# Need for Spanish in Playa Del Carmen?



## curt00 (Apr 9, 2015)

I know that there are many English speaking snow birds and expats in Playa Del Carmen.

If I move there, I will try to learn Spanish, but there is no guarantee that I can learn it well enough. In fact, the chances are slim that I will learn it well.

How realistic is it to live there permanently without having a good command of Spanish, and to be able to deal with the bank, government, internet company, utilities, insurance company, TV company, police, shopping, etc.?


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

curt00 said:


> I know that there are many English speaking snow birds and expats in Playa Del Carmen.
> 
> If I move there, I will try to learn Spanish, but there is no guarantee that I can learn it well enough. In fact, the chances are slim that I will learn it well.
> 
> How realistic is it to live there permanently without having a good command of Spanish, and to be able to deal with the bank, government, internet company, utilities, insurance company, TV company, police, shopping, etc.?


We were there again in Nov. I chatted with several US Expats who lived there this time and a few Mexican Americans. The tourist área is no problem. But as you venture away, even to Walmart a few blocks away, most employees only speak Spanish in places like those.

Gov´t officials and banks I would imagine have one or more employees whom speak some passable English as do some taxi drivers and the municipal police. The other companies might or might not but I would imagine you could find an Expat friend or two to help you out.

Just being there over time and as you pointed out you are willing try to learn Spanish you soon wil have enough to ask for what you need but might have a hard time understanding the replies. If you already know some French, being from Canada, another [3rd] language is said to be much easier to pick up. When I took 3 years of high school French in Canada it helped me 12 years later.


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## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

Besides the question of Spanish, think of the Hurricane Season.


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## curt00 (Apr 9, 2015)

Anonimo said:


> Besides the question of Spanish, think of the Hurricane Season.


How many hurricanes have hit PDC in the past 10 years?


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## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

curt00 said:


> How many hurricanes have hit PDC in the past 10 years?


I don't have the figures. I would think one would be enough.

Googling, I have so far noted Hurricane Wilma, 2005; Hurricane Emily, 2010.

Here's a video about the latter.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

Anonimo said:


> Besides the question of Spanish, think of the Hurricane Season.


Twenty cases of beer, 50 kilos of ice, and a bag of chips will get you safely through any hurricane.


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## Mextrav46 (Oct 8, 2010)

curt00 said:


> I know that there are many English speaking snow birds and expats in Playa Del Carmen.
> 
> If I move there, I will try to learn Spanish, but there is no guarantee that I can learn it well enough. In fact, the chances are slim that I will learn it well.
> 
> How realistic is it to live there permanently without having a good command of Spanish, and to be able to deal with the bank, government, internet company, utilities, insurance company, TV company, police, shopping, etc.?


I can not imagine wanting to live somewhere and never being able to make friends with the people who live there, speak to your neighbors, read the local newspapers and sit having coffee and discussion on what is going on. 
:welcome:I can imagine how much fuller your life in Mexico when you have Mexican friends and are included in celebrations, ceremonies, family meals.


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## TurtleToo (Aug 23, 2013)

Mextrav46 said:


> I can not imagine *wanting to live somewhere* and never being able to make friends with the people who live there, speak to your neighbors, read the local newspapers and sit having coffee and discussion on what is going on.
> :welcome:I can imagine how much fuller your life in Mexico when you have Mexican friends and are included in celebrations, ceremonies, family meals.


I certainly agree with your post; but, to clarify, Curt doesn't seem to be saying that he wants to live in Mexico without learning Spanish. As I understand it, he is afraid that he will not be able to learn Spanish well enough to do these things, or even to perform some of the more basic tasks of everyday life.


.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

TurtleToo said:


> I certainly agree with your post; but, to clarify, Curt doesn't seem to be saying that he wants to live in Mexico without learning Spanish. As I understand it, he is afraid that he will not be able to learn Spanish well enough to do these things, or even to perform some of the more basic tasks of everyday life.
> 
> 
> .


I can understand that. I have lived here nearly 8 years. And have taken Spanish classes nearly continuously. My Spanish is adequate to get by but far from perfect or even good. I not infrequently miss or misunderstand things I hear. My speaking ability is better than listening actually. People vary greatly in their ability to pick up languages. It is not something that comes easily to me. But persistence helps a lot.


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## cuerna1 (Mar 7, 2015)

curt00 said:


> How many hurricanes have hit PDC in the past 10 years?


Hurricanes :

Here is a nice link describing the largest hurricanes to hit Mexico.
Wicked winds: The worst hurricanes in Mexico's history - seattlepi.com

We were once without power for 15 days - in South Florida because of a hurricane. And that was in the US. The gas stations couldn't pump gas. The supermarkets had little food. The national guard was handing out water and ice. Interestingly - it was Canadian utility workers who actually restored power.

Spanish :

I am still trying to master Spanish. If my wife were not fluent our lives would be a lot different. I can't even image it. It is not PDC - but virtually no one speaks English here. Some people - including the girl who vetted me at INM - really resent that I'm not fluent and don't make life any easier. Even if you can get by in a place like PDC without Spanish - at some point you are going to want to venture other places.

