Learning Costa Rican Spanish

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If you are traveling to Costa Rica, either for a visit or an extended stay, then the subject of learning Spanish surely has come up. So where do you start to learn Costa Rican Spanish? Is it the same as Spanish spoken in other countries?

Spanish Throughout the World

If you studied Spanish in high school or college, then you have a great foundation on which to build upon.

I’ve had several people that have never traveled to Costa Rica ask me if their Spanish is the same Spanish spoken elsewhere or if Costa Rica has its own dialect.

To be clear, yes! It’s the same Spanish! Spanish is Spanish although every different Spanish speaking country has its own special words here and there, and of course its very own slang. I am NOT referring to indigenous languages that belong to specific groups, tribes or natives nor to dialects spoken in Spain. Those are languages that would have to be studied separately, and they are much less common.

What I am referring to here is regular, “everyday” Spanish.

The Spanish you have learned will be understood in all Spanish speaking countries, and after time spent abroad, you will pick up the oddities, accents and specific words that are used in the area you’re staying in. Those come second to the actual language you are learning.

Kind of like the cherry on top, so to speak.

Spanish Spoken in Costa Rica

If you are traveling to Costa Rica and plan on learning Spanish there, through studies or other activities, lucky you! Costa Rican Spanish is one of the easiest to understand.

But wait—you just said it’s the same Spanish that they use everywhere else?

Yes, but Costa Ricans have a very clear accent that’s easy to understand, especially for beginners.

There are a few minor differences with Costa Rican Spanish, most notably the use of “vos” instead of “tu”. If you learned with “tu”, let me make it perfectly clear that you will be understood with no problem at all. All Spanish speakers know what “tu” means, it’s just used differently from country to country.

In other words, if you learned that “coche” is car, then in Costa Rica you learn that “carro” is car—you still will be understood if you said “coche”. You know, like when the British call the bathroom the “loo” but we still understand what they mean.

I will address many of these interchangeable words in future posts.

You can also pick up a book on Costa Rican Spanish and learn some helpful phrases before you touch down.

How Long Does It Take to Learn Spanish in Costa Rica?

How long can you expect it to take to learn Spanish? Well, everyone is different.

If you have a base established from school, or from studying on your own, it might make things a little easier. In fact, I think it’s a very good idea to get some basics under your belt.

Traveling abroad and putting yourself into a situation where no one speaks your language and you are forced to learn is called “immersion”. This is how I learned Spanish as an exchange student. It’s scary, but it’s also highly effective.

With two years of high school Spanish under my belt, and countless hours on my own personal time, I can safely say I understood  barely a word when I first arrived in Costa Rica. I think it’s safe to say that nerves played a part in my temporary mental shutdown. I finally understood Spanish well in about five months. Speaking it, as well as understanding it, came a little while after.

However, the learning process never ends. Thirty-five years after learning to speak Spanish I’m STILL learning new words.

Speaking Spanish: Good Days and Bad Days

Throughout the learning process, you’re going to have good days, great days and horrible days.

I still have clumsy days when it’s difficult for me to speak Spanish. I get tongue-tied and embarrassed. The words just don’t come and my accent is noticeable. Luckily these days are few and far between.

How To Prepare for Learning Spanish

If you are coming to Costa Rica specifically to study Spanish, I would still suggest learning at least a few basics.

If you’re taking a class in Costa Rica, I wouldn’t recommend spending a long time on anything higher than beginner’s grammar, as you will be taught in your class. I would, however, study some general greetings, numbers, pronouns, colors and etiquette words like “please” and “thank you” (mind your manners!).

There are, of course, many online resources to get yourself started, as well as countless apps.

I personally have had very good luck with the Coffee Break series, a product of Radio Lingua.  I used Coffee Break French to learn French and highly recommend it. They also offer Spanish, Italian, German and Chinese. Scottish host and CEO, Mark Pentleton has a great personality and makes the learning fun. The French I learned stayed with me. You can listen to the podcasts for free and take notes, or pay for the course and get the extra bonus materials.

Whichever way you choose, the results will be up to you. You will get what you’re willing to put into any learning program.

How Much Spanish Will You Understand When You Get to Costa Rica?

It’s very important to have an open mind and not a lot of high expectations regarding Spanish when you first arrive in Costa Rica.

After the initial awesomeness of arriving in Costa Rica, you may be crushed to realize that after all that studying you don’t understand ANYTHING!

This is normal.

Don’t be discouraged. It’s all part of the process. Not understanding Spanish may be a large part of the culture shock you will probably experience when you arrive. However, once you start getting the hang of things, you’ll remember the things you learned and they’ll fall into place.

The main thing is you’re willing to speak Spanish! Making the effort is half the battle and you will be well-respected for it.

Plus, the good news is, you’re in Costa Rica now. The people are super friendly, and are more than willing to help and explain things you might not understand. Everything will be fine.

I promise.