Wordy Rappinghood*

Earlier this month, Les and I marked the one year anniversary of our arrival in Barcelona. While I had little doubt that we’d thrive in this environment, it has been eventful to say the least. However, I’d like to focus on the original theme of why I decided to draft these essays. In looking at food as a way of making connections with the community, I have found a modicum of success. Yet I have come away from this and am still not completely satisfied. As I have gone through this process, I have discovered that there is more to learn and that there are additional aspects that deserve to be discussed. While focusing on food and culture is important to me, there are some additional features that have entered into my observations. These are parts of the overall context and after a year in Barcelona, now is as good a time as any to consider at least one of these aspects, one that I have found most important, if not obvious.

There are many, to be sure, too numerous to discuss with the limited space and time that I have here. However, what stands out is language but more specifically, using a language while simultaneously attempting to foster social connections over food and drink. It has its complications, no doubt, but I think it’s important to prioritize learning and speaking a new language to further understand cultural and social contexts with respect to food.

I don’t expect to resolve this issue but only point out what I see are some of the apparent advantages and sometimes careless pitfalls that can be encountered when it comes to the language of your new environment.

Much of what I am about to express is my opinion, based on my observations and experiences. I am by no means a linguistic expert so I could be wrong in many of my assessments. Additionally, much of what I advocate might not ultimately work. Nevertheless, one of my major points is to persevere. And to be frank, to me some methods that are out t to persist seem more effective than others.

Les and I are, admittedly fans of the Netflix program “Emily in Paris.” It’s a guilty pleasure but we don’t feel too bad about watching it since our good friend Philippe (who is French in case you hadn’t realized) is a fan as well. In one episode, Emily is working temporarily as a server in her love interest’s restaurant. The customer tells her that he is allergic to champignons, aka mushrooms. She “comically” mistakes this for champagne and serves him a dish with mushrooms. Her action, based on her misunderstanding results in the patron’s allergic reaction. I’d like to say hilarity ensued, but it was more consequential. Yet, she seemed to merely brush it off.¹ Although the program is fiction, Les and I thought it was nonsensical that someone after living in Paris for nearly three years could make that kind of mistake. The vocabulary is fairly rudimentary. However, this seems to illustrate one typically American view on learning a foreign language, which is although mistakes are common, they can be easily brushed off because Americans don’t need to care about the details of any language other than US English.

Granted, we’ve had our “Lost in Translation”² moments here in Barcelona. They haven’t been life-threatening for anyone involved, but far from dismissing their importance, they have instead become learning experiences. In my opinion, these are not to be avoided, but to be expected when one is out in the community and seeking connections with those who are part of it. This leads to my critique of another approach that many Americans take to learning a new language and that is the fast and easy (and cheap) method.

In 2007, I was planning to travel to France with a good friend of mine. I hadn’t visited France since 1980 but had visited Quebec several times in the 1990s. My French was admittedly rusty, but I decided to listen to French news reports and read French newspapers online to prepare myself. My friend, on the other hand, told me that he was enrolling in a French conversation class and bragged that he would be “fluent” by the time we arrived in France.³ Once we were in France the only French I heard him speak was “Parlez-vous anglais?” If I were him, I would have asked for a refund.

Not true for me but I do notice that after a few glasses of wine, I’m more willing to speak Spanish!

I’m not certain where he took his class, but this appears to be emblematic of the many types of language courses that are offered both in the United States and here in Barcelona. They all seem to guarantee or promise (with a caveat) that you will enter the program knowing little of the language and leave speaking like a native. In the US, there are multiple types of programs, but it seems that the most popular are online programs such as Duo Lingo (or Dua Lipa as I like to call it), Pimsleur, and Berlitz. I tried both Duo Lingo and Pimsleur prior to leaving for Spain. Duo Lingo was mostly useless. Pimsleur seemed more methodical. Yet, their purpose served more as a bridge until we could register for in-person classes when we got to Barcelona.

I am a strong advocate for in-person learning. There is nothing like the give and take in a classroom setting that challenges the mind. That being said, our first experience with in-person learning was a bit of a mixed bag. It was a private language school. Although the staff were cordial and ready to help and there were plenty of social and cultural activities, the classes were rather disorganized and disjointed. Schedules and instructors changed. Learning materials were not of the best quality. The student population was probably the worst part of the experience. They did not take the program seriously and several students insisted on speaking English in a Spanish language class! Attendance was not enforced so class size varied from as few as two to as many as twelve students on any given day. I think many of them were there for the social (read: drinking) opportunities.

So after about a year of frustration and since we felt that our progress in learning the basics was limited, Les and I enrolled in a class at the local university. It has been refreshing so far, to say the least. It is much more structured than our previous school. I do feel that this has given us more self-assurance moving forward since we have a better grasp of the linguistic foundation.

Before leaving for Barcelona, there were a few people who assured us, quite confidently, that we’d be proficient in Spanish after living in Spain for six months. While I appreciated their faith in our abilities, I suppose they thought we’d learn strictly through osmosis. If only it were that easy. I guess those sorts of statements made me feel inadequate when lo and behold, we weren’t able to watch every Pedro Almodóvar film without the subtitles or understand the lyrics to the latest Bad Bunny single as we approached our half-year anniversary in Barcelona.