Check out duolingo.com (it is free). It is really helping me with my Spanish.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

curt00 said:


> How realistic is it to live there permanently without having a good command of Spanish, and to be able to deal with the bank, government, internet company, utilities, insurance company, TV company, police, shopping, etc.?


I cannot speak to the question of PDC specifically, because I've never visited. I doubt I ever will. That being said, I do not think it's wise for someone to move to any destination in Mexico who cannot acquire the language skills. I do not believe one can fully enjoy life nor understand the environment they'll find themselves in .. or the country, without being able to communicate. My suggestion is that when you start the learning process, do it in Mexico and do it in a 'total immersion' program. Completing a month in an intensive program will give you a foundation upon which to build. The language skills aren't acquired immediately, it takes time, IMO. Not months, but years. Poco a poco.


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## cuerna1 (Mar 7, 2015)

Longford said:


> I cannot speak to the question of PDC specifically, because I've never visited. I doubt I ever will. That being said, I do not think it's wise for someone to move to any destination in Mexico who cannot acquire the language skills. I do not believe one can fully enjoy life nor understand the environment they'll find themselves in .. or the country, without being able to communicate. My suggestion is that when you start the learning process, do it in Mexico and do it in a 'total immersion' program. Completing a month in an intensive program will give you a foundation upon which to build. The language skills aren't acquired immediately, it takes time, IMO. Not months, but years. Poco a poco.


To set proper expectations - I did a year of private Spanish lessons with a great teacher. I paid her 150 pesos per session which lasted about 2 hours. She has grown to be a close personal friend. She has received her Masters degree and is now making 800 pesos an hour teaching (non-private) classes. I guess my point is - those total immersion programs can be very very expensive. Just be ready for it.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

The largest hurricanes mean something until a level *whatever* hits where you live. Hurricane Jova was a Cat3 in 2011 and did lots of damage to this area. All towns flooded, my car covered halfway up the windshield, mud and water damage everywhere .... and some wind damage.

Foto is 2PM the day after when water levels dropped enough for people to get out. They towed my car out day later

Video from a Storm Chaser a little north of us


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## curt00 (Apr 9, 2015)

TurtleToo said:


> I certainly agree with your post; but, to clarify, Curt doesn't seem to be saying that he wants to live in Mexico without learning Spanish. As I understand it, he is afraid that he will not be able to learn Spanish well enough to do these things, or even to perform some of the more basic tasks of everyday life.
> 
> 
> .


Correct. I'm not old, but I'm not young. I want to learn Spanish, but I don't want to be overly confident about my ability, especially if I'm realistic about my age and when it seems to be common knowledge that young people can pick up new languages but it's harder for older people.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

curt00 said:


> Correct. I'm not old, but I'm not young. I want to learn Spanish, but I don't want to be overly confident about my ability, especially if I'm realistic about my age and when it seems to be common knowledge that young people can pick up new languages but it's harder for older people.


Don't worry about theory of who can learn .... but you have to make Mexican friends that you spend time with. A good language school helps but not compared to speaking every day


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

cuerna1 said:


> To set proper expectations - I did a year of private Spanish lessons with a great teacher. I paid her 150 pesos per session which lasted about 2 hours. She has grown to be a close personal friend. She has received her Masters degree and is now making 800 pesos an hour teaching (non-private) classes. I guess my point is - those total immersion programs can be very very expensive. Just be ready for it.


It will be the rare, incredibly unique teacher of English who is paid MX$800 per hour ... IMO. I believe that's what the person told you. I just don't believe you were told the truth. About total immersion learning programs .. the ones considered the best in the country are found in Cuernavaca and San Miguel de Allende. These are small group classes, not one-on-one. The day of study is approx. 8 hours and students live with "local" families in households where English is not spoken. Relative to what's at stake ... the programs probably not considered all that expensive for expats.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Longford said:


> These are small group classes, not one-on-one. The day of study is approx. 8 hours and students live with "local" families in households where English is not spoken. Relative to what's at stake ... the programs probably not considered all that expensive for expats.


No school has 8 hours a day classes and you can choose to live with local families if you choose. I found the family thing constricting but can be good for awhile.

There are return student programs for as little as $100us a week and 4+ hours of classes


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

sparks said:


> No school has 8 hours a day classes and you can choose to live with local families if you choose. I found the family thing constricting but can be good for awhile.
> 
> There are return student programs for as little as $100us a week and 4+ hours of classes


There are indeed schools with 8 and 8.5 hours a day total immersion programs. I, personally, participated in on such program in San Miguel de Allende. You might be misunderstanding what "total immersion" means. It means absolutely no English spoken for the duration of the course study. Yes, it's pressure-packed and intense. Not for the faint of heart.


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## Belizegirl (Oct 21, 2010)

Curt00, you will be fine in PDC with not knowing very much Spanish. I found that by not knowing the language well encouraged me to learn more. I find it fun to learn and the locals that I know have always been encouraging and helpful. 

There are a few language schools here, you can hire a teacher, there are informal groups that meet and there are locals who like to meet up and practice their English with someone who like to learn Spanish. Really, there are many ways to learn. 

