will be obviosly harder over in UK! Or try and find out about any Spanish people living locally and get together to chat with them.

[xLisax]

I personally think its silly if somebody is serious of living over Tenerife (or any foreign country for that matter) and not learn the language used. I guess Brits just asume everyone knows English or something?