No Spanish language, just English.Can I live in Mexico ?

I simply do not have a linguistic gene.  I moved to Playas in Baja in 2006 Norte at the age 75 on my own, not speaking Spanish and not knowing anyone in Mexico.  I had traveled in  Spain (and other foreign countries as well)  several times on my own, renting cars, etc  and managed (sometimes with hilarious results)  using  a 'pocket' dictionary so I was not really "worried".

I have NEVER been able to learn  to really  speak Spanish. (or any other foreign llanguage!)   Given the number of people in the US from Mexico and the number of English speaking tourists in Mexico  I naively assumed more people would speak English...................not the case. Still   I have managed.  There are a few situations which were a bit difficult probably the most difficult was signing up for utilities,,,,ie  telephone service.  I soon switched to Vonage so that particular problem went away; dealing with CFE over  outrageous electric bills until I learned that the first 12 months I would be paying based on the usage of the prior tenant. 

To day I know about 100 words that I can say.  Native Mexicans simply speak too fast for me.  I can read more words that I can  pronounce/speak. .

However it has been my experience  that most natives  (unlike the french speaking people in Quebec Canada) are friendly and very willing to be helpful with my language problems.  Perhaps it is because I am a "little old lady" and maybe because I am an outgoing  person who tries to be very courteous, friendly and grateful....not afraid to ask for help.. I think one's attitude goes a long way toward surmounting any language problems.

  I have been fortunate to make friends with bilingual natives who are eager to help. I  volunteered to teach a community  English class which went well,

Actually speaking Spanish is
not and probably never will be among my talents.   I doubt if I will ever really be able to carry on a REAL conversation in Spanish but I continue to learn  every day and have no real problems with being linquistically challenged. And  of course I know the REAL important words like taco, tequila, Dos Equs, plomero, et al. (LOL)

There are several areas where due to large  expat communities one can get along fairly well without Spanish. Of course that means befriending someone who does speak Spanish to help you out and finding out where English speakers might be found. Those would be areas like SMA , Lake Chapala, and to some extent Merida. None of those places have beaches. The Baja might have some areas where you can live without being able to speak Spanish, but it is more expensive and possibly less safe in minor ways like having you license plate stolen.

So, yes it can be done, but likely not with a beach.

That said I must point out that you put yourself at a disadvantage because you will need to shop, find entertainment , get things fixed etc. The natives may or may not speak any English and they would prefer that you adapt to them rather than the other way around. Imagine a Spanish speaker coming to Canada and expecting people in Canada to speak Spanish because he doesn't speak English. If you want your life to run fairly smoothly and to fit in at least some Spanish would be of help accomplishing that.

I would disagree. You can live at the beach.  Playas is NOT terribly expensive.  There is a great beach. It is just 10 minutes from  the border.  20 minutes to Rosarito on the toll road.   I paid $500 a month for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, ciompletely gated house close to the beach beginning in 2009.  Now rent is $600. Walking distance to the village of Playas.   Cable 55$  Water 20$ Gas $20 Electricity after the first year $50-$60  (all in USD).   This house could be set down in Newport Beach/Corona Del Mar  and fit in architecturally.  Very nice.  Walking along the beach is easy access.  Beach front blvd has lots of restaurants and some shops. There is a Wal mart in Playas as well as a 30 shop mall and another smaller mall.  A six screen theater, stores like office depot and lots of US kinds of foods.  It is NOT an expat enclave but permits constant interface with natives. There are a number is expats who live in Playas and cross the border every day to work in San Diego area (get a Sentri Pass).
I  cross the border with relative ease frequently.

It is not terribly "touristy", has a  great  health care facility, trauma and cardiac trauma center, (English speaking MDs)    Better care in the ER than I got at Scripps ER in Chula Vista.   

While technically Playas is part of Tijuana, it is well separated by a couple of major hills..........I was never afraid of criminal activity, except once by an American next door neighbor  who was not cleaning up after 2 large dogs.....and I had the audacity to complain. DUH!

Check out Playas.

"The Baja might have some areas where you can live without being able to speak Spanish, but it is more expensive and possibly less safe in minor ways like having you license plate stolen."  Some others that live in that general area  have said that other than rent it is more expensive.  I noted in the quoted area that it might work in Baja, Ann. The rest of my post is about Mexico in general. Taxi drivers who speak English and translate for you are not a common thing in general. The unsafe part came from a post from you telling about license plates being take,

I know only what I have heard about Baja from multiple posts from you and others who do, or have lived in Baja. Although we have traveled extensively in Mexico, Baja is not one of the areas we have visited as yet.

