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Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Belize, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua: A Word of Advice
By Jane Goodwin | November 9, 2007
There are many pieces of advice I could give someone who is thinking about relocating to Central America, but the main one is this: learn the language.
While it is very true that most people in Central America speak English, it is also very true that English is the second language, not the first. Anyone who relocates to another country owes it to himself/herself, and to the citizens of that country, to learn to speak the language that the majority of people in any given locale, speak. It’s not only common courtesy: it’s also just common sense.
One can not expect to become immersed in a culture if one does not speak or understand the language. One would remain, always, an outsider.
Learning to speak Spanish in Central America shows the people of your new country that you care about them and about the country itself. It shows everyone that you genuinely wish to be a part of a new culture, and that you do not hold yourself up above the people of any nation.
It will also enable you to make friends faster, and to assimilate yourself in the businesses, markets, and neighborhods of your new Central American home.
It’s never too late, and you’re never too old, to become bilingual!
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