Can you get by in San Antonio not speaking Spanish? (Austin: job market, high school)

[southwest1230]

I mean living in San Antonio....how hard would it be to navigate the whole world and things we typically do without speaking it? Would I be wise to take up the language when moving there? Are most people bi-lingual as well there?
I want to move there but fear my lack of Spanish-speaking skills will handicap me some way....WHich is a shame because it seems like the city is quite nice....please explain this "not speaking spanish in San Antonio" thing...
thanks!

[AT9]

You would be wise to learn Spanish before moving there, but you do not by any means need to learn it. I lived there for 3 years and got along completely fine when my Spanish vocabulary is limited to items on a Mexican food menu . It may depend on where your living or what type of job your trying to get, but you shouldn't be handicapped at all the majority of the time. English is still the predominent language spoken there.

[smuboy86]

As San Antonio is in the United States, English is still the language spoke there. I guess people see San Antonio and immediately assume that it's apart of Mexico or something. It would even be unwise to approach a person that looks to be hispanic and assume they speak spanish because for the most part at least above downtown they won't understand you.

[johnrex62]

I have lived in San Antonio for 30+ years before moving to Austin. I cannot think of a single time I had to have spanish to accomplish anything. I can speak some due to high school spanish class, but it has never been necessary to "survive".

I have worked with many hispanics who speak less spanish than I do. At least I don't get chastized by the people from Mexico for "not knowing my language" as some of my coworkers have been. They were chastized in english because they would not have understood it in spanish.

[Insomniac]

Can you get by in San Antonio not speaking Spanish?

Short and simple answer: Yes Yes Yes.

I want to move there but fear my lack of Spanish-speaking skills will handicap me some way....

Short and simple answer: No No No.

[Insomniac]

As for being wise to know it before moving here, that is also incorrect. I know basically zero Spanish and have no never had a problem. I probably had more trouble with Spanish-only speakers in South Florida/Miami area when I lived there. Although learning a second language would help you or anyone become more diversified culturally.

[johnrex62]

Originally Posted by Insomniac

Short and simple answer: No No No.

Short and simple correct answer, YES YES YES sorry Insomniac, I just saw your followup answer and it seems like you agree with me that spanish is not needed, but your first post seems like you said they do need to learn it.

[Insomniac]

Originally Posted by johnrex62

Short and simple correct answer, YES YES YES sorry Insomniac, I just saw your followup answer and it seems like you agree with me that spanish is not needed, but your first post seems like you said they do need to learn it.

Yeah, that is my fault, I was answering No to the question of does he need to know Spanish in order to survive/navigate in San Antonio. The thread title asks basicialy the same thing but is questioned so that the answer would need to be yes.

[imthrowed94]

Yes San Antonio is still in the United States not Mexico even though some people may consider it that. We do have whites here to and some blacks population may not be big but there here and so are asians.

[southwest1230]

Thanks folks, for answering...my reasons are the job market, the great weather, and all in SA. I hear there's at least as much, if not more, than Austin, to do. Austin is all I know in Texas, having lived there the better part of this year. All I here is that it's more friendly than Austin, and has surprisingly MORE things to do than Austin. Can this be so?
It seems like it is safer than Austin too, though I would consider Austin safer than average...