Hello Anne,
Thank you very much for the full response.
I clearly understabd,what you mean. I arrived in Canada in2008 and studied English language every day till now. At present I have no any desire to study Spanish. In my mind two foreign languages,English and Spanish,would be mixed. I'd prefer to know English very well,instead 50%- English and 50% Spanish.
Anne,are there areas of expats,where English-speaking people live together in communities ?
Thank you very much.
Vadim.

Thank you for response.
"Imagine a Spanish speaker coming to Canada and expecting people in Canada to speak Spanish because he doesn't speak English. If you want your life to run fairly smoothly and to fit in at least some Spanish would be of help accomplishing that".
You are completely right !
I figure out this point.
Mucho gracias.
Vadim.

There are american and canadians here in Merida where I live and some of them hardly know any spanish.They get by because most of the professional mexicans ie doctors,dentists and lawyers speak english.So yes you can live here without spanish but its a good idea to learn some words at least.

I appreciate your response. Thank you for your time. Mucho gracias.

Hello Vadim,

I am going to be speaking here from experience as an English as a Second Language teacher with a 28 year career and teaching Portuguese to English speakers here in Brazil for 13 years now. You will have great difficulty in getting by without speaking the local language (Spanish in all but Brazil) in any Central or South American country. You simply will not find enough English speakers sufficiently fluent in Spanish that can translate for you. This alone puts you at a great disadvantage.

This becomes of extreme importance for those of us who are getting older, and thus more prone to developing health problems. Just think of the following situation....

You become extremely ill, or are injured seriously and are taken to an Emergency Hospital. There you're not going to find anyone who is going to be able to act as your interpreter. How then do you explain to doctors and nurses what is wrong with you, how do you understand what they are telling you about your condition or what you need to do??? This could put your life at serious risk. Now I ask you, do you really want to take that chance? I sure wouldn't.

I learned Portuguese at the age of 52, before coming to Brazil 13 years ago. It was the best thing I ever did in my preparation for the move, it guaranteed my successful adaptation to life here and in the end developed into a very lucrative occupation for me as well. Learn what Spanish you can before you make the move, it will be extremely valuable to you and you'll improve over time once there too. Otherwise you're going to be isolated within the expat community if you can even find the local expat community, which is not a very great position to find yourself in.

Cheers,
James
Expat-blog Experts Team

Hola James,
Thank you for your time.You've sent me so big message.
I completely understand what do you mean. I had similar strategy in learnin english language before immigration in Canada. Although I started to study english language in former-USSR,when I was 12 y.o. boy,but I had intensive English course before arriving in Canada.
The problem is,that I dont have any desire to study Spanish.I like this language and I had girlfriend from Mexico,but I am sure,that in my age (54 y.o.) it would take too much time  + I would mix up English and Spanish.
Anyway thank you for your response.
Best wishes,
Vadim.
I am tired.I want to live in Southern country and don't work,not at all.Just suntunning,relax and enjoy life. No life here,in Canada.Very boring,slow and depressive.No Sun,cold,people work as robots.

Learn Spanish!  You could live here and teach English.  If you spoke Spanish you might be able to teach Russian.  I would not recommend coming here unless you want to learn Spanish and will put the effort into learning it.  Without it, you will be cut off from the people and the people are the main draw to Mexico.  It is a rich culture.

I have been doing it since 2006.....I just don't have a linguistic gene.  I know the basics   Abierto,,Cerrado, Plomero etc  and of course taco tequila, burrito
(LOL).

Hi Gringo 1970.   Good advise!   I am going to the PV area for 3 months every year starting in 2016 and am semi-retired.   Where do you live in Mexico?   I am hoping to learn the language much better.  I know Spanish 1 now.
My guess is that you are 45 years old??   Do you work in Mexico?  I'd like to be able to do part time on-line work when I am there.

Best,
Arlene

www.counselorandmore.com
"Because one can always do more for another."

There are expat conclaves  but I chose not to live in an expat environment.  I lived in a typical Mexican community. Most people did NOT speak English and I have gotten by on about 100 words of Spanish.  I studied German, and french in college and didn't have luck in learning either of those beyond a smattering of words. .  Spanish is spoken  much  too fast for me.
I am friendly, courteous and gracious and I manage okay.  I find  Mexican natives to be extremely helpful.    Might be my gray hair. I think my Mexican neighbors learned much more from me than I ever did from them.  They were eager to learn English.


