10 Tips for Getting by in Costa Rica on Limited Spanish

With all the world to see, what would you say was the main reason you have resisted spending time in a foreign country? The food, the heat, the customs or simply missing the comforts of home?

Of course, it could be any of these, but it is also likely that you are concerned that you will not be able to break through the language barrier. Perhaps you want to relocate to a non-English-speaking country in the near future, but you’re hesitant because you assume, with some justification, that it takes years to learn a language to a practical standard.

Yet, not being able to speak the local language does not have to be, and has never been, a barrier to exploring the world. In fact, there are countries like Costa Rica, where you can get by, and even thrive if you only speak a little bit of Spanish.

In the whole of South and Central America, only Argentina has a higher level of English proficiency than Costa Rica. If you get the chance to experience this beautiful and friendly country, you’ll realize that they can’t get enough of the English language and hope to one day top that list of the region’s English-profiency nations!

Although not an exhaustive list, here are 10 useful tips on how you can live in Costa Rica without speaking fluent Spanish.

1. The English language is valuable: Throughout the world, English is used as the lingua franca. In other words, it is a language two people who do not speak each other’s language are most likely to use. On a business call, a Japanese business owner and a French supplier are likely to converse in the common language of English. In fact, around the world, over two billion people speak English as a second language.

As an English speaker, you have something that other people want. English (fairly or not) is the world language of business, technology, science, and communication, and the majority of Costa Ricans realize that speaking English well is very useful, whether it be for business, academia, or travelling.  Therefore, you are likely to encounter two phenomena.

1. • The English learner: It is astonishing that wherever you go in Costa Rica, from the Central Valley cities to the beach resorts, you’ll find Ticos who want to practice their English on native English-speaking tourists. If they have a smattering of English, they will happily use it to engage with you. A friend of mine, who has been an English teacher in Costa Rica for over two years told me “The desire to speak English here is so great, it’s been almost impossible for me to learn Spanish. So many people want to pick your brains. If I’m ever in a supermarket, or market, or bar and struggling to converse in Spanish, someone will always step forward and translate for me.” Of course, not everybody can, or wants to speak English, and it is courteous to at least try to speak Spanish, even if you fail miserably.  But the locals will appreciate your effort and want to help you more.

   • The English Student: Most Costa Ricans learn a second language in school, English is the most common one but some schools also offer French, German, and Mandarin in their curricula. Often, understanding its value, parents will also pay for private classes in one of the many English language academies to further the language skills of their kids. Many Ticos between 10-30 have strong English skills which they learned to further their careers and are happy to test out all that hard-learned bilingualism on a native speaker. “Many English speakers don’t realize that because English is their first language,” my English teacher friend told me, “that they rarely study the grammar as rigorously as someone learning English as a second language. I know a ton English native-speakers who couldn’t tell you what a gerund, or a relative pronoun is. Brits and people from the U.S. are often surprised when a Tico asks them if they’re using an English infinitive correctly!” I’m sure that you would anyway, but be sure to compliment them on their English and, if you have time, correct any errors. They will appreciate your time and effort, and you will have gotten the information you need. You could also have made a friend!

   • The Caribbean effect: You may be surprised to learn that there is even an area of Costa Rica where English is actually part of the first language which is called Mekatelyu. The Caribbean coast’s population are of Jamaican descent and speak their own English-based creole language.

2. Signs: Due to its stunning beauty and democratic status, Costa Rica is one of the most visited places on earth. It is, therefore, highly reliant on tourism for its economic prosperity. So, a lot of lost tourists just won’t do! In the tourist areas, most signs are in both Spanish and English. And remember, numbers and measurements of distance are the same in Spanish as they are in English, so 5 km is 5 km whether you’re from Limon, Costa Rica, or your homeland. In addition, signs for essential services, such as hospitals, schools, and gas stations also bear an internationally recognized symbol.

3. Menus: Again, tourism is a fundamental part of the Costa Rican income, so you’ll find that food menus in tourist areas will have a Spanish and an English section. Additionally, tourist town restaurants, bars, and cafés will show preference in potential employees to those who can speak even basic English. So don’t be surprised if a young Costa Rican saunters over to your tables and asks, “What can I get you, buddy?”

4. Expatriate businesses: Many of those who decide to settle in Costa Rica don’t come to retire, they come to make a living. You’ll find that numerous businesses in the country, especially in the tourist areas, are owned by British, European, or Australian expats who, of course, speak English. These people are often excellent guides to the location, know where to get a bargain, where to avoid, and where you just have to visit.

5. Technology: Nobody is completely without a second language if they have a cell phone. Today, there are many excellent apps and translations services suitable for your phone that will help you converse in Spanish. Duolingo, for example, is a very popular app in Costa Rica, comprising of thousands of very useful phrases, categorized under sub-headings such as shopping, health, entertainment, directions, etc, and is widely used.

There are hundreds of these apps which are also used by locals, and most of them are free. Google Translate is used by any Costa Ricans who themselves do not speak English, but who use it to communicate with English-speaking customers. There is a voice recording component to this service, whereby you can ask a question or make a statement into your device and it will be translated into Spanish for you.  Be careful, it’s not fool proof, and translations can often be incomplete or hilarious.

