The case for learning Spanish
The Spanish Influence
During the height of their empire, the Spanish colonized many countries around the world, especially between the 13th and 17th centuries, leaving the Spanish language firmly rooted in each area.
Spanish has become one of the world's most commonly spoken languages.
Spanish is one of the official languages of the European Union (spoken in Spain), as well as one of the six official languages of the United Nations, and is widely spoken throughout Latin America (except Brazil, although Mercosur, of which Brazil is a part, uses Spanish as its official language). In the United States now, about 51 million people speak Spanish, including 45 million Hispanics and 6 million Spanish language students.
1. There are more than 400 million Spanish speakers on the planet.
2. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States, with over 33 million speakers.
3. Hispanics make up the majority of the population in the United States, and the majority of them speak Spanish.
4. You'll be able to communicate more effectively with Spanish speakers if you master the language.
5. The countries of Latin America are our most important commercial partners.
6. Being able to communicate in Spanish adds value to your résumé. You will be more competitive in the workplace if you are multilingual.
7. You can make a difference in the field of education as a Spanish teacher or as a teacher of any discipline.
8. You will be able to communicate with English Language Learners thanks to your language skills.
9. You can travel to a Spanish-speaking country and immerse yourself in the culture.
Last week I went to pick up my newly-made glasses at Costco. I decided to do it in Spanish and pulled it off down to the chit chat in between, talking to the person at the counter about the feel of them and weather I needed them adjusted at that time. I'm fortunate to live in Texas where I can choose to speak Spanish whenever I want. I just study continually throughout the years and the cumulative effect is that I can enjoy Spanish often. Spanish is so common here but If you go to other parts of the US people think you are a genius for speaking another language. I won't say it doesn't feel good for people to think well of me. haha
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