The Importance of Learning Spanish
"Professionals with Spanish skills can communicate with one of the world's fastest growing markets, a quality that is highly valued by employers".
Why learn Spanish? 426 million people speak Spanish around the world, and it is the official language in 21 different countries. Gaining knowledge of the language will open up an exciting variety of professional opportunities and make travel to Spanish speaking countries easier, where even knowing a little Spanish can go a long way.
Spanish facts
- After Mandarin Chinese, Spanish is the world's second most spoken language in terms of native speakers, and it is the second most used internationally.
- By the year 2030, native Spanish speakers will make up 7.5% of the entire population of the world.
- Spanish is studied as a foreign language by 18 million students.
- 426 million people speak Spanish and it is the official language in 21 countries.
- There are also large populations of Spanish speakers in many countries where Spanish is not the official language: The Philippines 439,000, Brazil 460,000, Canada 909,000, The United States 37 million.
- Spanish is one of the official languages used by the United Nations.
- By 2050, the U.S. is expected to become the country with the largest Spanish speaking population.
Why Spanish? - Economic Indicators...
- Business around the world is increasingly taking place at an international level, and companies increasingly favor job candidates with Spanish skills.
- Many Spanish speaking countries are experiencing economic growth, and becoming increasingly prominent world trade partners. Political and economic agreements such as NAFTA, MERCOSUR and the G3 Free Trade Agreement have helped propel that growth.
- Between 2000 and 2010, Hispanic populations doubled in one out of four countries world-wide.
- In 2010, the average income of Hispanic households was $ 37, 759.
Why Spanish? - Cultural Indicators...
- Spanish speaking culture continues to have a growing influence on culture around the world. Cervantes' classic Spanish novel Don Quijote de la Mancha is second only to the Bible as the most translated book in history. Guadi´s architectual designs are celebrated around the world as are paintings by Spanish masters such as Picasso and Dalí.
- Contemporary Spanish language writers such as Isabelle Allende and Gabriel Garcia Marquez continue receiving high critical praise and leading worldwide best-seller lists. In 2010, Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
- Actors such as Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayak are just a few of today's Hollywood stars that are from Spanish speaking countries.
Why learn Spanish? Learning Spanish is not only becoming a necessity in our global economy, it can also be very enjoyable and personally rewarding. The people of many Spanish speaking countries and regions are famous for having a contagious passion for living. Once you begin to study the language and learn about the culture, you may never want to stop.