My English teacher friend, who has a northern English accent, used the voice translator to tell a girl she had nice hair, only for her to look aghast and explain that the translation read “You have beautiful monkeys!” However, these apps are usually very useful. On modern smartphones there is even a ‘tap app.’ This very useful function allows you to have a conversation longer than a simple question and answer encounter, perhaps chatting with someone in a bar or restaurant. The app will allow you to tap your phone against the phone of a Spanish speaker and they will receive the translation on their own device and they can respond accordingly. “This not only helps you to break down the language barrier,” my friend said, “but also helps you to pick up the Spanish phrases yourself. You can save them in a library and use them again later. You’ll find it a little depressing how often, even in English, you use the same phrases over and over again. It’s a nice reminder that a wide vocabulary is something to be proud of.”

6. Getting around: Of course, as anywhere, if you’re taking a bus, the route is usually on the front of the bus itself, but the stops on the way probably won’t be. However, like most countries, Costa Rica has several English language websites and apps such as Moovit, which will not only give you a list of a bus’s stops, but also show a route map which gives you a sense of the geography of the area you’re in. And if you’re nervous at first about taking a bus, take an Uber. The app does all the communication and you don’t have to say anything to the driver other than Hola or chao. And you’ll be surprised how many Uber drivers, if they have some English, will want to try their language skills out on you. It’s a free English lesson and, for them, often better than a tip.

7. Your own Spanish file: This brings me to an important tip. Always keep a selection of important phrases on your phone for instant use. Simply bring up a group of phrases you’ll need in a situation, such as in a medical center. In addition, you can simply collect your own phrases on your phone, including ‘How do I get to – (your address/a hotel/ a medical centre/ the bus station)’, or for restaurants – ‘I’m allergic to X.’

8. Media and entertainment: As Costa Rica has a large expat contingency, it also has a market for English written news, entertainment, and information.

   • News and views: There are several popular online English language newspapers such as Tico Times among others . They are very good ways of finding out what’s going on in the country while you’re there, and an excellent way of discovering the country itself and the issues of the day.

   • Music and entertainment: Many Ticos love English language music, whether it be U.S., Irish, Australian, or British. There are many live venues throughout the country. You’ll find jazz bars, places with acoustic nights, all catering to English-language lyrics, with the odd Tico tune thrown in. They are invariably populated with native English speakers and Ticos who want to pick up the language through rock n’ roll!

   • Facebook and other social media: “A friend of mine spoke only English and managed to fly from Scotland to Mexico, then down through Central America to Panama using only messaging on Facebook with friends who had already made the trip,” my English teacher friend told me. “As long as you’ve got somewhere to recharge your phone, a GPS and WiFi, someone already at your condominium or at the beach in Costa Rica can help you from the moment you clear airport customs to sitting beside them with a cocktail. It’s just amazing how social media like Facebook and Instagram can help you get around and learn about the places to be!” Of course, nothing works like experience. And there is no better place to find out about the experiences of those whose footsteps you’re following than websites like Lonely Planet. It’s easy to dismiss these websites as corporate, and there is a commercial aspect to them, but there is also a wealth of information from travellers who have done exactly what you’re thinking of doing. There are blogs on everywhere you might have set your sights on in Costa Rica, including how to get around on little more Spanish than ‘gracias.’

9. Universal language: It’s amazing how easy it is to forget the simple ways of communicating. Not all communication requires knowledge of spoken language.

   • The finger: No, I’m not being rude, I’m identifying a universal and ancient communication device. For example, although it is very basic, simply pointing at something you want in a shop or in a café is sufficient to get by. Add a thanks at the end in Spanish and everyone’s happy. They get a sale and you get a delicious patí (pati or patty), although you might not know what’s in it until you bite down. But that just adds to the spice of life.

   • Branding and Packaging: If you buy a bottle of shower wash in Costa Rica, it is likely that it was made and bottled in the same factory that people in your own country purchase the identical product. You’ll find that in Costa Rica, the design of the label is the same, and only the language has changed. As in London or Quebec, you’ll still see a shower head with droplets of water spraying out from it. No prizes for guessing what’s in the bottle.

10.  There’s nothing like experience: I’ve mentioned above those people who backpack around the world, stepping from one culture to another, from one language to another, and who have wonderful experiences by doing so. Number 10 on my list is probably the best advice I can give. Jump in and test the water. Costa Rica is one of the most remarkable places on earth, and its doors are wide open to you. The country and its people will welcome and embrace you. The culture prides itself on its openness and friendliness, and wants to be assured of its place in the world. As I mentioned at the beginning, the English language is mostly use in tourist areas and the Central Valley but you may face challenges in rural areas. Costa Rica awaits you. Learn its language along the way, that can only enrich your knowledge and it can even be a humbling experience, of course you can survive and thrive with nothing more than hola and gracias. In the end, learning a new language will not only open doors but your mind as well; and with patience and a bit of clever-problem solving, communication is possible.