I am studying abroad in Spain this summer, and currently taking a class that is supposed to help me prepare to adjust to life in Spain. I have to find the answers to the following quesions (I know, some are rather strange:) ....
1) What are local attitudes toward Americans?
2)What do you say when you answer the phone?
3) What will local reactions be to a language related "mistake"?
4)How do you initiate contact with strangers?
5)What titles do you use for elders?
6) How do you politely decline an offer?

Sorry this is so long, but I dont know where to find answers to these questions other then to ask people who have had first hand experience. ANY advice would be great:) Thanks!!

Here are some quick answers, or at least pointers in the right general direction:
1) Difficult one as it's a broad question. I recall a debate on the subject here, so do a search. You might find that Spaniards often consider North Americans as nice, friendly and outgoing, albeit a bit naive and innocent.
2) ¿si?; ¿Diga?; Dime (at home - it's different in business.
3) Spaniards are tolerant in this respect, and despite your mistakes will probably compliment you on your Spanish. Humorous faux pas will be laughed at mercilessly.
4) If you smoke, it's easy to ask for a light or a cigarette. It really depends on the situation and your intentions. But I find Spaniards less likely to strike up conversations with total strangers than their US counterparts.
5) Just use the Usted form, and the odd señor or señora
6) Depends what they offer. A firm No, gracias is usually enough.
Hope that helps. Any other opinions?

Great questions...here's my attempt at a few answers.

1) What are local attitudes toward Americans?

Friendly and interested with respect to individual Americans and many (though not all) American products; often critical with respect to the US government (and some cheesy US movies!). My husband and I have a joke about how popular "American-style" clothes are in Spain...people will often wear things with "faux-English" sayings on them--we got a little sweatshirt from Zara for our daughter with a butterfly and "Superquicklyflyer" embroidered on it. Doug and I walked through the streets of Segovia, joking about how Spanish teens (both male and female) would go crazy for our imagined line of "Kitty-Wow" jeans. We could just imagine all these teen boys in their "Kitty-Wow" t-shirts.

2)What do you say when you answer the phone?

Diga or digame. You would respond with "Hola, soy <yourname>," and your request or greeting.

3) What will local reactions be to a language related "mistake"?

Friendly. Many Spanish-speakers will wait patiently while you grope for a word, while others will fill in the blanks for you. Just smile. They will, indeed, laugh (with you, not really AT you) at silly mistakes (like when you tell someone you're pregnant when you meant to say embarrassed).

4)How do you initiate contact with strangers?

Smile, ask for the time or directions--same as here. People seem less likely to strike up conversations with strangers in many settings, though--I never saw people begin conversations in grocery lines or while waiting in cafes, for example.

5)What titles do you use for elders?

Usted.

6) How do you politely decline an offer?

No, gracias--or if someone offers you food or drink and you really don't want any, but don't want to give offense, ask for un poco, with an apologetic smile. Tougher is the problem of FORCEFULLY declining offers of tissues, gum, lottery tickets, strings of garlic, etc. from vendors on the street. If you seem too interested or persuadable, they will pester you. Then you can be more forceful with your "No, gracias" and work up through "NO!" with a dismissing wave of the hand all the way to something along the lines of "leave me alone."

Kelar419 writes: It depends on the context of the situation. Oiga, or Oyefor example, translates to 'listen;' but it's used like 'hey.'
Señor or Señora are usually adequate. Often the lady of the house may be referred to as Doña like Doña Maria o Doña Luisa and I have on occasion heard the Hotel Manager referred to by his employees as Don: Don Cesar Ballesteros at the Hotel Bahia Vigo in Vigo, Pontevedra (Galicia)
No, gracias. ¿No entiendes? ¡He dicho que NO! ¡Deja me en paz! ¡Suelta!

Good answers everyone, just a couple of comments.

When answering the phone I always say '¿sí?', but it's true that many, many people say '¿diga?' or '¿digame?'. I would never use the much less formal '¿dime?' even at home, just in case!!! ('cause you never know, do you?....)