We have a friend who moved here nearly three years ago. He’s quite fluent in Spanish and both studied and used the language for several years before relocating to Spain. Yet he insists that his and any non-native speaker’s grammar and pronunciation be flawless. Anything less is just “trashy.” Mind you, as a native Philadelphian, I speak with a distinct nasal accent that I will never lose (plus I also have a slight touch of honking Baltimorean from my 14 years living there, hon). While my nasal tonality serves me well when I speak French, it inhibits me from rolling my double Rs and is a dead giveaway the second I open my mouth and say ¡Buenos días! Why do I point this out? Because, no matter where in the world anyone comes from, unless you have a personal dialog coach at your disposal, you will always speak other languages with an accent that betrays your upbringing. Think about how many Americans from the world over still retain the accents of their mother tongue, even after decades of living in the US. The same holds true here.

This leads me to the use of Spanish outside the confines of the learning environment. In one of Theresa Conroy’s latest essays, she describes her experiences with learning and using French⁴. Hers are similar to what we are undergoing with Spanish. We won’t stop learning completely, but we have started talking, as stilted as it is for now. I think the point with us and with anyone who moves to a country where they have to use a foreign language is to speak it, continue to do so as often as possible, wherever possible, and most importantly, let go of your fears of messing up or sounding dumb. I think that’s part of the learning process as well.

Les and I at a Beaujolais Thursday event at a law firm in Barcelona. It was a totally random discovery and a great way to mingle with the locals.

It's my belief that most Americans are inhibited by learning a second language mainly because they don’t want to sound foolish. Although it is interesting that many Americans feel free to laugh at foreigners and immigrants to the United States when they speak US English. Entertainment media is full of characters and examples not to mention neighbors and co-workers, some of whom are mocked cruelly in everyday life. I have found that many people here will not laugh and mock you when you try to speak but rather try to help you. If they correct you, they will do so, not to be condescending, but out of kindness. My only complaint is that in some situations, they will revert to English once they realize you are an Anglophone. Many times they will ask which language you prefer. The trick there is to insist on speaking Spanish. For example, we always ask for restaurant menus in Spanish. It can be difficult at times, but I feel a real sense of accomplishment when I can have even a short conversation in Spanish with someone and we’ve reached an understanding or even made a joke.

How does this relate to food and culture, you may wonder. In case you hadn’t realized, food is a great conversation topic and quite easy to navigate. At any market, restaurant, or festival, where or when food is present, there is invariably something to talk about with a vendor, a restauranteur, or a festival-goer. In any class, food and vegetable items constitute the bulk of vocabulary words. For example, walk through the market and you can easily learn the names of your next dinner ingredients and ask the person behind the counter what they think. You may not understand everything they say, but they will appreciate your interest in their wares.

Why stop with food? From there it is easy to branch out to cover other interests with the locals. Say hello or mention the weather to someone in line with you at the butcher or in a fitness class. Switch from English to the native tongue with your landlord or dog-sitter. Since you have a relationship with them, they will help you along. Be really brave and use your new language with your barber or dentist (you might want to keep Google Translate handy for a few sessions). We also intend to follow Theresa’s advice regarding group activities. Les and I noticed that Barcelona teaches gardening classes. We don’t know if they are in Catalan⁵ or Spanish, but we will sign up for one if they offer them in Spanish. We might struggle but we may meet some interesting people. There are also cooking classes that we can take advantage of through several kitchen supply stores around town.

Les and I hope this is offered in Spanish. We may struggle but we’ll probably learn some new vocabulary.

Ultimately, my recommendation is that if you find yourself living in a country where you don’t know the language, by all means, register for a legitimate in-person⁶ language course. After learning the basics (you have to crawl before you can walk), then start using the language. Sitting in front of a computer screen or staring into your phone and shouting words or phrases, relying on the app’s AI to help you become fluent is not going to make you sound like a native speaker. Likewise, when you do venture out, talk about food. It’s simple, it’s ubiquitous and everybody eats!

Works Cited

^* Tom Tom Club. “Wordy Rappinghood.” Tom Tom Club, Sire Records, 1981. I just wanted to give a shout out to the Tom Tom Club, a group and album I loved back in the early 80s.

¹ “Live from Paris, It’s Emily Cooper.” Emily in Paris, created by Darren Star, performance by Lily Collins, season 3, episode 4, Darren Star Productions, Jax Media, and MTV Entertainment Studios, 2022.

² Lost in Translation. Directed by Sofia Coppola, performances by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, Focus Features, 2003.

³ A common theme I here over and over from many English speakers living in Barcelona is that they don’t want to take Spanish language classes. Rather, they would prefer to find a tutor with whom they could engage in conversation and learn Spanish that way. While that method may have its merits, in my opinion, I don’t think any strict conversation only method is 100% effective. After all, when children learn to use language, eventually, they have to go to school to learn to read and write. So yes, grammar, reading, and writing skills will be important in order to become proficient. As the saying goes, “you have to crawl before you can walk.”

⁴ Conroy, Theresa. “Stop Learning, Start Talking.” Substack, 22 Nov 2024.

Stop Learning, Start Talking

Accessed 6 Dec 2024.

⁵ For many official government-sponsored activities, Catalan seems to be the preferred language. To the uninitiated, it may appear to be a dialect of Spanish. Never say that to a Catalonian! Catalan is a separate language, closer to the French spoken in Provence than Spanish. Les and I expect that we will have the opportunity to learn it once we’ve become more fluent in Spanish.

⁶ In other words, do your due diligence before registering and plunking down hundreds of dollars for a class. Checking online reviews is the best bet but they can be skewed towards those looking for an enjoyable rather than learning experience. There will be more than enough time to visit bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, go sightseeing, and take day trips out of town. You won’t need to go to a language school to participate in those kinds of activities.