Spanish is an important world language. It is the second most spoken language in the world by the number of native-speakers (460 million) and the fourth by the total number of speakers (534 million). It is a truly global language, and mastering it has a lot of advantages.
Let us look at some of the good reasons for learning Spanish.
1. Business and career
Spanish is definitely a beneficial language to have on your resume. Latin America is a booming market, and many companies nowadays are looking to expand there or work with Latin American partners and contractors. Being able to speak Spanish will open more doors for you.
If you truly master the language, you will also be able to work as a Spanish teacher, translator or interpreter. These professions can offer good pay, flexible hours and even great travel opportunities.
2. Travel
Spanish can open up a large part of the world for you! Spanish is the official language of 20 countries, such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. It is also spoken by quite a lot of people in Andorra, Belize, Gibraltar, the Philippines, and the USA. Knowledge of Spanish will make travelling the world easier and more fun.
3. Education
Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Chile, and other Spanish-speaking countries can boast some great universities. They are more or less affordable, have a great academic reputation, and you will have the added bonus of living in a country with a wonderful nature and rich culture.
4. Culture
Spanish-speaking countries have amazing cultures, with a rich history and unique traditions. Learning Spanish will allow you not only to learn about these cultures but immerse yourself into them.
Also, think of the literary works, music, films the Spanish-speaking world has given us. Sure, films and books can be translated and music can sometimes be understood without words. However, even a good translation is never the same as the original and songs will get an even deeper meaning when you learn to understand them.
5. Friendship
534 million people in the world speak Spanish as their first or second language. These are people from different corners of the world and different walks of life that you can connect with. True, you may not always be able to meet them in person. But the Internet is a wondrous thing that can bring people together. If you learn Spanish there will be over 500 million potential new friends waiting for you.
6. Cognitive skills
Learning any new language improves your cognitive skills and brain function and makes it easier for you to learn in the future. It helps your brain stay healthy as you get older. With all the other amazing opportunities it offers, why not learn Spanish?
7. Information
Spanish is the third most-used language on the Internet. Learning it will give you access to a great deal of information: scientific works, news, articles, forums, YouTube channels, humour and many more.
8. Other Languages
Spanish is quite similar to Portuguese and Italian, and it’s relatively close to French. If you aspire to be a polyglot, or just like learning languages, learning Spanish will make learning a few other languages easier for you because of the similarities they share.
Final thoughts
Learning Spanish will open up a lot of doors for you: professionally, culturally, linguistically – sometimes even literally. It is a beautiful language that may be worth learning just for itself. With the amazing opportunities it offers, who can resist?