"Your not going to learn any spanish in Barcelona"

Before leaving for Barcelona, several people said that very phrase to me. My Spanish adviser and the modern languages department chair were both visibly angry at my choice of abroad location. This made me question my decision, despite knowing Barcelona was such a unique, exciting city.

However, they were very wrong. In fact, while having drinks with a bunch of native university student I mentioned this, to their shock and incomprehension. They explained that Catalán is mainly spoken in the household or between close native cataluynians friends. If they were to meet someone of the street, they said they would always start with Spanish. Well this was so nice to hear, I had already noticed its truth. In just six days, I feel my Spanish improving, my confident rising, and my accent having more of a lisp (When pronouncing certain sounds, like a 'C', Spainards make the 'th' sound and it sounds lispy. For example, they say gra-th-ias instead of gracias).

This isn't to say Catalán, the other official language of Catalunya (the state of which Barcelona is the capital) is not prevalent. We arrived on the Ephipany, January 6th, which is essentially Christmas day for the Spanish (the children receive gifts from three wize men, los tres reyes, on the night of the twleveth day of Christmas). The city was filled with Christmas decorations and signs saying Bon Nadal (merry Christmas) all over town. This still remains the only Catalán word I have retained, and probably because it reminds me of Rafa Nadal (the tennis player). But I hope to learn a few basic phrases to show the native Barcelonians my appreciation of their culture. I hear they like that.