I must admit I expected to find more   English speaking people in Mexico.  I taught English my first year here successfully as a volunteer in a protestant church mission outreach at the request of the pastor who was my neighbor.

( Through the San Diego school district I taught ESL night classes  to Portuguese ...primarily fisherman...... in San DIego in the mid 50.s)

I  stopped teaching  to Mexicans after a year because the classes required that I travel in the evening to  the WORST part of Tijuana,  red light, gang area. It wasn't the trip itself to Tijuana,  I just didn't feel safe traveling by car into that area at night.

Buenas dias,

Yes you certainly can live in Mexico without knowing Spanish  but you will have a MUCH better experience if you know are least basic Spanish for day to day life. Otherwise you'll be in some kind of gringo gulch instead of a culturally rich mixed neighborhood. There are many excellent programs designed for more mature learners. I highly recommend the Warren Hardy program in person or online.

My advice is to embrace the county and the people, learn the language so you can be a gracias guest in Mexico not be an ugly American or ugly Canadian expecting the locals knowing your language. You'll be able to shop in wonderful markets and dine in inexpensive restaurants out of the gringo bubble if you know the language. You can also travel and explore this beautiful country!

Also consider the Lake Chapala area south of Guadalajara because there is a large but mostly integrated expat community there. There will also be lots of new expats like you. San Miquel de Allende where I am is a bit more expensive and has about 10% expats so knowing the language is recommended.

Check out my blog at www.snowbird soliloquy.wordpress.com

Thank you very much for your response,
Vadim.

This whole speaking or not speaking Spanish topic has made me more aware of where and when you really should be able to speak the language.  One of those times you would need at least some Spanish would be dealing with the instituto nacional de estadistica y geografia. These are Mexico's census takers. They come out every three months for 5 in home visits. They want to know if you work , what work you do, where are you from etc.  Another would be out on a lonely road with no gas stations with a flat tire ( which happened to me). Without Spanish, how do you let the people you see know you need help ?  If you need to go to a hospital, get car repairs, mail or pick up a package, How do you plan to do that without Spanish ? If you live in a border city like Tijuana  and vicinity you can just cross the border for many things and the locals are more likely to speak some English. If you are not living in a border town you will have problems without Spanish.
Then there is the pleasure of seeing their eyes light up, and their smile when they don't have to struggle to communicate with you.

If you come, Do Please try to learn some Spanish.  Your experience will be so much richer.  Need a work permit if yu want to work.

Hi.
I would say yes you can live in Mexico without Spanish. We have lived in Ajijic ( on Lake Chapala ) for ten years and due to my continuing to work on and off in the states my Spanish has not developed. In this community many Mexicans who are in business speak English, they need to communicate to encourage business. As has been said by others Mexicans are very kind and helpful. Our community is near a major airport ( Guadalajara ) and the weather is near perfect. Many Canadians come here during the winter months.
Good luck,
Diane ( Ajijic 26 )

I do not have ANY  linguistic capabilities.....french, german, spanish (especially not Spanish) were failures in learning while in school.  I have  lived in Playas in a Mexican community (not expat) and with my very limited vocabulary manage fine.  The first 6 months in 2006  were a challenge but I got past that and have done okay since.  The key I think is to be super friendly and polite, , be willing to try a few words, and you'll do okay. I probably know less than 100 words after 9 years..  For people like me who are linguistically challenged (and there are others) just consider one's limitations as apart of this
great adventure of living in Mexico .  If you show an  appreciation of the culture et al, you will be treated with respect and helped with the language.

I have other languages which are of no use here, but came without a word of Spanish.
I find I can o all I need with my vocabulary although the tenses are a mystery to me except where I have become familiar with a particular phrase.
Of course working without Spanish at all can be a little daunting, depending on your location.   In most areas catering for tourists you can struggle through initially in English, adding to your vocabulary all the time.
I realise now that starting here watching TV with Spanish subtitles gave me sufficient language experience without having to "learn". There IS a cost;  when I came across a new or unusual word, I was so occupied with it I lost a few lines of the plot onscreen!
For some of my friends the off-putting part of Spanish is actually USING what you have.  Why the inhibitions? I don't think Mexicans care a damn about the tense.  I could never settle down for a serious discussion ins Spanish but I can always get my meaning across without any trouble.  And that's what matters in the end - communicating!

