I am not sure how we got on grammar, but if some of these "no-English-speaking-people" had at least the English language down with bad grammar I would be more than happy. The fact that the only response I can get back is "NO ENGLISH" when I ask a worker an important question is very frustrating.
When I went to Puerto Rico, I met 1 man there who did not speak English. He was on vacation from South America. Amazing how all of the Spanish that you learn in the 3rd grade can come back to you after 1 or 2 drinks. All of the hotel workers, club staff, resort staff, airport workers and almost anyone that I needed to communicate with who was an employee at anyplace that I went to spoke ENGLISH! They all spoke perfect English! Who told you that you NEED to speak English to visit a Spanish speaking country? Maybe if you go to South America or Spain, but anyone who you will NEED to speak to in PR speaks English. Many of them told me that they grew up in NYC. Commonwealth status more than likely has something to do with that.
I know a bit of Spanish, but I am studying Japanese. I have never been that hard pressed to speak to anyone in Spanish besides a hotel or hospital worker so I have no desire to learn the language. I would rather speak to language of a country who we do serious business with and who at least has a chance to be the next superpower just as America is. Maybe it's a trend, the same way people studied French in the 60's, and now all they can use it for is to order wine. If you are going to learn a language do it either because 1. You plan to move to the land where it is spoken or 2. The culture and language fascinates you. I cannot learn Spanish because I do not want to. I have tried but I have a mental block when it comes to that language. My mother picked it up as a child growing up in Spanish Harlem, but here in Brooklyn all I hear is "mami/papi/goya."
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