What Language to Learn?

[zenb]

Hi all,
I'm currently planning a long trek in the spring, after getting a taste for the Camino by doing the Portuguese route.

I had an idea to perhaps do the Camino Frances but start somewhere along the Le Puy route to make most of the Pyrenees.

I'll have all sorts of questions later on, but one thing I need to think about now well ahead is languages.
I'd like to learn either some French or Spanish, but which do you think is more important for getting by?

- The French route is going to have a higher proportion of French speakers, but I'll be spending less time in France.
- Spanish is a language I'd love to learn, but it seems easier to get by on the more developed Spanish Camino.

Opinions?
Cheers, Ben

[Covey]

It rather depends on where you start!

If you start your Portuguese Camino in Lisbon, then you need a decent smattering of Portuguese. If you start in Porto, then you can get by on English in most places. If you started in Le Puy, then you will spend 4 weeks walking to St Jean and the base of the Pyrenees so some French would be good.

On the Camino Frances in Spain, you can get by on whatever language you normally speak. English gets you anywhere and many in the Camino industry speak enough German, and Italian to get by. All Spanish students have learned English for the past 25 years, but getting them to speak it is another ball game!!

The Basque Region has its own language which confuses folk, so you pays your money and takes your choice!!!

[zenb]

Sorry I wasn't very clear, but I did the Portuguese route earlier in the year :P

From what you say maybe extending my high-school French should be my priority. I guess I can learn Spanish at another time!

[Atlantic]

If as you say you have school French, then work to improve that and take a phrase book too.

If you are on the Francés, then as you say, you will get by on that very busy route. But I'd take a phrase book as a minimum.