Find Us On… … …
Spanish Tests for New Residents of The Canary Islands
Published April 1, 2011 | 
As part of efforts to preserve the Spanish language, and particularly to stem the dilution of the language within the Canaries… there is a new procedure that will be rolled out from January 1st 2012. This new process will take the form of a written test to assess the general understanding of the Spanish language. The exact details are to be finalised, but our contact at the Cabildo informs us that it will most likely take the form of a 50 question test of everyday phrases in Spanish, with multiple choice answer selections. Questions will include phrases that you would use to find your way around a hospital, weights and measures, numbers, days of the week, correct phraseology when handling money, and a basic element of conversational Spanish. You will need to gain a pass of at least 80% in order to receive your Residencia.
Over the past couple of years, the Cabildos (Canary Island governmental bodies) have been offering free Spanish lessons to new residents as part of their desire to make life so much easier for all of us to integrate into our new homes as seamlessly as possible.Unfortunately, these free classes have not been as popular as the government would have hoped. This being said, the free classes will continue, and they would like to encourage all of us to avail ourselves of this fantastic opportunity. You can find out more about these classes by visiting your local Ayuntamiento (Town Hall). They start around September / October each year and come in three levels: basic, intermediate and advanced.
The new rules only apply to people applying for the relatively new paper style “Certificado de Extranjeros” or “Residencia” as it is more commonly known amongst the British and Irish.
The following people are exempt:
- Persons living in the Canary Islands who are already registered under the Green Paper scheme of “Residencia” (Persons who currently hold the old credit card sized Residencia, are not exempt… and will be required to sit the test when their cards run out),
- Persons who are applying only for a NIE number
- Persons spending less than 183 days per year in Spain
There is a department being set up as we speak that will help to coach people through the new process, including some classes and support should you need it. The support will of course be offered in the language of your originating country language, in order to conform to EU anti-discrimination laws. This will be overseen and run by the Cabildo, but will be physically based inside the Police Stations, where you currently apply for your certificado de extranjero. This will be rolled out across the Canary Islands.
So… you have no time to lose. Make sure that you learn as much Spanish as you possibly can, in order to be ready when the time comes.
(This post was an April Fool’s Joke from 2011)
Speaking Spanish – Body Parts
Published February 4, 2011 | One of my most upsetting and frustrating experiences since moving to Lanzarote was when I needed to go to the hospital. Although I could vaguely converse in general terms… I had no clue about body parts, symptoms or related Spanish words. The reception staff, porters amd triage were fortunately very patient with me… and all was going well until I saw a female doctor who was obviously having a bad day. She was brutal to say the least.
To save you going through the same experience… here are a list of Spanish words that you may find useful Continue reading
Speaking Spanish at the Post Office
Published January 28, 2011 | This is a place that I have been really lazy at – and only tend to ask for any post for my address. But of course there are many situations at the Post Office (Correos) where other phrases would be useful. So here are just a few to help you along your way.
How much does it cost to send a letter to England, please? – ¿Cuánto cuesta para mandar una carta en Inglaterra, por favor?
Three stamps please – Tres sellos por favor. (to remember the wors sello for stamps… just remember that they are sticky like SELLOtape)
What time is the next collection please? – ¿A quél hora está la proxima recogida, por favor?
Will you weigh this parcel for me, please – Puede usted pesar este paquete por mí, por favor.
Good luck!
Speaking Spanish – 21st Jan 2011
Published January 21, 2011 | I find personally that I can read and write Spanish a little better than I can listen and speak it. For me, it’s all about having the time to actually think about what you are seeing or hearing. Of course I have my regular conversations that I’m very comfortable with… but I do struggle quite a bit outside of the norm. Of course this always presents an opportunity to learn something new… so here are a couple of phrases for if you are in a similar situation
Would you write that down please – ¿Puede usted escribirlo, por favor? (This one is useful for if you really can’t get the phrasing… and find it easier to read)
How is that pronounced? – ¿Como la pronuncia? (This one is great if you see a sign or poster that you would like to be able to say correctly – great for menus too!)
Good luck! And don’t forget to let us know how you get on!
Speaking Spanish – 14th Jan 2011
Published January 14, 2011 | We are giving you some useful phrases over the coming weeks… so check in every Friday morning to catch the latest.
Because we have just gone from 2010 to 2011… many of you will alñready know “Feliz año nuevo”, which means Happy New Year. Note the the ñ has a tilda on top of it. It’s a tad rude if you just put n – you have been warned.
But how many of you know what is Spanish for Happy Easter?
Here you go… … … Feliz Pascua
Useful Spanish Phrases – Wedding & Marriage
Published November 28, 2010 | 
The lovely Peter from Streetwise Spanish has kindly given us another article – and this one makes a great read as usual. Enjoy!
Must-Know Helpful Spanish Phrases For Weddings
Although many couples choose to live together these days, the institute of marriage continues to thrive in the Hispanic world, particularly Central and South America. In these countries, the church has a large influence and soon, a great couple I know from Venezuela will marry so this is an ideal time to share a small selection of practical Spanish words and phrases to do with getting hitched.
