There are many reasons and benefits to learning Spanish. In this blog I will talk about some of the reasons which make me feel proud and lucky to be able to speak one of the best languages one can learn.
The Spanish language qualifies as the second language in the world. It is estimated that more than 437 million people speak Spanish as a native language and on top of that an extra 90 million people who speak it as a second language. Spanish is one of the most wide spread languages around the world. It is the native language of 21 countries plus there are another 23 countries around the world such as the U.S.A, U.K, Switzerland and other various countries that are home to more than 3 million Spanish speakers.
As a native Spanish person myself I knew that Spanish was the native language to the whole of Central America and South America, except Brazil and some other European and American colonies. However, throughout my travels, we visited the states of California and Nevada, and I could not believe the amount of Spanish speakers there were all around me. The Latin American influence is huge in the USA and at times I felt really confused; I didn’t know if I was in North America or South America. I loved it! I could speak Spanish all I wanted and I found people who came from so many places really interesting and exciting. I felt really lucky to be able to communicate with all those people, make new friends and learn more about their interesting cultures and lives.
Spanish is also a great language to have to widen your professional job prospects and even earn more money than those who only have one language. Spanish is 1 of the 6 languages of the UN convention and 1 of the official languages of the European Union. Therefore working in international politics, the world trade market, travel and tourism, hospitality, International business, commerce, teaching, volunteering or working in one of the 21 countries mentioned earlier are just some examples bilinguals with Spanish could have access to.
Spanish is also a great language because it helps to learn other lovely languages that evolved from Latin, such as, Italian, Portuguese, French and Romanian. Many people seem to be really impressed with me when they find out I can speak 4 languages. It isn’t something I like to brag about because I didn’t make any effort or went to any classes to learn them, it just came naturally to me, like getting up in the morning. Having Spanish as a base, an interest in those languages and eager to meet international people was all I needed. I love meeting new people from all around the world, getting to know them, learn their cultural values and perspective in life. Having English and Spanish enabled me to connect with the people who crossed my path and gave me the basics to learning their language. When I was younger I was mesmerised with the Italian and Brazilian cultures, so I made Italian and Brazilian friends and slowly I picked up their language.
This is probably the most important reason I feel lucky about growing up as a bilingual. If I am really honest, I even surprise myself. Oh, and by the way, Spanish also has Arabic influences so it also makes learning Arabic easier, maybe one day I’ll give it a try.
Spanish and English also share a great deal of vocabulary which in terms of learning another language, gives you a great head start. Spanish has been categorised under one of the easiest languages to learn. If Justin Bieber and Little Mix can do it, anyone can! oh, that’s another reason to learn Spanish, this will come in really handy for learning the words and meaning to all the upbeat and great Latino music creeping up on our music charts! It’s okay Shakira and Enrique you won’t have to translate your songs anymore, we got this!
My last and best reason on why to learn Spanish has to be for the great cultural experience. I’m not just saying this because I am Spanish but I have travelled to 23 countries around the world and to my surprise Spain is the best one of all. Believe me, I didn’t think it would be, I was always looking for something better, but I only realise what I had until you I compared it to something else. Spain like many other Latin American countries in South America is just bursting with culture, history, traditions, amazing food, weather, folklore, festivities and celebrations. There is never a dull moment! Always so passionate about life, love and even work. They love everything and everyone. I don’t know if you all know this but Hispanic people are great at paying attention to detail, if you lose even half a pound, buy a new piece of clothing, change your hair or makeup, seem happier than normal or even feel under the weather, they will notice and they will let you know that they know! They will compliment you and they will ask what is wrong if they perceive there is something wrong. I Love that and I also miss it so much. I wish everyone could experience that so that they too could feel great about themselves. But if you don’t Habla Español (speak Spanish) then you will never know. Learning any language will give you a great insight and a much better understanding of other cultural values and to why foreign people behave or think in a certain way.
This is just a short list of reasons why I feel so lucky to be brought up as a bilingual and if they are not enough for you to give your kids this great advantage in life then go on google I am sure there are many more.
Thank you for reading and I hope you have enjoyed this blog.
