Costa Ricans are all taught English in school but if they don't have a chance to use it, they soon lose it. But I teach English for more than just a paycheck. Our entire staff is Costa Rican and speaks both English and Spanish. They married and her Spanish has improved immensely…although she still makes the occasional faux pas. Somehow they communicated (the language of love, perhaps?). More Costa Rican Students Speak English U.S. Costa Rica - Costa Rica - Languages: Spanish in Costa Rica is spoken with a distinctive national accent and employs peculiar usages. If you know any Spanish, even from Puerto Rico, you can get by. The majority of people in Costa Rica speak Spanish as their first language. Map of indigenous languages of Costa Rica before the arrival of the Spanish. The second language which is taught in all high schools is English. Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica. Do You Speak English in Costa Rica? He didn’t speak any English. I would guess that a fifth of the people do, but that is enough to pretty much fill all hotels and most restaurants with people who speak some English. And she at that time was still learning. Get Your Free Costa Rica Report Here. Search English speaking jobs in Costa Rica with Glassdoor. A number of indigenous languages such as Cabécar, Bribri, and Maléku are also spoken there. The majority of people in Costa Rica speak Spanish as their first language. Ambassador Sharon Day celebrated the graduation of 121 students from the English Access Microscholarship and CARSI English programs that the U.S. government sponsors and the Binational Center imparts in Costa Rica. The variety spoken is Costa Rican Spanish, is a form of Central American Spanish. Trustpilot. A Creole-English language, Jamaican patois (also … Though many Costa Ricans do speak English, it is always nice to try and speak the native language, Spanish! Costa Rica has four small minority groups: Mulattos, Blacks, Amerindians and Asians. I have found, also, that Costa Ricans who can speak some English are reluctant to do so for fear of being embarrassed by their lack of skill. Costa Rica’s official and predominant language is Spanish*. My particular institution works with Costa Rica’s underprivileged and it’s rewarding to empower my students by giving them a skill—the ability to speak English—that can really empower them and improve their lives. Costa Rica. Costa Rica Itineraries Places Tours Hotels FAQS Transport 1-888-456-3212. The national language is Tico Spanish, which has a vague commonality with its root language Castillian Spanish. About 8% of the population is of Black African descent or Mulatto (mix of European and black) who are called Afro-Costa Ricans, English-speaking descendants of 19th century black Jamaican immigrant workers. Plan My Trip 0. All our team speaks English and Spanish and someone will be with you the whole way to make sure your group has everything they need. Not only do most people Spanish but an overwhelming majority speak no English at all. Home / Costa Rica / Questions. Merchants, service providers, hotels and restaurants want your business, and to get it they advertise and speak to you in your language, the best they can. Our entire staff is Costa Rican and speaks both English and Spanish. Costa Rica is a linguistically diverse country and home to at least five living local indigenous languages spoken by the descendants of pre-Columbian peoples: Maléku, Cabécar, Bribri, Guaymí, and Buglere. That’s pragmatism. That’s pragmatism. Costa Ricans replace the diminutive ending -tito with -tico (hence their nickname), a practice known elsewhere but uncommon in Central America. Spanish is the official language, so everyone who comes to live here needs to learn at least some, to be respectful to the Costa Ricans.