Any place in Mexico that caters to English speaking tourists, easy enough to find, or does business with the English speaking world will have a fairly high portion of the population that speaks enough English that you won't have a problem finding someone to help you out if you're lost.  That doesn't necessarily mean you won't have some tense moments dealing with gas and bottled water deliveries or getting clothing mended or altered or finding a maid that communicates well non verbally.

If you can find a comfortable place in a resort town on the Pacific or Carribean coast or American expat colony like Chapala, Ajiic or San Miguel de Allende, you may never need Spanish.

If you want to get out in the interior and experience things a little out of the ordinary, learn as much Spanish as you can as fast as you can once you arrive, you'll never regret it.

Good point!

I'm an exception though.  At 72, I can't follow English subtitles to foreign language movies, though my Spanish is pretty good, I can't read Spanish subtitles fast enough to catch the meaning.

Anna,
Is Santa Monica near you, it says Playas Rosirita but I'm not sure if there is a difference I'm not aware of.
Diane

I am 66 and am planning to retire.  What you have described of your travels is inspiring.  I want to do more and see more.

James wrote:

I learned Portuguese at the age of 52, before coming to Brazil 13 years ago.

James, this sounds very impressive that you were able to do this at 52 (my current age). I have more than a basic grasp of Spanish but would like to greatly improve it and your story encourages me. I did have a friend that learned Spanish to an impressive level of fluency in his early forties, but.... he had learned French as a teenager and I wonder if that helped him later in life with a third language. James, was Portuguese your first foreign language or had you mastered another one earlier in your life? Thanks.

Kuandika wrote:

I have other languages which are of no use here, but came without a word of Spanish.
I find I can o all I need with my vocabulary although the tenses are a mystery to me except where I have become familiar with a particular phrase.
Of course working without Spanish at all can be a little daunting, depending on your location.   In most areas catering for tourists you can struggle through initially in English, adding to your vocabulary all the time.
I realise now that starting here watching TV with Spanish subtitles gave me sufficient language experience without having to "learn". There IS a cost;  when I came across a new or unusual word, I was so occupied with it I lost a few lines of the plot onscreen!
For some of my friends the off-putting part of Spanish is actually USING what you have.  Why the inhibitions? I don't think Mexicans care a damn about the tense.  I could never settle down for a serious discussion ins Spanish but I can always get my meaning across without any trouble.  And that's what matters in the end - communicating!

The really significant part of your post is the " I have other languages". Spanish has evolved from many roots. especially Latin. So if you speak Italian, Portuguese, or French, you have a definite edge. Speaking other languages makes it much easier to understand and speak Spanish. Even Slavic languages will facilitate learning the language.

If you are the standard American who has never been anywhere else it's a different thing. As previous posts have pointed out, not speaking Spanish can be a definite problem in critical instances like emergencies, getting help, and being lost, to name just a few. Also they do care about whether you bother to learn the language or not.

For what it's worth, living in the country and NOT limiting yourself to place where English is spoken helps accelerate your learning.  And, you can get by on relatively little Spanish to start.

My ex never really learned the language in four years we lived in Mexico in 1982-86.
A smile, politeness, por favor, gracias and a few other words got her by.
Almost anywhere you go in Mexico, if you're in a pinch, someone who speaks "enough" English will appear.
Medical emergencies can be hairy even in tourist areas.

I want to move to Lo Mochis, Sen, Mexico. I am a grade school teacher. I have taught for 23 years. Do you think I can get a job in the education field there?

Hi msn66,

Welcome on board

You can drop your resume in the Teaching jobs in Mexico section please

Wishing you good luck with everything !

Thank you

Maximilien

yes there are expat enclaves.  I did not want to live within an expat area.
I prefer the typical Mexican neighborhood.  I had traveled abroad (several trips to Spain, renting a car and exploring on my own) with a pocket dictionary.....I knew I could manage.

One of my first trips to a major supermarket in Playas I was looking for the
bread aisle and I couldn't find it.  I queried several clerks for "pan" (rhyming it with "tan") without success.   Finally the security guard who had lived in the US and did speak fluent English overheard my query  came to my rescue. The word is pronounced like "pond"...  without the "d". 

I was in line to cross the border as a pedestrian and people kept tugging on my sleeve and saying "possee" "possee" which I did not understand and the pocket dictionary wasn't helping.  Finally I learned that they wanted to tell me as an "old" person, I could go to the head of the line.
(great custom!)  I had a few similar experiences but for the most part, I could shop, go out to eat (restaurant or street vendor) arrange for alterations with a dry cleaner, etc.  I managed in utility offices (electiric, water, cable, where no one on duty  spoke English.  It was always challenging but not impossible.

