Why Should You Learn Spanish

If you want to know why you should learn Spanish, look first at who already is: For starters, residents of the United States, a bunch not known for conquering monolingualism, are studying Spanish in record numbers. Spanish, too, is becoming of greater importance in Europe, where it often is the foreign language of choice after English. And its no wonder that Spanish is a popular second or third language: with some 400 million speakers, its the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world (after English, Chinese and Hindustani), and the most geographically widely spoken after English. According to some counts it has more native speakers than English does. It is an official language on four continents and is of historical importance elsewhere. The numbers alone make Spanish a good choice for those wanting to learn another tongue. But there are plenty of other reasons to learn Spanish. Here are a few: Knowing Spanish Improves Your English Much of the vocabulary of English has Latin origins, much of which came to English by way of French. Since Spanish is also a Latin language, you will find as you study Spanish that you have a better understanding of your native vocabulary. Similarly, Spanish and English share Indo-European roots, so their grammars are similar. There is perhaps no more effective way to learn English grammar than by studying the grammar of another language, for the study forces you to think about how your language is structured. Your Neighbors May Speak Spanish Not all that many years ago, the Spanish-speaking population of the United States was confined to the Mexican border states, Florida, and New York City. But no more. Even states along the Canadian border, such as Washington and Montana, have their share of native Spanish speakers. Spanish Is Great for Travel Yes, it is perfectly possible to visit Mexico, Spain, and even Equatorial Guinea without speaking a word of Spanish. But it isnt nearly half as much fun. Among the real-life experiences people have had simply because they speak Spanish are getting invited to peoples homes for meals, being given lyrics so they can sing along with mariachis, being asked to translate for monolingual travelers, taking dance lessons without being a part of a group of travelers, and getting asked to join a pick-up game of soccer (football), among many others. Time and time again while traveling in Latin America and Spain, doors will be open to you if you speak Spanish that arent open for most travelers Learning a Language Helps You Learn Others If you can learn Spanish, youll have a head start in learning the other Latin-based languages such as French and Italian. And it will even help you learn Russian and German, since they too have Indo-European roots and have some characteristics (such as gender and extensive conjugation) that are present in Spanish but not English. And it wouldnt be surprising if learning Spanish might even help you learn Japanese or any other non-Indo-European language, since intensively learning the structure of a language can give you a reference point for learning others. Spanish Is Easy Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages to learn for English speakers. Much of its vocabulary is similar to Englishs, and written Spanish is almost completely phonetic: Look at almost any Spanish word and you can tell how it is pronounced. Knowing Spanish May Help You Find Work If youre in the United States and work in one of the helping professions including medicine and education, youll find your opportunities expand by knowing Spanish. And wherever you live, if youre in any occupation that involves international trade, communications, or tourism, youll similarly find  opportunities to use your new language skills. Spanish Can Keep You Informed If youre into international news, youll find its much easier to stay informed about developments in Spain and much of the Western Hemisphere if you know Spanish. There are plenty of interesting news stories—recent examples include anti-Uber taxi strikes in Bogotà ¡ and the impacts of migration from Venezuela—that are covered little in the English media or not covered at all. Spanish Is Fun! Whether you enjoy talking, reading, or mastering challenges, youll find all of them in learning Spanish. For many people, theres something inherently enjoyable about successfully speaking in another tongue. Perhaps thats one reason children sometimes speak in Pig Latin or devise secret codes of their own. Although learning a language can be work, the efforts pay off quickly when you finally get to use your skills. For many people, Spanish offers the most rewards with the least effort of any foreign language. Its never too late to begin learning.