Controlador,
I am sorry mate but you got a severe attitude problem.
You are talking about British tourists in Spain not speaking a word spanish. fair enough i can imagine that will annoy you.
However YOU have CHOOSEN to become an air traffic controller. As part of this job you have to talk to foreign aircrew who don't speak spanish. But there is an alternative, speak English. This is part of YOUR job.
The only reason why any spanish controller uses the 'Spanish is an ICAO language' excuse is because they are not able to speak basic English
. Which is part of YOUR job.
And just for your information. Pprune is an international website and therefore there are more people replying on this thread than only British flight crew. So don't start slagging of the Brits.
I am one off these foreigners from a different country than the UK and i get completely fed up with you lot talking Spanish. When i fly over my home country i will greet them in my own language and than continue with the rest in English. But this is something i also do when checking in with a Spanish, German, Greek, etc. controller.
I can't wait till the moment everybody has to proof there proficiency in English. If i were a Spanish* controller i would get my books out and start studying because otherwise it could become very nasty.
FT.
*= Change to Greek/Italian as necessary