Language in Ibiza

L

Lauren

New Member
Hi there, my family are moving to Ibiza next year with two children. I was wondering which language I should be getting the little ones to learn in preparation for schooling. The adults are all learning Spanish but need to know what language the lessons are taught in.

Thanks
Lauren:)
 
all the state schools in ibiza teach in catalan. there are private and semi-private schools where the teaching is in spanish, english or french.

what age are your kids?
 
But do most of the local adults understand Spanish (or would you recomend learning Catalan if you want to live there in the future).
 
kingfisher said:
But do most of the local adults understand Spanish (or would you recomend learning Catalan if you want to live there in the future).
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i'd say all the local adults understand spanish perfectly, even if its not there mother tongue.

the issue isn't so much one or the either really. spanish is more important generally as many people who live and work in ibiza aren't catalan speakers so spanish is the lingua franca. also, even those who do understand/speak catalan, also do in spanish.

BUT, if your kid is in school and learning in catalan and has to do homework in catalan, etc, etc, etc..........then the need to know that language speaks for itself.
 
Thanks Grego, both of my kids already speak Spanish, but its unlikely that either will be with us when we eventually come to live in Ibiza in the future.

The question related to the wife and myself. We didn't want to spend time learning Spanish to find on landing on Ibiza that we would have been better learning Catalan.
 
kingfisher said:
Thanks Grego, both of my kids already speak Spanish, but its unlikely that either will be with us when we eventually come to live in Ibiza in the future.

The question related to the wife and myself. We didn't want to spend time learning Spanish to find on landing on Ibiza that we would have been better learning Catalan.
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in that case i'd just stick with the spanish. no harm in learning the basics as depending on the village/area you live, you may find catalan dominates but as said, everyone speaks spanish, perhaps reluctantly sometimes, anyway.
 
State school, The lessons are in Catalan, The playground is in Spanish, The school that my Daughter attends provide extra Catalan tuition until they are ready to join the mainstream classes, Other than state , there is the choice of private English school and I believe there is a private French school here ( not 100% on that )
But think of Spanish > Catalan is similar to English > Welsh, They will need it after if they go to a Catalan uni but other than that and talking to the island "oldies" Does not seem to be used as a language much, lot`s of bi-lingual signs about.

Have a good one
Tim
 
i have to totally disagree with this common perception of catalan in ibiza.

the comparison that british people make between it and welsh is absolutely ridiculous. not only does catalan have a literate population comparable to that of hebrew, greek or czech, and more than languages like swedish or danish. but....

a) it is the predominant native language of the island. imagine going to live in holland and not learning dutch, just because everyone speaks english.
b) it is a historic european language that should be preserved and protected as much as possible. otherwise, in 100 years, it will have disappeared almost.
c) it is the language of governance (i can't think of any better way of being disenfranchised than not knowing catalan)
d) all jobs for the local councils require catalan, so one of the best sources of annual, well paid, long term for your kids could be forgotten about.
e) people say only the older generation speak catalan. that is utter rubbish, my normal day consists of speaking in catalan to the people i meet and places i go more than spanish...(school, supermarket, gym, coffee in ibiza town, etc, etc).

finally, if the above doesn't sway you of the importance of catalan, then knowing it will make learning french, or any other romance language, much easier for your children.

visca catala!!
 
But the language is ibiza is not the catalan!!! There are several differences. I recommend to learn spanish, and after catalan...
 
oswill said:
But the language is ibiza is not the catalan!!! There are several differences. I recommend to learn spanish, and after catalan...
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oscar, to make it easier, i didn't want to bring up the differences of dialect, because that confuses the argument. whether you call it ibicenco or catalan, it makes no difference to what i'm saying.

if anything it strengthens my argument.
 
English Teacher in Ibiza

Hey there ;)

I´m looking for a job as German or English teacher in Ibiza in summer 2009.
I´ll finish my studies and exams in june and beginning of july.
Please let me know if there is some kind of language school or other type of school.

I´m also a private teacher, at the moment I work for a lovely family and I teach English and Arts in grammar schools in Salzburg, Austria. If you are looking for a young, enthusiastic, honest and skilled Eglisch- Arts- or German teacher for teaching children or adults please let me know.

Thank you!
warm regards,

mary- lou
 
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