Is Spanish worth studying?
Spanish is a romance language spoken by over 500 million people. The language originated from the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. It is mainly spoken in Spain and America. It is the world’s second-most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese, and the world’s fourth-most spoken language overall after English, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindi. It is estimated that US will be the largest Spanish speaking country in the world by 2060.
Romance Language
If you’re considering learning a foreign language, then I would highly recommend Spanish. This romance language has many benefits of learning it. Whether you’re a free soul who loves travelling or an ambitious professional who loves business. Maybe you’re not a free soul but a new one who wishes to know which language would suit them best for their higher studies or maybe you possess an artistic mind. If you fall under either of the categories, then Spanish is the language for you.
A Global Language
If you’re a traveller than you might want to lend an ear, Spanish is the official or national language of 21 countries. In the Americas, 418 million people speak it, and in the European Union, 8% of folks speak it as a first language, and 7% speak it as a second language. The point of these numbers is that if you speak Spanish, you’d be a better-equipped traveller as it would be rare for you to come across a country where at least a few don’t speak Spanish. Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy your visits to countries like Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Panama and Costa Rica.
Art, Culture, History. Anytakers?
If the blood in your veins is that of an artist’s then again Spanish is going to benefit you on a much grander scale. Through Spanish, you’ll gain access to the unparalleled world of rich Hispanic culture. Engaging with literature in their original language provides you with deeper insights into them than you can access through translations. While art may not have an exact language, being able to speak Spanish may help you enter the mind of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and many others. The same extends to the music of the greats, like Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz and Tito Puente.
Business!
Now, let’s talk about business. According to Forbes the Latin American market has investing powers of about 1.5trillion dollars, making Spanish a preferred language among the global corporates. If I’m an employer looking at the CVs of 2 candidates for a job, but one has Spanish in his resume, I’ll suddenly be reminded of potential clients who were out of my reach due to the language barrier. Spanish can be the stepping-stone to an international career. With 21 countries that rock Spanish as their official language, you can multiply your entire clientele base by the number.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to know that the combined GDP of Spanish-speaking countries easily tops $6 trillion. Mexico and Spain alone have $1.7 and $1.4 trillion respectively.
Sharp Memory
Apart from all this Spanish helps you stay sharp and trims you to perfection. According to Alzheimer’s Today, “Speaking more than one language appears to help the brain resist the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.” Through learning a new language, you will not only increase your ability to focus, but it will also help you understand cultures and the diversity of the world.
Finally,
If all this wasn’t enough, Spanish is widely regarded as one of the easiest languages to learn, so you can be up and running with basic reading and speaking skills in no time. Clearly, speaking Spanish is a gift that keeps on giving. Learning it would benefit you greatly in the long run. So, I highly recommend it.