Learning the few phrases required to operate at LEAX really is no big deal and I'd strongly suggest you do. Write down a crib sheet and have it on your kneeboard. These days LEAX tends to be dead quiet anyway, the financial crisis having taken its toll. In any case, it's a good idea to understand Spanish radio phrases, as Spanish pilots will
always do the radio in Spanish. Understanding them definitely helps with situational awareness. At LEAX, you're in English speaking territory within about two minutes after t/o, i.e. when you switch to LEMG App.
@rmcB: it's a problem I never have, but
AFAIK the PIC position can change during flight (it certainly can in FAA-land). So, if your instructor/safety/language proficient pilot takes off and then hands the a/c to you, my understanding is that you can then log the flight time as P1 until you hand the controls back, in this case for landing. Of course, the other pilot can then only log P1 for the few minutes of t/o and landing, and you could not log the landing.
PS: the above of course assumes that the POH doesn't specify a certain seat for the P1