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Old 05-13-2021, 11:43 AM
 
149 posts, read 148,601 times
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Miami is on my super short list of places I'm considering moving after 20+ years in Boston. My one big hesitation is the number of times I've had people ask me if I know Spanish? I don't. I'm willing to learn, but I wouldn't be bringing that with me.

How big of a deal is it that you know Spanish living in Miami? Does it make life a lot harder if you don't?

If you are reading this and don't speak Spanish, has it presented a lot of challenges for you?
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Old 05-13-2021, 11:49 AM
 
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Do you mean for work?....or just every day getting around?

...if it's just getting around...no, you don't need to speak Spanish
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Old 05-13-2021, 11:52 AM
 
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Thanks for your reply! What kind of work (if you don't mind elaborating) would require you to speak Spanish? Is that a thing in the Miami work culture?

I was mostly referring to just getting around.
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Old 05-13-2021, 11:58 AM
 
8,726 posts, read 7,361,984 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mcginty74 View Post
Miami is on my super short list of places I'm considering moving after 20+ years in Boston. My one big hesitation is the number of times I've had people ask me if I know Spanish? I don't. I'm willing to learn, but I wouldn't be bringing that with me.

How big of a deal is it that you know Spanish living in Miami? Does it make life a lot harder if you don't?

If you are reading this and don't speak Spanish, has it presented a lot of challenges for you?
I know zero Spanish and never had an issue here.

For employment, generally for the low skilled/wage area, you will find a lot of positions that desire or require bilingual, so you will have fewer of these opportunities available, though in reality, my opinion, I do not think these are hard requirements, thus the "desire" category. There are tons of low skilled positions opened here all of the time.

ETA: you will generally only find the hard language requirement often in the heavy Hispanic areas, like Little Havana or Hialeah, because most of the customers there know little to no English, and maybe even the boss/owner of the business knows little to none as well, so obviously the employee would need to know Spanish.
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Old 05-13-2021, 11:58 AM
 
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
7,378 posts, read 6,439,383 times
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Has not been a problem for me. I brought my job with me before retiring. Socially, not an issue. The few times you get a Spanish only speaking Uber driver use Google Translate if you have to. I am assuming you don’t plan on moving to an immigrant, Spanish speaking community...anywhere along the coast (beach or mainland bayfront) you will be fine. The nicer the neighborhood the more educated and 98% speak English.
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Old 05-13-2021, 12:02 PM
 
149 posts, read 148,601 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elchevere View Post
Has not been a problem for me. I brought my job with me before retiring. Socially, not an issue. The few times you get a Spanish only speaking Uber driver use Google Translate if you have to. I am assuming you don’t plan on moving to an immigrant, Spanish speaking community...anywhere along the coast (beach or mainland bayfront) you will be fine. The nicer the neighborhood the more educated and 98% speak English.
Thanks! What about the Coral Gables/Coconut Grove area?
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Old 05-13-2021, 12:03 PM
 
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
7,378 posts, read 6,439,383 times
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Great areas...even though Coral Gables (not bayfront—except for its exclusive coastal communities) has a high Cuban population almost all speak English. The Grove will have more Americans, usually a little older from my experience.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mcginty74 View Post
Thanks! What about the Coral Gables/Coconut Grove area?

Last edited by elchevere; 05-13-2021 at 12:12 PM..
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Old 05-13-2021, 12:46 PM
 
Location: Florida
1,049 posts, read 951,339 times
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Yeah you don't really need to know Spanish unless you're living in Hialeah or something. Everywhere else in Miami you can get along just fine knowing only English, especially a place like Coconut Grove. As you go further north in Dade and into Broward you'll find fewer Spanish-only speakers.

For work - it's fairly important in Miami-Dade, in Broward less so, but it also depends on the line of work.
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Old 05-13-2021, 08:10 PM
 
786 posts, read 617,405 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mcginty74 View Post
Miami is on my super short list of places I'm considering moving after 20+ years in Boston. My one big hesitation is the number of times I've had people ask me if I know Spanish? I don't. I'm willing to learn, but I wouldn't be bringing that with me.

How big of a deal is it that you know Spanish living in Miami? Does it make life a lot harder if you don't?

If you are reading this and don't speak Spanish, has it presented a lot of challenges for you?

I got my order wrong a few times dining out, thats it. Honestly, your life will be easier and experience with the Miami population will be much more enjoyable if you are bilingual. Even if you move down speaking ZERO Spanish and start learning there you will be fine. In fact if the Spanish speakers see you trying, they will be far more accommodating and friendlier. I made most of my Miami friends that way.


Id be more concerned with income and housing, wages arent ver good and housing/rent is really expensive. Good thing is a lot of employers in Miami offer tuition reinbursement for Spanish Classes, and some even have the language learning spps...


FWIW, I recommend Duolingo.
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Old 05-14-2021, 12:10 PM
 
1,942 posts, read 3,295,821 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mcginty74 View Post
Miami is on my super short list of places I'm considering moving after 20+ years in Boston. My one big hesitation is the number of times I've had people ask me if I know Spanish? I don't. I'm willing to learn, but I wouldn't be bringing that with me.

How big of a deal is it that you know Spanish living in Miami? Does it make life a lot harder if you don't?

If you are reading this and don't speak Spanish, has it presented a lot of challenges for you?
I am in your boat About to leave NYC area after 50 years. Crazy. I have spent a month+ here in Miami spending time in the different nabes, looking at houses and condos and eating at various spots to feel the different vibes and talking to people who have lived here. And of course spent a few days "beaching". My experience over that period is that Spanish is not necessary to get around. Most people speak English and there are a bunch of transplants here now. If you want to PM me I can share all the places I have visited an my impressions coming from the northeast.

I have spent time in:

the Grove
Little Havana
Brickell
Upper Eastside
Edgewater
Midtown
Design District
South Beach
North Beach
Wynwood
Downtown
Coral Gables

Ate and drank in most of these spots, drove, scootered and biked around them.
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