An excellent resource for you could be the playa info forum.


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## travelinhobo (Sep 17, 2010)

If you take that attitude about learning another language, then yes, you are making it extremely difficult to do and in essence will end up as you wish. When you go to another country, whether to live or visit, it should be out of respect, not necessity, that you learn the language (important words if it's a short visit). To rely on others, locals or those with your language, is just being plain lazy and leechy.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

travelinhobo said:


> If you take that attitude about learning another language, then yes, you are making it extremely difficult to do and in essence will end up as you wish. When you go to another country, whether to live or visit, it should be out of respect, not necessity, that you learn the language (important words if it's a short visit). To rely on others, locals or those with your language, is just being plain lazy and leechy.


I am not sure who you are addressing with your comment about attitude, but it is a fact that it is easier to pick up a new language at a young age than it is later. I have studied Spanish for all of the nearly 8 years that I have been here. My Spanish is passable, but not where I want it to be. I keep working on it. There are also large individual differences in the ability to pick up a new language. It is not all about being lazy.


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## cuerna1 (Mar 7, 2015)

Longford said:


> It will be the rare, incredibly unique teacher of English who is paid MX$800 per hour ... IMO. I believe that's what the person told you. I just don't believe you were told the truth. About total immersion learning programs .. the ones considered the best in the country are found in Cuernavaca and San Miguel de Allende. These are small group classes, not one-on-one. The day of study is approx. 8 hours and students live with "local" families in households where English is not spoken. Relative to what's at stake ... the programs probably not considered all that expensive for expats.


She is a teacher of Spanish - but perhaps that is what you meant. When she mentioned 800 pesos / hour I corrected her and said 800 pesos / day. She said no. I don't know - perhaps there is a lot of uncompensated work involved. The group she works for has a rather unique specialized client base.

I live in Cuernavaca and looked into the immersion programs at one point. I just did a google on 'learn spanish Cuernavaca'. I visited the first three sites. Classes appear to be 4 hours per day. The cheapest school charges 280 USD per week. The most costly - 325 USD. While we can afford that - I think that is getting pricey. I believe business is down due to the bad press of late.

One thing I did do early on was visit one of the schools and bought their textbooks. Also - since my wife is very fluent - from time to time we practice 'immersion' in the house. My primary motivation is to one day get my Mexican citizenship and that will require competency.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

cuerna1 said:


> She is a teacher of Spanish - but perhaps that is what you meant. When she mentioned 800 pesos / hour I corrected her and said 800 pesos / day. She said no. I don't know - perhaps there is a lot of uncompensated work involved. The group she works for has a rather unique specialized client base.
> 
> I live in Cuernavaca and looked into the immersion programs at one point. I just did a google on 'learn spanish Cuernavaca'. I visited the first three sites. Classes appear to be 4 hours per day. The cheapest school charges 280 USD per week. The most costly - 325 USD. While we can afford that - I think that is getting pricey. I believe business is down due to the bad press of late.
> 
> One thing I did do early on was visit one of the schools and bought their textbooks. Also - since my wife is very fluent - from time to time we practice 'immersion' in the house. My primary motivation is to one day get my Mexican citizenship and that will require competency.


That rate sounds outrageous. I have taken private classes from two different teachers. One charged $200 pesos/hour, the other $150 pesos/hour. And these costs were split between the two or more of us in the class.

I have also taken group classes through a school. The best price was $900 pesos/month for 2 classes per week, 2 hours per class, a rate of about $50 pesos/hour.

The immersion classes are mostly aimed at foreigners who come in for short periods. They are priced in dollars and are pricey. They are good for people who are trying to pick up a little Spanish in a short time period. If you live here and have more time, you can get lots better deals and learn more Spanish for less. Take classes for a few hours every day for a few days a week. Find a few intercambios to practice for free, Mexico is full of people who want to learn English and will trade conversation in Spanish for an equal amount of conversation in English.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

The best classes and price my wife found here after 6 months of Berlitz and giving up on them was 1 hour per day Mon. thru Fri. for $2000 pesos per month with usually 3 or sometimes 2 students per class. That is about $90 per hour.

English schools pop up all the time here and I bet there are amost 60 to 70 now.


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## makaloco (Mar 26, 2009)

Exactly, Alan. When I first moved here, I joined a small intermediate conversation class that met for an hour and a half twice a week. It was perfect, and I learned a lot. Unfortunately the teacher left town. I don't have the attention span or retention for intensive courses. Two- and three-hour or all-day sessions are too tiring, and I don't remember enough to make them worthwhile.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

cuerna1 said:


> I live in Cuernavaca and looked into the immersion programs at one point. I just did a google on 'learn spanish Cuernavaca'. I visited the first three sites. Classes appear to be 4 hours per day. The cheapest school charges 280 USD per week. The most costly - 325 USD. While we can afford that - I think that is getting pricey. I believe business is down due to the bad press of late.


Check out Encuentros. They have a reduced price program after you've been there awhile and no longer want to participate in the extracurricular ..... like tours, dancing, cooking, etc. My price was like 120-140 dollars a week

Learn Spanish in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico at ENCUENTROS Spanish immersion


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