If a lady from BArranquilla speaks good english well is this a red flag

[colcorazon]

I read a few trip reports here. Some of the guys were stating early on in them some girlks spoke good english or near perfect.
Later some problems arose in those relationships.

COuld speaking english too well actually be a red flag...that maybe she has too much experience ?

Yes ti would be great to have a colombian woman who speaks english but what does that say sometimes (indirectly).

[Traveler]

It can mean a whole lot of things.  Upper class colombians generally want their children to know English well, they go to bilingual schools and colleges - it's a status thing, and status is everything in Latin America.  She might work in tourism or an international company, or just had a chance to get good education.

She might have had foreign boyfriends of course.  So you will have to find out.  If there is no good explanation as to why her English is unusually good - well, I would probe more I guess.  If a girl works (or worked) as a prepago I doubt that alone leads to good English - their work is more non-verbal. 

[Researcher]

     Simple answer is no, I wouldn't take that as a bad sign.


      Researcher

[z_k_g]

It can mean a whole lot of things.  Upper class colombians generally want their children to know English well, they go to bilingual schools and colleges - it's a status thing, and status is everything in Latin America.  She might work in tourism or an international company, or just had a chance to get good education.

She might have had foreign boyfriends of course.  So you will have to find out.  If there is no good explanation as to why her English is unusually good - well, I would probe more I guess.  If a girl works (or worked) as a prepago I doubt that alone leads to good English - their work is more non-verbal. 

Traveler,

ASSumptions are NOT red flags!

He should investigate, ask some questions, sort things out.

The answers (or lack of) will determine if she has raised some red flags.

Zulu

[AndyLee]

Many university graduates in Colombia speak intermediate English. My dentist in Barranquilla, and the chief of staff here at the hospital, for example. I think the only red flag it might throw up is if the girl learned English in the US or Europe, then she might be Americanized.
One lady I met here in Pereira speaks intermediate English because she lived in Florida for 11 years. She went there when she was 20 years old on a Tourist Visa that was good for 6 months and she wound up staying 11 years before she got deported. She is very Americanized and is having a hard time readjusting to Colombian society. The other part of her story is she married an American in Florida and they have 2 children ages 11 and 5. When she got deported he moved to Colombia with her and the kids but he could not adjust to life here so they divorced and he went back to Florida. The little girls spend 2 weeks at Christmas and 4 weeks school vacation each year with him in Florida and the rest of the year here with their mom. The little girls have adjusted to Colombian life just fine, although the 11 year old is very Americanized. The 5 year old was only 3 when she left the US so she isn't as noticeably Americanized.

[raycjs]

my girls English was very good when i met her and now it is near perfect. she went to school in BAQ to learn English and then when she arrived in our country she has been in school for the past 2 years... so my answer would be no not a red flag in my case...


Ray

[JimD]

Do you remember Ximena from the old Cali Charm? She speaks perfect English and has never been out of Colombia. I ribbed her one time when I caught her saying Cali with a long "a" (like in California). She´d learned to pronounce the name of her own city like the gringos. Pretty cute.

[Gato4Astrid]

No, unless she can speak too many "slag" English words that are suitable for cybersex!!

[william3rd]

I read a few trip reports here. Some of the guys were stating early on in them some girlks spoke good english or near perfect.
Later some problems arose in those relationships.

COuld speaking english too well actually be a red flag...that maybe she has too much experience ?

Yes ti would be great to have a colombian woman who speaks english but what does that say sometimes (indirectly).

It depends, in my opinion,  on the explanation for the great English. In Thailand, great English means contact with foreigners. Learning is one thing, using it is something else. Bar girls and the like usually speak better English than most of the rest of the population unless there was formal college study, time in English speaking countries, etc. etc.

[Gato4Astrid]

I read a few trip reports here. Some of the guys were stating early on in them some girlks spoke good english or near perfect.
Later some problems arose in those relationships.

COuld speaking english too well actually be a red flag...that maybe she has too much experience ?

Yes ti would be great to have a colombian woman who speaks english but what does that say sometimes (indirectly).

To get to your point, all the ladies working in Airlines in major airports  - are they red flags?
Ladies working as an English teacher at school/university - red flag?

[Jeff S]

Sheesh. Speaking good English a red flag? Sounds a little paranoid to me.

[william3rd]

To get to your point, all the ladies working in Airlines in major airports  - are they red flags? NO- For the reasons stated in my post.
Ladies working as an English teacher at school/university - red flag? SAME ANSWER

Girl from a small town with lower education living in a major city for low skilled work with great English. In Thailand, HUGE RED FLAGS

[colcorazon]

I am not saying all girls who speak english would have problems, but for guys going to colombia to look for a sincere lady.. what are the odds of a good normal girl speaking good english. In Barranquilla is it NORMAL for girls to speak english well and the people in general?

And some responses seemed to cover what i meant mostly.

I agree with who said "why she speaks good english" is the real question. i speak spanish but i dont SPEAK spanish if you understand what i mean.

Maybe a captial city when a girl speaks great english that is understanable but the coast just wasnt sure if it is something to think about. She may have the WRONG type of experience if you get my drift.

so do guys on here generally see english speaking colombian girls as "a good thing" regardless of how they achieved it or a yellow flag (if not red)?

