This signage caught my eye a couple of days ago. It reminded me of the role English plays in Puerto Rico and especially in Rincon. Now, the presence of the enormous Coke sign tells us that many US brands are here on the Isla and it is sometimes a bit curious to hear a string of Spanish with some US brand name in the middle pronounced with a Spanish accent. It also means that for a visiting North American, one can usually figure out what the store is selling from the signs without a word of Spanish.
Now indeed Puerto Rico is a bilingual country. It is bilingual officially and English is taught in the schools from an early age. At the University both English and Spanish are used in classes and most text books are written in English. In addition among university students, English is widely spoken or at least widely partially spoken. A good number of men of middle age and older learned English in the service. Many of this same age group also lived for a period of time in the United States and now in retirement have come back to Puerto Rico yielding to the pull of family and the generally wonderful life the Isla offers. Among younger people... English is widely understood although there is frequently a shyness about speaking it especially to an older North American.
What does this mean, practically, for a North American visitor. First, in Puerto Rico there is no language barrier. Second, is a wonderful opportunity to trot out your rusty high school Spanish and give it a try. Most Puerto Ricans truly appreciate the effort. Third, if you happen to be a strong Spanish speaker who has learned in Madrid or perhaps some other Latin country you will be delighted with and sometimes frustrated with the local accent and some of the idioms.
Truly, if all else fails, Spanglish is universally understood here.
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