¡Hola Dora, soy backpack! with Ariel Winter

I've always managed to bluff Spanish to some degree; eight years of Latin at school coupled with various childhood trips to España during my childhood has led to some pretty solid listening skills, and my ever-confident persona when it comes to my international friends has meant that nodding my head and repeatedly saying "sí" creates a delightfully multilingual illusion.

When it comes to actually speaking Spanish, however, I've managed to limit myself to a few key, useful phrases. Beyond Beck lyrics and the always chipper adventures of everyone's favourite pre-school explorer, these are the Spanglish snippets that have managed to get me by  over the last few years...

¿Hablas inglés? (Do you speak English)

An obvious place to start; simply bypass your own ignorance by exploiting the fact that education on the continent is a heck of a lot better than ours. We may not speak their language, but they most certainly speak ours.

Dos cervezas por favor (two beers please)

In any language, being able to ask for a drink is vital. Once your new found friend at the bar has a few drinks in her, you probably won't have to worry too much about the language barrier anymore.

¡Fosters! (Fosters!)

As my friends and I discovered on our last trip to Catalonia, sometimes all you need is one word. Apparently, sometimes that word is simply the name of the worst beer in the world. Point and shout.

Ester hombre pagorá por todo (this man will pay for everything)

Useful in many situations, but mainly at a bar at that embarrassing moment when you realise you've misplaced your wallet, or simply want to drop your non-Spanish speaking friend in the shit.

¡Váminos! (that means "let's go!")

One for all you Dora fans, use it at your pleasure, more often than not to be directed at talking monkeys.

¿Que el queso me recomiendan? (Which cheese would you recommend?)

After a couple of beers, you may fancy some nibbles. Or you may simply take a fancy to your local cheesemonger. Or fancy some cheese. The opportunities are endless!

¡Que es un muy hermoso toro! (What a beautiful bull!)

Let's face it, Spaniards love their bovines, and what better way to garner favour with the locals than to compliment them in their choice of livestock. Also good small talk at a bullfight or the annual running of the bulls.

¿Dónde estoy? (Where am I?)

After your night on the tiles drinking Fosters and scoffing cheese, memory loss is highly likely. Use this to get yourself home. Or simply if you're lost.

Necesito unos pantalones nuevos (I need new pants)

Self explanatory really.

Lo siento, este no es mi sombrero (Sorry, this is not my sombrero)

Believe me, misunderstandings with headwear are more common than you'd think, use this to get out of any hat-based scrapes.

There you have it. Any other problems, go talk to Dora. And make sure you pack your map!