Does Canelo Alvarez speak English? All about the Mexican star's language skills
Boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez is one of the most accomplished athletes ever and has carved a niche for himself in the history of boxing. Canelo has fought some of the best boxers of his generation.
Over the years, Canelo has made a lot of effort to learn the most spoken language in the world and communicate with fans, which has helped him reach a wider audience and amass a massive fan base.
Does Canelo Alvarez speak English?
Yes, Canelo Alvarez does speak English. While there is room for improvement, he has come a long way in his linguistic journey.
Being a Mexican native, Canelo's primary language is Spanish. Initially, the 33-year-old tried to get a grasp by listening to his friends' conversations and made a lot of mistakes while trying to speak the language.
Alvarez admits to being embarrassed to speak English at the time because of the fear of making mistakes. However, he continued trying and got a grip on the language in the following years.
Leading up to his fight against Dmitry Bivol in May 2022, Canelo said that he tried to take formal English lessons but could not progress. According to the Mexican boxer, trying to communicate with his friends while playing golf helped him the most to learn the language:
"I always practice with my golf friends. I practice when I'm there and I speak a lot of English. Now, if I make a mistake or not, it doesn't matter. I'm trying to do it and I think that's what helps you in the end to speak it." [H/T Marca]
Over the years, Canelo has become increasingly comfortable communicating in English. There are many words that he pronounces differently from a native or proficient English speaker. The boxing star told Mitu he is considering taking formal English lessons to get better.
How Canelo Alvarez turned the tables after making mistakes in English
Canelo Alvarez is no longer embarrassed to speak English and says that it's okay to make mistakes while learning a new language in a world where most people can speak only one language.
Canelo's friends played a crucial role in helping him learn English. But when he makes a mistake while speaking English now, he uses a simple trick to turn the table on his friends and has fun when they are in his shoes. Canelo said:
"Now that I speak more English with my friends, they tell me I speak it well. I have more conversations and they make me more confident doing it. If I make a mistake, I tell them, 'let's see, try to speak Spanish' and I end up beating them." [H/T Marca]
Canelo's familiarity with English has produced some funny trash-talking moments in recent years.
Catch them below: