Why Should I Learn Spanish?
Still wondering why Spanish after all? Here, we discuss some razones buenas (good reasons). However, before we even get into justifying all the pains of learning a foreign language, let alone getting fluent in it, let me assume that this post is redundant because the fact that you are on this blog already shows that you are loaded with at least one strong justification, if not more, to learn Spanish. If nothing else, it should be only safe to assume that you just love this language with no purpose on your mind. This is why I chose Spanish. Now, speaking of justifications, there are quite a few compelling ones to boot.
Before we start with the list, let me promise you that this list is far from complete and there are as many reasons for learning Spanish as there are those who wish to learn it! And no amount of reasoning can kick your butt into learning Spanish if you don’t just like – er...sorry, love – the way it sounds. I know this one tilts more toward the philosophical side but it’s very much a fact of life. Human history knows nobody ever learned a language to perfection without loving its sound and people who speak that language.
Too skeptical to be moved by this simplistic list? Here’s more news for you. Barring English and Mandarin, Spanish is the language spoken by the largest number of people in the world and it has more native speakers than even the ever-present English! Besides, since Mandarin, is only spoken in China while Spanish is spoken in almost two dozen countries spread across 4 continents, Spanish easily scores over Mandarin despite the latter having more native speakers. Imagine the communicative powers you will weild once you get fluent in this lingo!
If money moves you, here’s something for you. At least in North America, Spanish-speakers are the fastest growing consumer group with their population growth over the last decade in the US alone pegged at 60%. It is said that the Hispanic community in the United States is going to have in excess of a billion bucks to spend on purchases by 2013, an opportunity the capitalist in you would hate to miss. And who knows better than you the benefits of speaking your consumers’ tongue and what it could do to your business!
If the United States Census Bureau were to be believed, one out of every eight American is a Latino today. By 2015, it is expected that there will be close to 50 million Hispanics in the US. Can you foresee how one thing leads to another? Do you see how this population surge will spike the demand for Spanish-language media – television, radio, newspaper, magazine? And do you see what knowledge of Spanish can do to your career prospects?
It is said what isn’t driven by money drives us the best. What this means to your Spanish ambitions is that if you truly wish to acquire this language, it will help to find, or invent, some motivation other than business. Learning Spanish is a chore and even the peppiest of chores wear out in enthusiasm with time if there’s any lack of sustainable motivation. Look beyond money. Delve deeper into the Hispanic culture, the lifestyle, the trivia of Hispanic history, their food. There are enough number of incredibly interesting aspects of this community to sustain your motivation for reasonably long.
In the end I must add, whatever your motivation, it must stir you. It must move you, make you restless. If you are truly keen on being fluent in Spanish, you shouldn’t be able to even imagine a world without it! Dump English until you are perfect in the Spanish language. Trust me, you won’t forget English anyways because there’s enough of it in you already. Fall in love with the people, the culture, the lifestyle, for Spanish is not just a bunch of words and rules of grammar; it is a combination of everything that defines Hispaniola. You can never truly acquire a language in isolation from the culture it represents because every language, including Spanish, has its own unique rhythm which is deeply entwined with its culture and lifestyle and which you must master in order for that language to flow freely off your mouth, like the music it’s meant to be.
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| Every eighth American is a Latino! |
| Photo credit: Don Graham licensed CC BY-SA 2.0 |
Why learning Spanish makes sense
- To be able to interact with over half a billion Spanish speakers around the world
- To enjoy the cultural richness of Spanish-speaking parts of the world Mexico, Spain, & Latin America
- To have a chance to experience new music, food, movies, & much more, adding a whole new dimension to personal entertainment
- To develop better critical thinking skills - Being bilingual means seeing the world through more than one lense; a skill that can help one in many areas
- To make new friends who don’t speak English - Imagine all of the friendships you are missing out on!
- To develop your creativity - language stimulates one’s imagination
- Because Spanish speakers are growing at a faster rate than English speakers!
- To give oneself better job security - Why not stack the deck in your favor by having a valuable skill? Bilinguals are more marketable and have more career choices than monolinguals
Why learning Spanish makes strong business sense
Too skeptical to be moved by this simplistic list? Here’s more news for you. Barring English and Mandarin, Spanish is the language spoken by the largest number of people in the world and it has more native speakers than even the ever-present English! Besides, since Mandarin, is only spoken in China while Spanish is spoken in almost two dozen countries spread across 4 continents, Spanish easily scores over Mandarin despite the latter having more native speakers. Imagine the communicative powers you will weild once you get fluent in this lingo!
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| The Spanish language community is full of opportunities |
| Photo credit: Molly Stevens licensed CC BY-SA 2.0 |
If the United States Census Bureau were to be believed, one out of every eight American is a Latino today. By 2015, it is expected that there will be close to 50 million Hispanics in the US. Can you foresee how one thing leads to another? Do you see how this population surge will spike the demand for Spanish-language media – television, radio, newspaper, magazine? And do you see what knowledge of Spanish can do to your career prospects?
Is money everything?
It is said what isn’t driven by money drives us the best. What this means to your Spanish ambitions is that if you truly wish to acquire this language, it will help to find, or invent, some motivation other than business. Learning Spanish is a chore and even the peppiest of chores wear out in enthusiasm with time if there’s any lack of sustainable motivation. Look beyond money. Delve deeper into the Hispanic culture, the lifestyle, the trivia of Hispanic history, their food. There are enough number of incredibly interesting aspects of this community to sustain your motivation for reasonably long.
In the end I must add, whatever your motivation, it must stir you. It must move you, make you restless. If you are truly keen on being fluent in Spanish, you shouldn’t be able to even imagine a world without it! Dump English until you are perfect in the Spanish language. Trust me, you won’t forget English anyways because there’s enough of it in you already. Fall in love with the people, the culture, the lifestyle, for Spanish is not just a bunch of words and rules of grammar; it is a combination of everything that defines Hispaniola. You can never truly acquire a language in isolation from the culture it represents because every language, including Spanish, has its own unique rhythm which is deeply entwined with its culture and lifestyle and which you must master in order for that language to flow freely off your mouth, like the music it’s meant to be.
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