English Comes to Mexico

By: Khaki Scott
Many Americans and Canadians hesitate to purchase property in Mexico simply because they cannot get over their fear that they may, somehow, be taken advantage of by unscrupulous real estate agents and attorneys because they do not speak Spanish. That is, in reality, probably not a significant problem anywhere in Mexico, since many Mexican attorneys speak fluent English, as do their staff members. However, this innate fear of doing business in a foreign language is now on the way to being completely resolved, especially in states such as Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon.

Tamaulipas has officially declared itself bilingual and now English is mandatory in public schools for all of its over 300,000 public school children. Nuevo Leon is right behind Tamaulipas and will be officially bilingual in the very near future. Other states, such as Chihuahua and the Mexico City area are also pushing hard to become officially bilingual. Still other states, such as the State of Yucatan, have long required English in their public schools but have not yet begun to talk of becoming officially bilingual.

The reasoning behind the pressure to become bilingual is to provide the Mexican people with the tools necessary to protect themselves in the global English speaking marketplace. Speaking English gives them entre to the world of technology, a wave that Mexico is riding into the 21st century and beyond. Speaking English also allows them to defend themselves in difficult situations when they are in an English speaking area, such as the United States. It is a happy accident that the Mexicans’ ability to speak and write in English is translating into providing Americans and Canadians with the same protective tools necessary to protect themselves when they come to invest in real estate in Mexico.

There is a flip side to the news that the Mexican people in several states are now speaking English, or are moving rapidly in the direction of speaking English in their business environments. That is the risk that potential American and Canadian real estate investors may end up trusting anyone who can speak English, over someone who might be both honest and ethical, but only speaks Spanish. Gringo on gringo fraud and deception has long been a problem in all forms of business in Mexico, and none more so than in real estate. Therefore, it is still strongly advised that every potential investor in Mexican real estate who only speaks English checks with local expat communities and/or local consulate offices for a list of Mexican attorneys who not only speak English, but whom they can trust to always have their best interests at heart