What's the language most often spoken in Ambergris Caye? Can I get by if I just speak English?
Kate Corrigan - Caye International Bank
The first language of Belize is English. I am Brit and I actually find the language here more American English than British English. So if you are an expat from the US, you will fit right in.
An English-speaking expat from any jurisdiction will not have a hard time with the language because English is Belize’s first language. If you want to open a bank account here, open a business, or buy a property, all the documents will be provided to you in English that you can...
An English-speaking expat from any jurisdiction will not have a hard time with the language because English is Belize’s first language. If you want to open a bank account here, open a business, or buy a property, all the documents will be provided to you in English that you can...
The first language of Belize is English. I am Brit and I actually find the language here more American English than British English. So if you are an expat from the US, you will fit right in.
An English-speaking expat from any jurisdiction will not have a hard time with the language because English is Belize’s first language. If you want to open a bank account here, open a business, or buy a property, all the documents will be provided to you in English that you can understand.
There are other languages spoken here in Belize like Spanish or Spanglish (as we hear on Ambergris Caye). There are Guatemalans who come here, so they also have some influence here. There are Mestizos and Mayans, too, and they all have influences on the language here.
My daughter is thirteen. She’s going to the local high school and she comes home speaking Creole. Creole is a language that came here to Belize when the English settlers came and they had African workers harvesting their land, farming, and serving them. So these African workers derived this language from African and English, which for me, being a Brit, is very easy to understand, but the Africans created this language so that their bosses couldn’t understand what they are saying when they spoke to each other. My daughter has picked it up very well and I have to remind her that she is a Brit and one of our qualities is that we speak proper English.
So the main languages here in Belize are Mestizo, Spanish, Mayan, and Creole, but the first language is English. English-speaking expats find the language here very easy.
An English-speaking expat from any jurisdiction will not have a hard time with the language because English is Belize’s first language. If you want to open a bank account here, open a business, or buy a property, all the documents will be provided to you in English that you can understand.
There are other languages spoken here in Belize like Spanish or Spanglish (as we hear on Ambergris Caye). There are Guatemalans who come here, so they also have some influence here. There are Mestizos and Mayans, too, and they all have influences on the language here.
My daughter is thirteen. She’s going to the local high school and she comes home speaking Creole. Creole is a language that came here to Belize when the English settlers came and they had African workers harvesting their land, farming, and serving them. So these African workers derived this language from African and English, which for me, being a Brit, is very easy to understand, but the Africans created this language so that their bosses couldn’t understand what they are saying when they spoke to each other. My daughter has picked it up very well and I have to remind her that she is a Brit and one of our qualities is that we speak proper English.
So the main languages here in Belize are Mestizo, Spanish, Mayan, and Creole, but the first language is English. English-speaking expats find the language here very easy.
Posted December 2, 2014
Maynor Larrieu - Belize Tourism Board
M
ost San Pedranos (San Pedro is the town in Ambergris Caye) speak Spanish, as they may have mestizo decent. However the official language in all of Belize is English. "Spanglish," the mixture of English and Spanish, is common in homes of many locals.
ost San Pedranos (San Pedro is the town in Ambergris Caye) speak Spanish, as they may have mestizo decent. However the official language in all of Belize is English. "Spanglish," the mixture of English and Spanish, is common in homes of many locals. "Creole" is often spoken in all of Belize and during your visit you may experience talking to some one who speaks Creole. Creole is a thickly accented English spoken locally among Belizeans....
Most San Pedranos (San Pedro is the town in Ambergris Caye) speak Spanish, as they may have mestizo decent. However the official language in all of Belize is English. "Spanglish," the mixture of English and Spanish, is common in homes of many locals.
ost San Pedranos (San Pedro is the town in Ambergris Caye) speak Spanish, as they may have mestizo decent. However the official language in all of Belize is English. "Spanglish," the mixture of English and Spanish, is common in homes of many locals. "Creole" is often spoken in all of Belize and during your visit you may experience talking to some one who speaks Creole. Creole is a thickly accented English spoken locally among Belizeans. Most locals called it "broken English," and it is very similar to what you will hear spoken in other Caribbean islands. As a North American English-speaker you may have some difficulty understanding them, but you can surely get by and have a great conversation with a local. Soon enough you will be talking like a San Pedrano.
