Hello, lovely to meet you all!
My name is Lara, I’m 23 and a Spanish language graduate. I came to live in Madrid last September to work as an English teaching assistant in a school and practise the language. So, over the next few months I’ll be talking to you all about life in Spain!
So far it’s been amazing. As Madrid is the capital, there is lots to see and do. So many tabernas (typical Spanish bar & tapas restaurants), parks and shows (Flamenco shows are really cool!). I really enjoy walking around exploring the city as a pastime, but I do plan on travelling the country a bit and visiting other cities too.
I’ left you ‘Day in the Life’ to show you what I get up to on a daily basis here. From the route I take to my school every day, the stunning city walks, visiting the mediaeval town of Toledo (which we circled in a tourist train!) to all the lovely food (churros with chocolate are my favourite so far!). Spain is big on electric scooters too, to become a bit greener.
I hope you enjoy it, and please leave me any questions or comments on what you think!
Here’s a pic of me at my happiest in Madrid:
Lara in Spain 
Here are the answers to your questions, they were really good ones!
Is it expensive living in Spain?
Generally, Spain is not a very expensive place to live in. Madrid can be pricey at times as it is a big city, but you quickly learn to look out for cheap shops and restaurants! Transport is not very expensive, I pay €10 a month for unlimited metro, train and bus travel within Madrid.
Are schools bigger than in Scotland/the UK?
I would say you get bigger and smaller schools just like in Scotland, but not any bigger.
Are the people nice?
People here are very nice and they have a great sense of humour! They might seem rude at times and not as polite as British people, but it’s just Spanish culture, you shouldn’t be offended by it.
Do you have/use an electric scooter?
I sometimes use electric scooters, but I tend to use the metro more than anything. Buying one is very expensive so I normally rent them through apps called Lime and Bird.
What languages do pupils learn at school?
Schools in Madrid may offer regular English, French and German classes, but there are bilingual schools where at least 70% of classes need to be taught in the target language. So, for example, even P.E. classes are taught in English! I work in a trilingual school that teaches classes in French and English, there is even an option to learn Mandarin!
Do pupils find it hard to learn English?
As English is very different from Spanish, some pupils find it hard, especially with pronouncing things correctly. The pupils at my school are always keen to speak to me in English and they say it helps!
What’s the weather like?
Madrid is very hot and sunny during Spring, Summer and a good part of Autumn. It can get cold and rainy at times during Winter. The South and West Coast of Spain is usually warmer, and the North and East Coast are a bit more wet and cold.
Did you find it hard to learn Spanish?
At the start it wasn’t too difficult for me to learn Spanish because I also know Italian, and they’re very similar languages. There are still many things I struggle with, but getting to speak it everyday helps so much!
What’s the most difficult thing you’ve had to say/translate while in Spain?
There are a lot of technical terms I didn’t know, like ‘bank account’ and ‘flat deposit’. When I was looking for a flat I didn’t know how to ask if the flat was furnished (amueblado) and I almost rented a completely empty flat!
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