The republic of Costa Rica is a one of the most popular tropical tourist attractions for people world wide. Surrounded by Pacific Ocean in the east and Caribbean Sea in the south, the rich continental weather and lush greenery of the country is heaven for sun, sand and nature lovers.
Costa Rica literally means “Rich Coast”. Costa Rica is not only popular because of its natural beauty but also because of the prosperous cultural heritage and traditions that tourists love to get familiar with. Costa Rican culture is an amalgamation of Mesoamerican and South American cultures.
The Spanish conquerors invaded the southernmost point of Costa Rica in sixteenth century. Later due to immigration of Spaniards into the country, the Latin American feel is prevalent the across the country. Today Spanish is the most predominant language of Costa Rica.
Any tourist who wants to understand and appreciate the traditions and culture of Costa Rica apart for enjoying the natural beauty of the country must learn Spanish. There are several Spanish language schools in Costa Rica which offer Spanish language learning programs for different proficiency levels. There are short term courses for tourist wanting to stay less than one month and long term Spanish courses for tourists wanting to stay longer and attain a higher level of proficiency in Spanish to understand the culture and tradition of Costa Rica deeply.
Besides there are several other advantages to the Costa Rican tourists of learning Spanish such as:
• Spanish is the fourth most commonly spoken English in world with about 400 million speakers across the world. It also has lot of historical significance associated with it. For Costa Rican tourist, learning Spanish would not just give them a better appreciation of the culture and traditions but also help them with their day to day tours around the markets and countryside sightseeing.
• The vocabulary of English and Spanish has originated from Latin. For non-English speaking tourists, Spanish would help them enhance their understanding of English language better. Also English and Spanish have same Indo-European roots, because of which their grammar is also similar.
• Apart from Costa Rica there are several countries like Mexico, Spain and other Latin American cultures where Spanish is spoken as the main language. Learning Spanish to understand the Costa Rican culture and traditions can also help you in long term as a tourist to other Spanish speaking destinations.
• Knowing the native language of your travel destination is not just more enlightening but also more fun. You can get an insight into how native people think, their beliefs and other minuscule observations that you might be deprived of if you do not know the native language. You can also go through the literature of the country which will give you deeper understanding of the tradition and culture of Costa Rica.
• The natives of Costa Rica will be more open to you because you can speak their language as opposed to other tourists who cannot speak Spanish. They will be more helpful and willing to extend their best possible hospitality.
• Knowing Spanish will drastically minimize the chances of being duped or stranded in remote place.
With so many advantages, if you are a tourist to Costa Rica then do not get lost in translation anymore. Learn Spanish to make best out of your tour to Costa Rica.