Why Learn the Spanish Language?

Look at who all is speaking Spanish these days...residents of the United States, some not even known for conquering their primary language, are learning Spanish in record numbers. It is also becoming very popular in the European Countries. There are some 400 million that speak the Spanish Language. Did you know that it is the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world (behind English, Chinese and Hindustani), and according to some counts it has more native speakers than English does.

The numbers alone makes Spanish a good choice for those wanting to learn another tongue. But there are plenty of other reasons to learn Spanish.

First it gives a better understanding of English: Some of the vocabulary of English has Latin origination. Both Spanish and English share Indo-European roots, thus some of 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. It's not unusual to gain an understanding of English verbs' tenses and moods by learning how those verbs are used in Spanish, etc.

Secondly, you can understand your neighbors better: Not too long ago, the Spanish-speaking population of the United States was confined to the Mexican Border States, Florida and New York City. But that is not true any more. There are now Spanish-speaking people living on almost every street anywhere. Knowing Spanish has proven invaluable in speaking with other residents of some towns who don't know English.

Which brings us to another excellent reason; traveling: Yes, it is possible to visit Spanish speaking nations of the world without speaking a word of Spanish. But it isn't half as much fun. You should, at least, know enough to get by. The more fluent you are the better off you are in various situations (avoiding embarrassing moments).

Now this is a big reason for many people: Employment opportunities

If you're in the United States and work in one of the helping professions including travel, medicine, education and government you'll find your opportunities expand by knowing Spanish. And wherever you live, if you're in any occupation that involves international trade, communications or tourism, you'll find opportunities to use your new language skills.

And lastly it can fun: Whether you enjoy talking, reading, speaking publicly or other communications, you'll find all of them in learning Spanish. There's something inherently enjoyable about speaking in another tongue. Perhaps that's one reason children sometimes speak in Pig Latin or device 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.

Spanish offers about the most rewards with the least effort of any foreign language out there. It's never too late to begin learning and begin speaking Spanish. There are several reasons why you should learn other languages...why you should be able to translate English to Spanish and translate Spanish to English.