Smile, be extremely polite and respectful, and very patient.

"Por favor mi español no es bueno" at the start of any conversation worked miracles everywhere.  Gradually I learned which clerks in the various shops spoke English (if there were any).  Street vendors (i found eating at these, fun)
were eager to learn any English words. 

Life is an adventure, learn as you go............don't sweat the small stuff.
Enjoy and embrace the culture to the degree you are able

I think you need to thoroughly research teaching jobs here before you do anything. It seems like I encounter someone teaching either English or Spanish on a constant basis. Jobs here are not that easy to get. There is no indication that there is a teacher shortage.

Figure out what skill you can offer that they might need. Maximilien is right start your search on the jobs section of this blog.

Yes, I posted here about teaching in Los Mochis. But, like I also stated, I am willing to do any kind of job really, anything that is needed. Can anyone recommend jobs in Los Mochis? What jobs are available?

I think if you move to a new country with a new language it is up to you if you want to learn that new language, but people should never make a scene that that new country you have moved to dosen't speak your native language. If it was me i would go out of my way to learn that new language and learn that new culture. That lady has chosen to live there so if she wants to complain she should move back to her native country where they speak her native language!!!!!!

anne stromberg wrote:

yes there are expat enclaves.  I did not want to live within an expat area.
I prefer the typical Mexican neighborhood.  I had traveled abroad (several trips to Spain, renting a car and exploring on my own) with a pocket dictionary.....I knew I could manage.

One of my first trips to a major supermarket in Playas I was looking for the
bread aisle and I couldn't find it.  I queried several clerks for "pan" (rhyming it with "tan") without success.   Finally the security guard who had lived in the US and did speak fluent English overheard my query  came to my rescue. The word is pronounced like "pond"...  without the "d". 

I was in line to cross the border as a pedestrian and people kept tugging on my sleeve and saying "possee" "possee" which I did not understand and the pocket dictionary wasn't helping.  Finally I learned that they wanted to tell me as an "old" person, I could go to the head of the line.
(great custom!)  I had a few similar experiences but for the most part, I could shop, go out to eat (restaurant or street vendor) arrange for alterations with a dry cleaner, etc.  I managed in utility offices (electiric, water, cable, where no one on duty  spoke English.  It was always challenging but not impossible.

Smile, be extremely polite and respectful, and very patient.

"Por favor mi español no es bueno" at the start of any conversation worked miracles everywhere.  Gradually I learned which clerks in the various shops spoke English (if there were any).  Street vendors (i found eating at these, fun)
were eager to learn any English words. 

Life is an adventure, learn as you go............don't sweat the small stuff.
Enjoy and embrace the culture to the degree you are able

Absolutely, a smile, a friendly demeanor and any attempt at using their language and people will bend over backwards to help.  It happened for me in Brazil, Japan, Thailand

No one (that I've come across so far) has mentioned the most obvious Mexican Cities with BEAUTIFUL beaches... Although quite touristy, where not speaking Spanish is rarely a problem!! Cozumel and especially - CANCUN!!!

VadimDiver wrote:

Hi,
I don't know Spanish not at all,but know English and Russian languages. I am thinking about moving to Mexico (any area,closer to sea/ocean). Are there areas,where local Mexicans speak in English ? Is it possible to live in Mexico without Spanish language ? I am food service/hospitality manager.Mucho gracias.

Some people do it, they tend to gravitate to a English language expat community or a major tourist area, where they feel safer, they are not necessarily safer at all and of course living in those places is much more expensive.. Many natives speak English because they once lived in an English speaking country or learned it in school. They may or may not let you know they speak your language, and not speaking their language you may never know that, or how they think and feel. It closes the door to understanding and a potential ally in a foreign land.

My personal observation is that you are handicapped severely by not speaking the language. You never quite understand the people, the country, or what is going on.

I would think that given that you already speak two languages, learning Spanish would come more easily for you. I just met a woman from Germany who speaks Russian , some french and Spanish. She felt speaking English , German and French made it easier for her to learn Spanish. I also talked with a Mexican college grad who speaks English , Spanish ( of course) and French. He felt speaking Spanish was helpful in learning French, and speaking Spanish and French helped him learn English.