Posted January 8, 2015
KP15 KP
This is my test with pics and video 
This is my test with pics and video
Posted January 14, 2015
Ven15 - Venfifteen Enterprises
English.
English.
Posted January 14, 2015
Macarena Rose - Rainforerst Realty
As the others have contributed, English is the primary language in Belize. With that said, this was my primary reason for choosing Belize to move to from the USA, as I had children going to school. The classes in Belize are all taught in English, and the bonus is the expat children also learn the local Creole, Spanish and other dialects, as they make friends easily here who speak these dialects and languages. As the others have contributed, English is the primary language in Belize. With that said, this was my primary reason for choosing Belize to move to from the USA, as I had children going to school. The classes in Belize are all taught in English, and the bonus is the expat children also learn the local Creole, Spanish and other dialects, as they make friends easily here who speak these dialects and languages. Posted January 28, 2015
Archibald Brown - RE/MAX Belize Property Center
English is the language that is spoken in Ambergris Caye, but you will hear a number of dialects such as Creole. You will do great with English.
English is the language that is spoken in Ambergris Caye, but you will hear a number of dialects such as Creole. You will do great with English.
Posted March 20, 2015
Wendy Miller - RE/MAX Property Center South
Belize is the only English speaking country in Central America. This means that all important and official documents are printed in English. Schools, real estate, business transactions etc. are all done in English.
You will hear most locals speaking other languages in their day-to-day life, such as: Belizean Creole, Spanish, "Spanglish" and Mayan, but the majority speak and understand English as well.
So if...
Belize is the only English speaking country in Central America. This means that all important and official documents are printed in English. Schools, real estate, business transactions etc. are all done in English.
You will hear most locals speaking other languages in their day-to-day life, such as: Belizean Creole, Spanish, "Spanglish" and Mayan, but the majority speak and understand English as well.
So if you have any questions you can ask any of the local friends and they will be happy to help you.
Posted March 31, 2015
Relmer Arceo
The languages most often spoken in Ambergris Caye are English, Spanish, and Creole. If you’re American, for example, you can get by just speaking English. The English spoken in Belize is a little bit different than the English spoken in the US, but it’s understandable. It just has a different accent. Around 80% of the people in Ambergris Caye speak English. Everyone in the hospitality field will speak English. The people who don’t speak...
The languages most often spoken in Ambergris Caye are English, Spanish, and Creole. If you’re American, for example, you can get by just speaking English. The English spoken in Belize is a little bit different than the English spoken in the US, but it’s understandable. It just has a different accent. Around 80% of the people in Ambergris Caye speak English. Everyone in the hospitality field will speak English. The people who don’t speak English in Ambergris Caye speak Spanish.
Creole is another basic language that we speak here in Ambergris Caye. About 80% of the people in Ambergris Caye can speak Creole. Creole is easy to understand because it is similar to English, but with a different accent. If you’re just a basic American and you go up to two guys who are speaking Creole, you’re still going to be able to understand them.
(Holiday greetings from the staff at Grand Baymen, Ambergris Caye, Belize, pictured.)
Posted March 8, 2017
Rachel Jensen - Grand Baymen
One of the most convenient things about Ambergris Caye is the ease of communication. Belize's official language is English, making travel for North Americans incredibly stress-free. Visitors might need to adjust to hearing the charming Caribbean accent but this will pose no problems in terms of communication. Along with English, you'll also find Belizean Creole, Garifuna, Mandarin, Spanish, and Maya spoken in Belize as it is an incredibly diverse...One of the most convenient things about Ambergris Caye is the ease of communication. Belize's official language is English, making travel for North Americans incredibly stress-free. Visitors might need to adjust to hearing the charming Caribbean accent but this will pose no problems in terms of communication. Along with English, you'll also find Belizean Creole, Garifuna, Mandarin, Spanish, and Maya spoken in Belize as it is an incredibly diverse country. (Owners at the opening of their building units, Grand Baymen, Ambergris Caye, Belize, pictured.)
Posted July 31, 2017