Who's learning Spanish these days? For starters, residents of the United States, a bunch of people is studying Spanish in record numbers. This language is becoming of greater importance in Europe, considered the foreign language of choice after English. And it's no wonder that Spanish is a popular second or third language: with some 400 million speakers, it's the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world, and 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.

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, both Spanish and English share Indo-European roots, so their grammars are similar.

Yes, it is perfectly possible to visit Spain without speaking a word of Spanish. But it isn't nearly half as much fun. You can learn Spanish in Spain and it would be much easier the next time you visit any place where they speak this language. There is also business Spanish in Madrid or as they say curso de español en Madrid for those who need it for business purposes.

While most of us can't hope to learn the languages of more than one or two cultures other than that of our own, those that we can learn help us to learn how other people learn and think. When I read Latin American or Spanish newspapers, for example, I often find that I gain a sense of how other people think and feel, a way that is different than my own. Spanish also offers a wealth of literature, both modern and traditional.

Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages to learn. A Spanish language school in Madrid will help you to learn it and have a vast vocabulary. Much of its vocabulary is similar to English's, and written Spanish is almost completely phonetic. A Spanish immersion will help you mastering the grammar of the language and you’ll realize that you can have a meaningful communication after only a few lessons.