Expert Info
on 4 Jun 2011
I have fallen in love with Barcelona and would love to live there! the issue i have is i dont speak Spanish or Catalan, i have done a basic Spanish course in the UK but did struggle to pick it up, i was just wondering how easy it is to pick up work with only speaking English and Spain being in a bad recession and also if living in Spain would maek picking up Spanish easier?? Any advice would be much apreciated! Muchas Gracias!!! Anna
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As you duly noted, the Spanish economy isn't at its strongest, and Barcelona doesn't offer nearly as many working opportunities as the more commercial city of Madrid. That said, as a UK citizen you won't have issues dealing with visa or work permit logistics, so it would be worthwhile to approach multinationals in the area and tourism companies that cater to English speaking travellers.
Alternatively, you can always attempt to find an au pair job or start out by offering your services as an English speaking tutor.
Lastly, even if you move to the city with little knowledge of the langauge, you'll certainly pick it up much faster than in the closed classroom environment. You'll have to speak to survive, and you'll find that even if end up asking for a "Who is the metro" (rather than "Where is the metro"), locals will appreciate your attempt and try to help you out.
Good luck!