Why It Is Important To Learn To Speak Spanish

Spanish is becoming an increasingly popular second language in the U.S., as well as in Europe, where Spanish is frequently the second language choice after English. Some accounts have it that there are more native speakers of Spanish than in any other language, and Spanish is the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world (after English, Chinese, and Hindustani). If you don’t think the numbers speak for themselves, and you are still asking yourself just why it is important to learn to speak Spanish,
read on.

Not too long ago, Spanish speakers were only prevalent in certain parts of the U.S.: Florida, New York City, and Mexican border towns. Today, Spanish speakers have moved into the U.S. from sea to shining sea, and all the way up to the Canadian border. Therefore, learning Spanish will enable you to communicate meaningfully with your new neighbors who may have yet to master English.

Perhaps an even more stimulating reason as to why it is important to learn to speak Spanish is to garner unique travel experiences. Certainly, your trip to Madrid or Buenos Aires would be more enjoyable if you could ask the locals for their personal advice on where to eat and shop! Traveling to countries where Spanish is spoken with an understanding of the language will also give you a new sense of culture. By taking in written accounts or having conversation with those around you on world affairs, you will be given a new opportunity to understand how someone different from yourself learns and thinks.

There are plenty of personal reasons as to why it is important to learn to speak Spanish, even if you don’t plan on traveling anytime soon. You may be interested to know that of all the foreign languages to learn, Spanish is among the easiest to grasp. Much Spanish vocabulary is similar to that of English, and Spanish is extremely phonetic – much of the time the sight of a word is enough to know just how to pronounce it. The hardest part of learning Spanish may be mastering its grammar, but a few short lessons should be enough to establish basic Spanish grammar and begin conversing with people.

Learning another language will help you become better acquainted with your native language. One of the theories behind this reasoning is that since Spanish comes from Latin, and many English words are also derived of Latin, you will be more aware of your native English vocabulary. Since both languages are Indo-European, their grammatical structures are very similar. Learning a new grammatical system, however similar to your native language, will make you see your native language through new eyes. And once you have established a certain fluency in Spanish, it would be easy enough to pick up other Latin based languages, such as Italian or
French.

And last but not least, another reason why it is important to learn to speak Spanish is that the language will open no small amount of doors in the career market. In the U.S., the fields of education and medicine actively seek bilingual employees, especially those who speak Spanish. There are also many opportunities for Spanish speakers in the fields of tourism, communications, and trade.