Expat medical insurance customers 'shouldn't rely on English in Spain'
23/11/09 10:49
Expats should take the time to learn Spanish if they are thinking about moving to the country, as in many regions foreign languages are spoken very rarely.
The Telegraph's expat blogger Anna Nicholas made her comments after a recent survey revealed 62 per cent of British holidaymakers had never learned a foreign language because English is so widely spoken abroad.
However, she pointed out that in parts of Spain you would be hard-pressed to find a fluent English speaker in the local government headquarters, let alone a small cafe or greengrocers.
"In the shops, most don't bother because the Spanish, I have discovered, are about as chauvinistic as the Brits when it comes to learning another language," she commented.
As well as making day-to-day tasks easier, learning a foreign language could also prove invaluable to expats forced to make a claim on their medical insurance policy due to an injury or illness overseas.
Earlier this month, Ms Nicholas also reported on the adverse effects that the global downturn has had on flights to and from and Majorca, with reduced flights making it difficult for expats to make it home for Christmas.
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