In Costa Rica, We Speak Spanish
The Arizona immigration law controversy is spilling into others states, like Alabama where gubernatorial candidate Tim James, in an attempt to boost his ratings in the polls, by coming out with a television ad “we speak English in Alabama”, promising that driver’s license testing in that state will be only in English is he elected governor.
This recent act of xenophobia brings out the question how does a small country like Costa Rica with the many languages spoken here.
Of course, any American visiting Costa Rica knows well that Spanish is the official language in the tiny Central American nation.
Canadians are the exception, for though there are two official languages in Canada – French and English – a barrage of other languages, though not official, are spoken. Just turn on a television set in Toronto.
In Costa Rica, there is no “official” second language, though English is common, especially in areas like Escazú. So is Chinese. Italian and French can be easily overheard at a local restaurant or coffee shop. And there is the variation in Spanish, from the language spoken in the old country (Spain), to Nicaraguan, to Colombian to Cuban, etc.
In reference to Alabama’s James, drivers license tests in Costa Rica – both written and driven – are in Spanish. The forms are in Spanish, the people behind the counter processing the license speak only Spanish. And so do the driving testers.
Notwithstanding, there are thousands of Americans and other non Spanish speaking drivers in Costa Rica, with a valid drivers license. Yes, if they have a drivers license from their home country, the process is abbreviated. Nonetheless, the abbreviated process is all in Spanish.
And although many foreigners, mainly Americans, refuse of find learning a new language difficult, you need to learn Spanish in Costa Rica to enjoy “purva vida”.
Speaking the language is important for the “official” part of living in Costa Rica, like getting a drivers license or a residency or any interaction with a government institution or agency.
The business and commercial part is different, here foreigners can choose the language of choice. Merchants, service providers, hotels, restaurants, etc by an large have included English in their daily transactions. Some specialty business cater to specific language groups.
This is all part of being pragmatic.
In Costa Rica, you don’t hear politicians, like in the recent presidential elections or up coming municipal elections at the end of the year, spouting that everyone should speak Spanish and that all services are in Spanish.
Lets be realistic, today’s world is different than that of the past. Foreign travel is part of modern life and not everyone is required to speak English to travel.
The Costa Rican tourism board, although officially speaks Spanish, it does provide a number of services and guides in English. The practical approach of the tourism board if to offer a place where tourists, be it English, Chinese or Italian speaking, can obtain the basic information to get gas, food, lodging and medical attention.
We are not advocating that Alabama adopt a language other than English as the official language. It should be up to foreigners to learn English, like Alabamans coming to Costa Rica learn Spanish.
This xenophobic approach by states and countries goes against a “unified” world, where people, races and cutlures come together.
Speaking a common language is important in bringing these groups together. So, in Costa Rica, we speak Spanish. But we don’t need politicians to tell us or reassure us of that.
This article is extremely misguided. The only reason that Costa Ricans are not as demanding as Americans that the native language is spoken is because Costa Rica does not face the same threat to its language that America does. Eventhough Costa Rica has a significant number of immigrants, most of their immigrants are from spanish speaking nations. In America you have a huge bloc of people who speak another language, but most troubling is their refusal to learn English. If you have numerous services catering to their native language, what incentive do these people have to learn English.
You claim that Arizon’s law is based xenophobia, this is clearly not the case. Here you have a state with over five hundred thousand illegal aliens who are an economic and social burden on the state. Arizona spends millions of dollars each year on illegal aliens and their children. As recently as a few months ago, a Arizona rancher was murdered by an illegal alien. If you want to talk about xenophobia, look no further than Costa Rica. My mother is from Costa Rica and I am extremely well verse with the Costa Rican culture. Costa Ricans cannot stand Nicaraguans and Colombians. Some of the things said about such groups by Costa Ricans pale in comparison to what is said here in the US.
Unfortunately your article is very one-sided. You refuse to look at things from the perspective of Arizona, a state that is struggling with crime and economic problems in large part due to its large illegal alien population.
good point! this is one reason i prefer to live in canada, and lived in north central europe for years – it’s international! countries like holland, germany, etc. have their official languages. they also cater to tourism by having information avail. in other languages, and employees who speak these languages. school children learn several foreign languages. the US approach is more insular. are they worried about losing their cultural identity?… this being a common complaint in canada regarding the inclusive multicultural policy. in schools, f. eg., messages sent home to parents are written in engl., vietnamese, chinese writing, spanish, etc.
In my opinion, if you move to another country it IS YOUR responsibility to learn the language of the land. It is NOT their responsibility to learn yours. We have many, many people ( mostly illegals) who come here, some for years and refuse to speak English.
Americans are NOT anti Immigration, just anti Illegal Immigration. The drain on our social services is mind boggling ! Look at it from our point of view. Mexico receives billions of dollars from their people in the US. It has become their 2nd largest influx of cash.( this money does not go into our economy) Mexico has the 13th largest economy in the world. Their constitution forbids “foreigners” from many of the things they demand for the illegals that invade our country.
Mexico deports thousands of people each year ( they call it repatriotzation) and nothing is said.
It’s your way of thinking that has destroyed the United States of America. A nation must have one common language too survive.Go back and read some history books.Live your sheltered life.
I have visited your country 4 times since 2000, for a total of 8 weeks. I always get a 4 wheel drive so I can get off the beach and to the mountains, Monteverde included. Living in Texas all my life I speak OK Spanish, but always make it a point to brush up on my “Tico” dialect before a visit. I make it a rule to use my Spanish until I hit a wall, and the Ticos always politely help me through the conversation. People in the states complain about about having to choose between English/Spanish on phone calls or at the ATM machine, I just know I am thankful for the bilingual prompts in Costa Rica when my Spanish fails me. Thank you so much for 4 wonderful vacations so far….and I always speak Spanish first !!
Just to stir the pot a little – English spoken outside of England is an imported language. If those who promote only the original language of a country as being correct, then all Australians should be speaking Aborigine and all Arizonans should be speaking Navajo.
Whenever I travel abroad I try my hardest to learn some of the local language (although I concede defeat on Flemish).
We have just returned from a trip to Costa Rica. I sat waiting to fill up at a gas station where the driver in front was an American who just shouted “fill it up”. When it was my turn a brief “llenelo por favor” brought a huge smile from the young attendant.
Trying to speak the local language is just good manners.
Mark, to whom is it troubling if Spanish speakers in the United States do not learn English? If those Spanish speakers discover that they can survive in the U.S. by Spanish alone, then that is their choice, and apparently they have exercised it. Official America can resist all it wants, but the people make their own decisions. Officials are the servants of the people in a democracy, not the other way round. There is no need for America to fear another language; the country can learn to set aside its anxiety and be multilingual and enriched like so many other places.
Mark, you say a rancher was killed by an immigrant. Was it because the immigrant did not speak English? No? Then it is irrelevant.
This is a superb post .
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