Learning to Speak Spanish – Essential phrases for driving in Lanzarote and Spain
Published November 3, 2010 | 
When you’re spending time visiting or moving to Lanzarote, which is a Spanish-speaking area, you’re going to want to travel around to take-in as much as possible. These days, motor cars offer travellers an independent, convenient way to get around and you’re now going to discover some really easy, practical phrases for driving in Lanzarote.
It’s so simple to hire an automobile, the Spanish is::
Quisiera alquilar un coche – I would like to rent a car
And depending on what you prefer, you can tack-on:
De marchas for manual gearing or automático for automatics. Along with your credit cards, don’t forget to take your driver’s license – carnet de conducir – and your pasaporte.
In the towns in Lanzarote, the traffic – el tráfico – can occasionally be busy and during rush hour – la hora punta – expect a higher level of vehicles on the road. Very, very occasionally, you may experience traffic jams – atascos. When negotiating through the traffic, you’ll need to watch out for bicycles and scooters – motos – many containing a passenger riding on the pillion. To ride pillion is called “ir de paquette“, and as you continue to learn how to speak Spanish, it’s a very cool phrase to sprinkle into your streetwise vocab.
A freeway is “una autopista“, a road is “un camino” and a highway is “una carretera“. Traffic lights – semáforos – are pretty much the same as anywhere and you’ll also have to navigate around the many traffic islands which are fittingly called “las islas“. Lanzarote currently has traffic lights in, and around, Arrecife, but this year they were also installed on the dual carriageway in Playa Blanca. You will soon start seeing them in other areas too.
Speeding - la velocidad excesiva – is punishable by a hefty fine – una multa – and in Lanzarote, speed cameras – los radares – are always moving about, operated by the Guardia Civil. Sometimes a ban – una prohibición de conducir – will accompany the fine so it’s worth sticking to the limit.
Lanzarote is a relatively small island, so you are not likely to be driving long distances – conducir distancias largas – but be prepared for that in Spain, as this also will involve negotiating toll roads – carreteras de peaje – so you’ll be paying for the pleasure of your journey.
To conclude, parking in the towns of Lanzarote is usually a major pain. The towns have a small number of proper car parks – los aparcamientos – a couple of them underground – aparcamientos subterráneos – however, parking your car on the street can be risky, especially in drop-off zones. In addition to receiving a fine for illegally parking your car – una multa de aparcamiento – your car may be towed away – quitar el coche - by the tow-truck – la grúa – and before you can retrieve it, you must have paid your fine in full. An unpleasant event I’m sure you’ll want to miss!
Just use this Spanish phrase to find good places to park:
¿Dónde está el aparcamiento más cercano? – Where is the nearest car park?
If you do take the risk of parking in an unauthorised zone and somebody shouts:
¡Viene la grúa! – the tow-truck is coming!
Get your car moved and pronto!
Barcelona-based Peter Christian is the author of “Streetwise Spanish”, a fun guide showing you how to speak Spanish with an authentic flair and you can add many more vibrant, useful Spanish phrases to your vocab by signing up for your free weekly Spanish tips only on the Streetwise Spanish website.
A massive thank you to Peter for this article… which is the first in a series that he is kindly sharing with us. We got to know Peter through his book, and we have an interview with him coming to this site – so do keep an eye out for that coming soon! We will also be reviewing the book… and sharing our thoughts with you all.
Learn Spanish – months of the year
Published October 22, 2010 | Like the days of the week, the Spanish months are not capitalised, and are all masculine. Continue reading
Learn Spanish – Days of the week in Spanish
Published October 21, 2010 | Here is a helpful guide to learn the days of the week in Spanish. Continue reading
Learn Spanish FREE!
Published January 15, 2010 | There are so many courses available on the internet… some paid for, and some for free. However… the lovely Lynn Cobb from Javea has kindly provided us with an exclusive 152 page Spanish Lesson document completely free, to set you on your way.
You will need to have Adobe installed on your computer to download the document – but give it a try, and let us know how you get on. Simply click the link below.
Learn-aprender spanish course pdf for internet
Lynn also offers email support for the entire course for a one off fee of just €50 – great value… and with her experience of teaching Spanish… a definite consideration. We’ve been talking to Lynn for some time now, and find her approachable, friendly, and extremely helpful.
We receive no money for promoting Lynn and her services – she’s just great! Here is some more information about Lynn.
My name’s Lynn & I’m married with two daughters, 10 & nearly 14. We moved to Jávea at the end of 2003, after having lived for a short time in the US (I hated it!)
My husband was still working in the US when we moved here, & no sooner had we settled the girls into school he had to go back there for a few weeks! I suddenly realised that I was in a strange country with 2 little kids, could do no more than order a coffee in Spanish & didn’t even know how to phone an ambulance if I needed to!
I resolved there & then to learn Spanish as quickly as possible, so signed up for an intensive course.
About 3 years later I started teaching Spanish, almost by accident. The course I have written was originally a series of lessons for some groups that I teach. It’s aimed at absolute beginners, and is intended to give you the tools for day to day living – not teach you the ins & outs of Spanish grammar!
Recent Comments