If you want to approach a stranger on the street the proper (and polite) way, just do as in English; I guess you would say: excuse me, pardon me; well, go with: 'disculpe', 'perdone'. Or if they're obviously quite young 'disculpa', or 'perdona'. That way you're more likely to get a good mannered response

And finally, when addressing older people, please always use 'usted'(singular) or 'ustedes'(plural). To me at least, it sounds so rude when youngsters call them 'tu' or 'vosotros'! (Of course this can be hard to do at the beginning since you don't make that distinction in English, but it's worth the try )

Saludos,

p

Pim, most of the Spanish classes I have taken have made the tu/Usted distinction really clear...I think it's one of the first things many teachers tell students. So really, aside from getting flustered or confused, there's no reason to "forget" to use "usted." I try to use it with anyone who's clearly older than I am, but I never know whether I should with shopkeepers or clerks, who are around my age. What about with new casual acquaintances?

And what's the proper way to invite someone to switch from Usted to tu?

A similar idea is how, in America, many people still use the more formal "Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss" with the person's last name until the person invites them to use their first name.

to switch you would ask.."nos podemos tutear?"..most people will say yes.

Just found this online. I would translate, but it wouldn't be funny that way!!

La pequeña diferencia entre "Tu" y "Usted"

El director general de un banco se preocupa por un joven director estrella, que después de un periodo de trabajar a la par de el, sin parar nunca ni para almorzar, se empieza a ausentarse al mediodía.

Llama al detective privado del banco y le dice: "Siga a López un día entero, no vaya a ser que ande en algo dudoso."

El detective cumple con el cometido, vuelve e informa: "López sale normalmente al mediodía, toma su auto, va a su casa a almorzar, luego le hace el amor a su mujer, se fuma uno de sus excelentes cigarros y vuelve a trabajar."

"Ah, bueno, menos mal, no hay nada malo en todo eso."

"¿Puedo tutearlo, señor?" Pregunta el detective.

"Si, como no", responde sorprendido el director.

"Repito: López sale normalmente al mediodía, toma tu auto, va a tu casa a almorzar, luego le hace el amor a tu mujer, se fuma uno de tus excelentes cigarros y vuelve a trabajar".

Hi!

Good chiste taravb

1) What are local attitudes toward Americans?

Curiousity I would say... americans are so rare in Spain...

2)What do you say when you answer the phone?

I always say "digame" or "diga", never "dime"

3) What will local reactions be to a language related "mistake"?

If the person you are talking with speaks english he will inmediately try to switch to english to make you the things easier. Anyway, we are not impatient people

4)How do you initiate contact with strangers?

One piece of advice: Always refer people as "usted" unless he/she is under 20 years-old (more or less). It makes you seem more well-mannerd.

I won't ask elders if you can deal with him as "tu". He will say yes to ease the situation, but he will think you are bad-mannered

As for how to initiate contact, try "disculpe" (excuse me), or "perdone" (sorry).

5)What titles do you use for elders?

Usted

6) How do you politely decline an offer?

"No gracias" is enough

Hope this helps, although guys here have answered it better.

Fernando

Hello everyone, this is my first posting and long over due. I have been using Madridman's web site for information quite a while now. Even bought a video in 1999 sometime. Anyway, between then and now I lived in madrid for a year and wanted to answer questions 3 & 4.

3) "What will local reactions be to a language related mistake?"

In my opinion Spain is the best place to learn and try out your Spanish because the people are very open minded and helpful. I was never made to feel silly or embarrassed. I have several Latin American friends, live in South Texas and travel to Mexico City often and I feel they (Latin Americans)are very quick to criticize gramatical mistakes and my European Spanish accent. I personally never experienced this in Spain. So don't worry.

4) How do you initiate contact with strangers?

I felt it was super easy to initiate contact with stragners especially in Madrid. I don't know how many times I have been on the metro and someone would just start talking to me. That's what I love about Madrid and Spain in general, the people. That's also whay I am returning later this year to start an MBA.

I think a lot of it has to do with how you present yourself as a person (act and dress) rather than being a certain nationality in regard to how one is accepted.

david