Spanish people can't speak English. Is that so?

Apparently, yes. Surveys say that most Spaniards cannot get by in Shakespeare's tongue (only 22% feels able to express themselves in English, according to a 2014 study conducted by the European Comission's Eurobarometer).  Public figures are no exception. In this article we show you some embarrassing moments of Spanish politicians and people in the banking, cinema and sports businesses speaking English. Warning: theses videos might hurt your ears and make you cringe.

Madrid's bid to host the 2020 Olympics left several unforgettable moments. We pick two. The first one, this super brief intervention by Alejandro Blanco, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee:

 

Yes, you heard right, "No listen the ask". He seemed a little bit angry, didn't he? But the star, no doubt, was Ana Botella, Madrid Mayor:

She had learnt the speech by heart, and not even so... Her "fake" pronunciation and exagerated expression made her the target of numerous criticism and most of all... parodies! Besides the legendary "Chuck Norris gets mad when he hears Ana Botella speaking English", this song is among our favourites:

Her husband, former Prime Minister José María Aznar,  also left notable contributions. The audio in this video is real:

Spanish politicians and the English language don't seem to get along very well, which most likely took its toll in international meetings. In this video, watch Aznar's successor as Primer Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, try to explain another former Primer Minister, Felipe González's hobby: growing bonsais.  

Our difficulties speaking English go back a long way, actually. This is dictator Francisco Franco:

New generations of politicians don't seem to be off the hook. Meet Pablo Iglesias, the leader of the new political party Podemos:

Talking about macaronic English, a clear winner emerges from the banking industry. Even after having presumably rehearsed the script several times, this is how Emilio Botín, late president of Banco Santander, sounded:

Sports figures provide us with good examples, too. This is footballer Sergio Ramos' Christmas message. Priceless:

Ever wanted to know more about Santiago Bernabéu Stadium? Raúl González tells you... Let's see if you can understand...

 And here is Jesús Gil, late president of Atlético de Madrid (and former Mayor of Marbella, one of the most touristic cities in Spain), giving his view on a racist affair:

Yet another profession where good English speakers are not easy to find: actors (so it says casting director Pep Armengol in this article). And film directors, as these videos show. Watch the speeches of Pedro Almodóvar and José Luis Garci after winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

The list could go on... Fortunately, there also are examples of the opposite. Saying that Spaniards can't speak English, or that their English is bad, is a rather unfair generalization. Some of our best sports players (Pau and Marc Gasol, for instance) and actors (Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem) have improved and now speak English fluently. 

How did they do it? Good teachers and linguistic and cultural immersion. Exactly what you can get at our courses, and thus not sound in Spanish like the Spaniards above sound in English. The fact that most Spaniards can't get by in English is good for you as a Spanish learner. You will be able to practise the language profusely. But don't panic if you are a beginner: Tía Tula's staff can speak English well (maybe not The Queen's English, but fluent English). Although we try to get you to speak Spanish as much as possible, should we need to, we can communicate in English. 

Here is a Youtube playlist with all the videos in this article, and then some.

Semana Santa in Salamanca

A reminder to all Tia Tula students - Thursday 2nd or Friday 3rd April are public holidays, and thus there will be no lessons on either of these dates.

Most of you reading this will be aware that this week is Semana Santa.  But what is it all about?

Semana Santa is the Spanish term for the week leading up to Easter Sunday.  The celebration dates back to the 16th century, when the Catholic Church decided to make the story of the Passion of Christ accessible to the illiterate masses. They decided that the most effective way of doing this would be to hold a series of processions depicting scenes from the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, collectively known as the ´Passion Narratives’.

Every year, each of the cofradías católicas or Catholic brotherhoods carries a ’paso’ or float, depicting a different scene from the Passion Narratives. The pasos are elaborately decorated, and the participants often dress in cloaks and hoods, known as capas and capirotes. Some processions are accompanied by a band, playing a selection of sombre and atmospheric songs, whereas others take place in mournful silence. The participants carrying the paso are called costaleros, whilst those following the float are called penitentes.

Salamanca

As one would expect from a city so imbued in history and culture, Salamanca has one of the oldest celebrations in Spain. According to local history, the earliest procession can be traced back to 1240. Although the processions in this region are less carnivalesque than those held further south, they are nonetheless an intense and vivid experience, and well worth attending.

But what about this year?

10,000 'penitents' associated with 16 brotherhoods will take to the streets between Viernes de Dolores (Friday of Sorrows, the penultimate Friday before Easter, this year Friday 27th) and Domingo de Pascua (Easter Sunday), carrying 41 different pasos.

For a full list of processions, see the official Semana Santa website. ´Horarios y Recorridos'.

An exhibition of Semana Santa posters, or carteles, is open to the public at Vialia (the train station). The exhibition closes 5th April.

On Las Águedas day, women rule

Saint Agatha in a painting by Zurbarán. Public Domain

A day in which women have the power? Yes, it’s today and the occasion is known as Las Águedas. It is celebrated in various towns and villages across Spain, Salamanca and its province among them.

The festivitie commemorates the history of Saint Agatha of Sicily, considered to be protector of women.The martyr decided to stay a virgin, something that would bring her enormous pain and suffering. After she turned down the proconsul of Sicily’s sexual propositions, young Agatha was tortured and her breasts were cut off. Saint Peter healed her wounds during a visión, but the tortures continued and she was knocked over live coal.

On February, 5th, day of the saint, women have the power. In many councils they are handed a sceptre of command. Special Masses and parades are held.

But the festivity is not exclusively religious. Numerous groups of female friends gather to party on the streets. Some choose to wear the traje charro (regional costume) and plunge into traditional dances. One of the most popular spots for this in Salamanca is, of course, plaza Mayor, the main square:

   

The celebrations continue around a table, where women have lunch or dinner, be it at restaurants or at some association’s premises. It can also last til late at night: a lot of bars and night clubs offer shows especially for women. 

The Three Wise Men

On January 6th Spanish people celebrate one of their biggest holidays – the arrival of the Three Wise Men (los Reyes Magos). It is a deeply rooted Christian tradition but it is not the reason why all children in Spain love it. Santa Claus may be the deal in other countries, but in Spain The Three Wise Men are the real deal and thus the ones who bring presents and sweets to children (and sometimes to adults, too). However, even though Spanish culture is strong, it does get influenced by others, mainly Western, cultures and so now even Santa Claus (Papá Noel) brings presents at times. That is mostly due to the fact that if children receive the presents on January 6, they have less time to play with them before school resumes than if they receive them on December 24.

Los Reyes Magos, or The Epiphany, is a joyful festivity taking place not only inside people’s houses but also on the streets all over Spain with big parades and crowds set on celebrating the Three Wise Men who were first to acknowledge Jesus as the son of God. The parades usually take place on the evening before the Epiphany, January 5th. There’s also a bit of re-enactment taking place as the three kings, Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthasar, walk through the town and ‘throw’ goodies at the people standing by the parade route (of course it’s mostly children because that’s who the candies are meant for).

Later in the evening on January 5th, children put out their shoes where the kings can see them and prepare some food, water and hay for them and their camels to refresh themselves after their long journey. And then, in the morning on January 6th, they will find presents in their shoes and other signs that the Three Wise Men indeed came to their house (the camels of course drank the water and ate the hay). This holiday has been special to the Spanish people for a long time, however, since 1885 it has been officially acknowledged by the government and since then it remains the longest standing parade in Spain.