Puerto Rico: Important Phrases
Item
issuer
TripAdvisor
Language
English
Date Accepted
11/30/19
Title
Puerto Rico: Important Phrases
content
The Language of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico's main language is Spanish. English is taught in schools as a foreign language, tourism industry employees are required to have English as a second language since 80% of tourists come from the US . Spanish is the language that is spoken by approximately 98% of the island (2000 Census) and the English is mainly spoken by expats from the North, by students that study it in school, (English is a very commonly taught language) and by people returning to the island from New York or Miami (many Puerto Ricans work in the U.S. in Miami or New York City for business and oftentimes people on the island have relatives there.)
The pace of the Spanish spoken here is usually very fast for non-native speakers, even those familiar with another dialect: don't be discouraged if you feel you are having a hard time keeping up!! A characteristic of Caribbean Spanish is that it is spoken quickly at a clip so no, you are not imagining things. (Remember, this used to be an area focused on trade and the swift guy usually won at auction.) Just listen very carefully and eventually you WILL get it (listening to the local music before your trip helps.)
Puerto Rico's main language is Spanish. English is taught in schools as a foreign language, tourism industry employees are required to have English as a second language since 80% of tourists come from the US . Spanish is the language that is spoken by approximately 98% of the island (2000 Census) and the English is mainly spoken by expats from the North, by students that study it in school, (English is a very commonly taught language) and by people returning to the island from New York or Miami (many Puerto Ricans work in the U.S. in Miami or New York City for business and oftentimes people on the island have relatives there.)
The pace of the Spanish spoken here is usually very fast for non-native speakers, even those familiar with another dialect: don't be discouraged if you feel you are having a hard time keeping up!! A characteristic of Caribbean Spanish is that it is spoken quickly at a clip so no, you are not imagining things. (Remember, this used to be an area focused on trade and the swift guy usually won at auction.) Just listen very carefully and eventually you WILL get it (listening to the local music before your trip helps.)