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A real necessity when you're thinking of moving to Andalucia is to learn some Spanish.

Unless you only want to mix and work with the British.

It is far from easy to find work, especially as there are so many Spanish also looking for work in this present economic climate.

Learn some Spanish and make friends!

I agree with Rachel. Learn a bit of Spanish and the rest just slots into place. I love it here and have no regrets.
Vicky T

If you learn Spanish you will have a very big advantage when it comes to employment. Very few Spanish know good english and bilingual people are highly sought after. It's surprisingly easy to pick up Spanish as long as you don't do the typical "mix with only enlish speakers" and make no effort.

I have lived in Andalusia for nearly a year. My Spanish is intermediate and  I used it in shops,  restaurants etc even though there I did not have to: many expats, especially snow birds don't speak any Spanish at all. As for Spanish friends, I spoke Spanish when I was picked up at a paseo by local men, who did not speak English, but were eager to have a conversation - just to practice my Spanish sort of socially. Otherwise I had no Spanish friends - I am a semiretired  single (widow) professional woman, with no family, and as such I do not really fit into the Spanish society. But the place where I lived (and where I perhaps return in a year or two if the costs of healthcare in USA will keep increasing as they do - I am EU citizen, so I have a lot of options of where to live - two things that keep me in the USA are: proximity to my daughter and relative proximity to my pt job in Belize), Almunecar, a delightful pueblo blanco has a lot of expats from all over Europe - not just Brits, but lots of Scandinavians, some Germans, Frenchmen, Belgians, etc. Most of them retired, so expat club life was intense and enjoyable: I could speak at least three languages any day, had Swedish, English, American and German friends.
Accommodations are not difficult to find - though most are temporary, up to 11 months, so finding a permanent place is more of a hassle.
Also dealing with Spanish authorities was a hassle - they usually  speak Spanish only and many are incompetent, not knowing the laws of their own country or not caring if they give you correct information or not - often they give you a wrong one just so that you would go away and are very surly when you catch them on it. But there are plenty of gestors in Spain to help you with all things bureaucratic, and now, with very high unemployment they could be pretty inexpensive.

It can be difficult especially around the coast to have the opportunity to practice Spanish as so many Spaniards want to practice their English on you!

I have to say I've heard this again and again about the Spanish authotities anb=d bureaucrats - that they are an incompetent nightmare. So far my experience has been that they have been cordial and efficient. 

Minerva909 wrote:

I have lived in Andalusia for nearly a year. My Spanish is intermediate and  I used it in shops,  restaurants etc even though there I did not have to: many expats, especially snow birds don't speak any Spanish at all. As for Spanish friends, I spoke Spanish when I was picked up at a paseo by local men, who did not speak English, but were eager to have a conversation - just to practice my Spanish sort of socially. Otherwise I had no Spanish friends - I am a semiretired  single (widow) professional woman, with no family, and as such I do not really fit into the Spanish society. But the place where I lived (and where I perhaps return in a year or two if the costs of healthcare in USA will keep increasing as they do - I am EU citizen, so I have a lot of options of where to live - two things that keep me in the USA are: proximity to my daughter and relative proximity to my pt job in Belize), Almunecar, a delightful pueblo blanco has a lot of expats from all over Europe - not just Brits, but lots of Scandinavians, some Germans, Frenchmen, Belgians, etc. Most of them retired, so expat club life was intense and enjoyable: I could speak at least three languages any day, had Swedish, English, American and German friends.
Accommodations are not difficult to find - though most are temporary, up to 11 months, so finding a permanent place is more of a hassle.
Also dealing with Spanish authorities was a hassle - they usually  speak Spanish only and many are incompetent, not knowing the laws of their own country or not caring if they give you correct information or not - often they give you a wrong one just so that you would go away and are very surly when you catch them on it. But there are plenty of gestors in Spain to help you with all things bureaucratic, and now, with very high unemployment they could be pretty inexpensive.

I've lived in Seville for 5 years. At the start it took me a while to get used to the local's mentality, sometimes Sevillianos can be closed minded, but now I'm engaged to a Sevilliana and wouldn't have it any other way.

I love Seville, but you definitely need to learn Spanish. I don't understand how you could survive here without it.

Hi everyone... I am from Granada and my girlfriend who is hungirian is planing to move with me from next septiember.. I was grown and born in this city so i dont really know how is to be a foreign here.. I would be happy to listen any opinions or some helps to make her easy her arrival... Does anyone know if there is any scolarship or help from the spanish goberment to learn spanish in Granada?? We are prettending to work in Sierra Nevada in the winter season so we not students at all..It is possible to get anyhelp??? Please post me back

Hi to all,

Please, can some one help me to improve my English and Spanish and also the rest of the Langueges. I am a Ghanaian already expariate currently living in Spain - Andalusia. I feel to talk to friends but it is difficult for me. Any one who is interested can talk to me because I'm friendly.ayawuza@gmail.com