[Researcher]

       Why she speaks English might be a hint of red flag if you can find that out.But there are other red flags I would consider to be more significant. Whether or not she speaks English really isn't that big a deal.

      Researcher

[Gato4Astrid]

Colcorazon

Is your question refer to girls from lower Estrato that can speak English?

It depends on why they speak English in the 1st place.    Some of them need to speak English because of their work (as a webcam prostitutes).  These type of girls probably do not speak English in an appropriate manner.  They probably know 'slang' words.

[Henry]

If it is a country whose second language is English, then you can't really say yes or no.

If it is a country that doesnt have English as its official second language, then I would wonder how and why.

When I was in Europe, every woman I met and dated who spoke English with a flawless American accent was essentially the same as dating a woman who was raised in the USA/Canada. Not even worth the trouble.

Things like previous Gringo BFs, Sex and The City, Oprah, American soap operas, MTV, make me wonder.

Believe me, I was in a country where the people are fairly intelligent, and most of them who learned English in school for their jobs (such as medicine) still didnt have English with US-accents the way some of the women I met had.

With that said, if I met one who worked in the tourist industry, that wouldnt be a red flag to me. It is part of her job.

[euforia51]

When I was in Europe, every woman I met and dated who spoke English with a flawless American accent was essentially the same as dating a woman who was raised in the USA/Canada. Not even worth the trouble.

Interesting point here. So would you categorize these women as all of them falling into the "Americanized" category, despite them being from Europe?

[Henry]

Interesting point here. So would you categorize these women as all of them falling into the "Americanized" category, despite them being from Europe?

The ones I met? Definitely all of them who were fluent English speakers were essentially the same as American women. That was a brutal, painful lesson. There was no attraction for them to English other than the USA being cool and in that process they absorbed everything terrible about it. You know the whole bad is good and good is bad dynamic that many people in America buy into? Just like that.

I'd be even more careful around the Americanized foreign women than American women in general. These types of women still have the feminine charm on the outside, which they know how to turn on and off to attract men, while really thinking like an AW on the inside.

[fathertime]

I read a few trip reports here. Some of the guys were stating early on in them some girlks spoke good english or near perfect.
Later some problems arose in those relationships.

COuld speaking english too well actually be a red flag...that maybe she has too much experience ?

Yes ti would be great to have a colombian woman who speaks english but what does that say sometimes (indirectly).

could be a red flag but usually not...a couple of my wife's friends speak very good english because they are in schoool learning...if a woman is part of an agency it makes perfect sense for them to supplement their english skills.  it could be a red flag for intelligence, which for some wife-hunters, is a negative quality!

Fathertime!

[Traveler]

As for Europe, English ability varies from country to country.  In Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland most people seem to speak English very well.  In Italy and Spain not so much, but many people are able to understand the basics.  In Russia, Turkey, France (outside of Paris) very few.  This has been my experience.

[dennislevy]

some of the comments are reasonable, but you know what? Problems arise in any relationship, even if both in the couple are native born speakers!!!!!!!!!!!

But learning another language, even if its part of a job...is a testament to self motivation, its more then status, its not easy for Colombians to learn english, the pronunciation and the rhythmic patterns are much different the Spanish I m always flattered if a woman wants to speak English with me, and I had a beautiful novia in Bogota who is a high schol English teacher

But for those of you who think I want a woman who speaks English, you cant have it both ways, you cant say I want her to take the responsibility to speak my language, if she wants to be my wife in the US and then imagine red flags if she speaks it to well!

let me offer an alternative solution.
LEARN TO SPEAK SPANISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jeff S]

As for Europe, English ability varies from country to country.  In Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland most people seem to speak English very well.  In Italy and Spain not so much, but many people are able to understand the basics.  In Russia, Turkey, France (outside of Paris) very few.  This has been my experience.

Mine too. In Northern Europe and Scandinavia, I was always surprised how fast people shift into excellent English at the slightest hint of misunderstanding on your part, especially Scandinavia and the low countries.

[euforia51]

some of the comments are reasonable, but you know what? Problems arise in any relationship, even if both in the couple are native born speakers!!!!!!!!!!!
...
let me offer an alternative a required solution.
LEARN TO SPEAK SPANISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, how I love a post that brings the logic back to the topic. I agree wholeheartedly with dennislevy. And would further concur with his last statement as being a requirement before taking the plunge. What kind of person goes trapsing off into a foreign country to look for a woman and many times without even bothering to at least try to learn the native language? And then has the audacity to consider it a red flag if he's even lucky enough to find a girl who can speak his own?

[Gato4Astrid]

Hello Dennis

If you don't mind me saying, you always keep on giving out advice that we should speak Spanish, but how come you are still looking after having dated over 100 women  (I remembered that from your previous postings, you even counted how many women you have dated.

I don't speak Spanish fluently, but I have got a girlfriend of 15 months already.  I am on intermediate level - both written and reading. 

Your quote:
"its not easy for Colombians to learn english, the pronunciation and the rhythmic patterns are much different the Spanish"

Is it easier for American/British to learn Spanish than the Colombians learning English?

[Dan Las Vegas]

Gato, what does his advice to learn spanish have to do with how many women he has dated?

Dan LV