28 The Linguist Vol/61 No/4 2022
thelinguist.uberflip.com
OPINION & COMMENT
"The one thing we want to do is try paella"
was the only request from a group of friends
when they came to visit me in Madrid. But,
unbeknownst to them, paella is from Valencia,
which means that in Madrid it often isn't
authentic. When my sister visited, she wanted
to see a flamenco show – another typical
Spanish experience that isn't from Madrid.
I have been very fortunate this year in the
amount I have been able to travel. My
Spanish friends joke that I've seen more of
Spain than they have, as I've visited 24 towns
and cities so far. This has not only allowed me
to see more of this beautiful country, but also
to understand its rich culture. Flamenco is
from Andalucía, performed in streets and
bars there, often for free. A traditional paella
in Valencia often won't include seafood, but
is made with chicken, vegetables and rabbit.
Before my year abroad, I hadn't known about
such regional differences, or that some things
are best enjoyed in their home regions.
Another thing that changes from region to
region is the language. Despite Castellano
(Spanish) being spoken throughout the
country as an official language, 6 of the 19
cities and autonomous regions have other
official languages as well. In Galicia they
speak Gallego, which shares similarities with
Portuguese, while Catalan is spoken
throughout Cataluña, parts of Valencia and
across the Balearic Islands.
On top of this, some areas have strong
regional accents, which sound so different to
the Spanish spoken in Madrid – and to the
Spanish I have been taught – that it might as
well be another language. People often joke
that Andalucians only say half of every word,
making it hard to understand them. But when
comprehension is difficult, people are usually
understanding when I ask them to repeat
what they are saying. I have particularly
enjoyed picking up idioms and everyday
phrases that don't easily transfer to English.
One of my favourites is por si las moscas (lit.
'for if the flies'), meaning 'just in case'.
Two factors have made my on-off tour of
Spain possible: working as a language
assistant and the location of Madrid. Working
only 16 hours a week means I have a lot of
free time, while having a regular income and
an Erasmus grant (Brexit didn't quite take that
away from me!) has given me the disposable
income to widen my Spanish experiences.
Madrid is in the middle of the country,
making it easy to travel both north and south.
Now, whenever I have visitors, I know what
to show them and where to take them for a
true Madrileño experience, rather than trying
to provide a 'Spanish' experience: walking
through Retiro Park, enjoying a vermouth
after visiting El Rastro flea market, taking in
views of the Royal Palace, and visiting my
favourite tucked-away tapas bars. You'll
definitely know you're in Spain, but these are
the things that make Madrid unique.
GEMMA MCBAIN
Gemma McBain is in her third
year of a German and Spanish BA
at the University of Southampton.
TL
Gemma
learns
about
regional
culture
and
language
differences
as
she
travels
Spain
as
part
of
her
year
abroad
Third year interrupted
DAY TRIP
Gemma with her sister in El Escorial
