Out of all the languages in the world, why would you choose Spanish?
First of all, it is one of the few languages that is truly international because it is spoken across many countries. Spanish is also used in many different institutions, is important in the world of business and you can learn it from any part of the globe.
If this is not enough for you, here are 5 additional reasons that demonstrate why learning Spanish as a second language is going to be a positive experience.
5 strong reasons for learning Spanish
1. Spanish is an influential and growing language
The first motive for studying Spanish can be shown through its widespread use compared to other languages. Below are a few surprising statistics taken from throughout the world.
- It is second only to Mandarin in both numbers of first language speakers and most spoken language in the world.
- Spanish is the mother tongue for more than 472 million people.
- If we include the people that speak Spanish as their second language or a currently studying the figure is close to 567 million. As a good comparison point, this figure is equivalent to the sum of the population from the United States, Brazil and Argentina.
- Due to the growth of the population and emerging economies in Latin America, the number of native speakers of Spanish increases as well as the number of commercial relationships in this language.
- Spanish is the official language in 21 countries and it is a commonly used language in other territories such as the United States, Philippines and Brazil.
As you can see learning Spanish as a second language would allow you to communicate to millions of people all over the globe.
2. Spanish will help your professional career
If you are looking for a new job or want to improve your current position, knowing Spanish will help you stand out among other candidates.
Due to the international growth of the Spanish-speaking market, employers value workers who speak Spanish due to four fundamental reasons.
- Proficiency in Spanish is a strong point to all the companies that do business with or are based in Latin America and Spain.
- Latin America is an emerging economy and its importance as a market is increasing.
- Spanish is the official language of around 70 international institutions, notable ones include the United Nations, The European Union, the Organización Mundial del Comercio y la Organización Mundial del Trabajo.
Hopefully, you now understand why many of my students are professionals and companies.
3. Spanish will submerge you into a new culture
Studying Spanish opens an entire world of opportunities where you can enjoy and understand great works and contributions to literature, history, fashion, art, cinema, sports and music.
Spanish is the mother tongue of many great writers such as Gabriel García Márquez, Miguel de Cervantes or Pablo Neruda. It is also the language used by Simón Bolívar, Simón Díaz, Carolina Herrera, Pedro Almodóvar, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Frida Kahlo.
Spanish is more present in your life than you can fathom. Surely you have danced merengue or salsa, or been surprised yourself with the strength of flamenco or heard music from Juan Luis Guerra, Shakira, Alejandro Sanz, Ricky Martin and Luis Fonsi. Perhaps you have also been amazed at sports stars such as Leo Messi, Keylor Navas, Salomón Rondón and James Rodríguez.
I could continue the list, but it is very large. I am in love with my language and I can think of many works of art, songs and movies in Spanish that you might like too.
Did you know that ‘The impossible’ was the work of Juan Antonio Bayona a Spanish director?
Or that Nicole Kidman worked under the direction of Alejandro Amenabar in ‘the others’?
Thanks to Spanish you will appreciate art, culture and Latin American history firsthand without requiring subtitles or translations.
4. Spanish will allow you to explore the world
Considering all the places that speak Spanish, imagine all the fascinating destinations that await you for your next holidays?
For sure you could travel to Latin America and Spanish without speaking a single word, but your experience will be much more enriching when you know the language. In place of sticking to frequently travelled paths marked by travel guides, you can explore at your own pace. This involves going out of tourist routes, interacting with the locals and tasting authentic Latin and or Spanish food.
Begin preparing your taste buds for an explosion of Latin flavours: paella, ceviche, tacos, arepas, asado, tapas… All very delicious and full of nutrients.
Speaking Spanish allows you to do and see things when you travel that you otherwise would never discover without knowing the language.
5. Spanish is a simple language to learn
I know from experience that many students studying Spanish find grammar to be a little complicated at the start. However, Spanish is an easy language everyone can learn. If your mother tongue is a romance language like Portuguese, Italian, etc. then you will find Spanish very familiar. However, I believe it is enough that you want to learn it to fall in love with the language whatever your mother tongue is:
- Pronunciation is simple: Whenever you read an unfamiliar word you will know how to pronounce it. No other language has sounds that are this easy to learn.
- Many words in English will often appear in Spanish.
- Spanish is a language that has Latin roots like French, Italian and Portuguese. If you speak any other Latin language you will quickly advance your Spanish. The opposite also occurs: after studying Spanish learning other Latin language will become a much easier endeavour.
- If you compare Spanish with other languages such as Chinese, Arabic or Russian you will realize that Spanish is a safer investment because you will not be required to learn a new alphabet or be tasked to deal with difficult pronunciation.
- Basic grammar is easy for all student. You will be able to have a simple conversation with little study time.
The above reasons summarize the most common motivations my students communicate to me through my online Spanish classes. That being said, I am sure you have much more and I would like for you to share it with me.
Tell me, for what reasons are you studying Spanish as a foreign language? Leave me a comment below and share your motivations for learning this fascinating language.