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Language & Communication
Language & Communication
- The official languages of Puerto Rico are Spanish and English (Puerto Rico, 2004). Spanish is generally spoken in business and taught as the first language in schools. English is taught from kindergarten through high school. Some private schools offer “English only” programs where English is spoken exclusively (Rivera, 2005c).
- The National Clearinghouse of English Language Acquisition (NCELA) ranks Spanish as the most widely spoken language in the United States among students learning English as a second language (NCELA, 2004).
- The United States has the fifth-largest population of Spanish speakers in the entire world. Only Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and Columbia have more Spanish speakers.
- During the 15th century, the Spanish conquerors spread throughout South America and Caribbean Islands such as Puerto Rico. They dramatically influenced many aspects of the lives of the indigenous peoples in those lands, including their languages.
- Settlers coming to the Americas and Caribbean from areas such as Spain, as well as the slaves brought from Africa, heavily influenced the languages spoken by the indigenous people. In turn, the languages of the indigenous people influenced the Spanish language.
- The resulting Spanish is a language that contains words that were adopted from both the indigenous and/or African cultures.
Sources:
- http://ldldproject.net/languages/spanish/index.html
- http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/
- Rivera, M. (2005c). Welcome to Puerto Rico: People. Retrieved from http://welcome.topuertorico.org/people.shtml