How good does one's Spanish need to be, or any language for that matter, before they should be able to boast that they know/speak Spanish?
My opinion is you need to be able to watch a telenovela --a spanish soap opera--and be able to understand everything that is being said.
Thoughts?
Anyway, using my own standard, I don't know/speak Spanish, but I am working on it, and have been for a number of years.
I won't lecture anyone about why they need to learn Spanish, because the truth, is I don't think most retired people are going to want to invest the time required to learn the language. It is often a tedious and boring process, requiring lots of studying.
That said, people can learn to ask for things in a restaurant and say basic courtesies without too much effort.