10 Common Misconceptions
about the Spanish Language
and the people who speak it:
A Gringo’s Guide to what we think we know
© Spanish Plans
www.spanishplans.org
In your notebook, answer True or False
1. Spanish is spoken the same everywhere.
2. English is the official language of the U.S.
3. New Mexico was once part of Mexico.
4. Everyone in Mexico speaks Spanish.
5. Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day.
6. U.S. has a larger Spanish speaking population
than Spain.
7. A person who speaks Spanish is Spanish.
8. A Mexican can be blonde, blue eyed.
9. English is more common than Spanish worldwide.
10. Taco Bell is Mexican food.
1. Spanish is spoken the
same everywhere?
¿Cierto
o
Falso?
FALSO
Different countries have different accents, and even
different words for things. Just like the English
spoken in England is different from the English
spoken in the U.S. What do Americans call a “lift”?
What does it mean to “stand in queue”
In Puerto Rico, you wait for a “guagua” while in
Costa Rica you wait for a “bus”
2. English is the official
language of the U.S.?
¿Cierto
o
Falso?
FALSO
So what is? Well, the US doesn’t actually have an
“official” language. Currently, English is the most spoken
language. Always a topic of debate whether we should
declare English the official language, meaning all
business must be conducted in English, US congress
has only gone so far to declare it a “common, binding
language”. Although 27 states have declared English the
official language for the state.
3. The state of New Mexico
was once part of México.
¿Cierto
o
Falso?
CIERTO
The states of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico,
most of Arizona, Colorado, and Texas were all Mexican
territory until the Treaty of Guadalupe was signed in
1848. This was a result of the U.S. Mexican War, or as
Mexico calls it, “The U.S. Invasion.” This territory
accounted for half of Mexican territory at the time, so
Mexico was twice the size it is now. In return, the US
paid Mexico $18.25 million, less than half of what it had
offered before the war started, and cleared Mexico of
$3.25 of debt to Americans.
Belonged to Mexico
4. Everyone’s first language
in Mexico is Spanish.
¿Cierto
o
Falso?
FALSO
There are still at least 68 indigenous languages alive
in Mexico. The most popular, Nahuatl, is the
language of the Aztecs. Like the U.S., the Mexican
government has not declared Spanish to be an
official language. About 6% of their population speak
only their indigenous language.
5. Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s
Independence Day?
¿Cierto
o
Falso?
FALSO
5 de mayo has nothing to do with independence. It is not
even a national holiday in Mexico. It has more relevance
as a commercial holiday in America. In Mexico, it is
essentially only celebrated in the town of Puebla, where
it commemorates the underdog victory of the Mexican
army over the French in 1862… France later went on to
win that war. Mexico’s actual Independence Day is
September 16. The 15th and 16th are by far the biggest
national celebrations in Mexico.
6. The U.S. has a larger Spanish
Speaking population than Spain?
¿Cierto
o
Falso?
TRUE
1. Mexico
2. Colombia
3. United States
4. Argentina
5. Spain
6. Perú
7. Venezuela
Source: SpanishSEO.org
109,955,400
45,013,674
44,321,038
40,677,348
40,491,051
29,180,899
26,414,815
7. A person who speaks Spanish
(as a native language) is Spanish?
¿Cierto
o
Falso?
FALSO
A person from Spain is Spanish. A person who speaks
Spanish is Hispanic, or latino. While this term includes
everyone, the people identify with their own country.
Therefore, a person from Mexico is Mexican and
someone from Colombia is Colombian. Just like
someone who is English is a person who is from
England. An American is not English, unless they were
born in England. Likewise, American is not a language.
Be careful between Nationality and Language. They
often do not match.
8. A Mexican can be blonde
with blue eyes?
¿Cierto
o
Falso?
TRUE
While you may envision a Mexican to look a certain
way, that is just a stereotype. All latinos, including
Mexicans, come in all colors. There are plenty of
light skinned and even black skinned Mexicans. You
don’t have to look a particular way to be Mexican.
The lighter skinned Mexicans likely have more
Spanish blood as opposed to more indigenous blood
or descent.
9. More people speak English as a
native language than Spanish?
¿Cierto
o
Falso?
False
Spanish is the second most common language
worldwide, only behind Mandarin Chinese. English
follows in 3rd place.
10. Taco Bell is Mexican food.
¿Cierto
o
Falso?
False
Taco Bell is an American restaurant that serves
American food. There is little to nothing authentic
about the food they serve. A truly authentic Mexican
taco would be on a soft corn tortilla, with bistec,
cilantro, onion, and a squeeze of lime. At best, Taco
Bell could be considered Tex-Mex food.