An important world language, Spanish is the most popular foreign language for English speakers to learn.
Easy to Learn
Spanish is the easiest foreign language for an English speaker to learn. In fact, Spanish uses the Latin alphabet so there are no characters to learn. It is a phonetic language so you can easily learn to pronounce any Spanish word after memorizing Spanish’s simple pronunciation rules. In addition, the Spanish grammar system is rather logical and has few exceptions, which allows students to master it in a much shorter amount of time than would be needed to master any other human language.
A Widespread Language
Spanish has the second largest number of native speakers in the world. In fact, there are more than 400 million native Spanish speakers worldwide, who are primarily located in Spain, in most of the countries of Latin America as well as in the Southwestern United States. Spanish is the most widespread language in the Americas. In addition, Spanish speakers around the world form the third largest group of Internet users (after English and Chinese, respectively).
International Affairs, Organizations and Commerce
The Spanish language is widely used on an international level. As one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union as well as the Association of American States, Spanish is a language of international affairs. Those who aspire to work in international organizations would do well to learn Spanish.
In addition, as the official language of most countries throughout Latin America as well the country of Spain, Spanish is an important commercial language. As in most countries, language and culture are the key to unlocking commercial markets, and the Spanish language market is a particularly large one. As a result, there are many well-known international companies with a presence in Spain and/or Latin America who view the knowledge of English and Spanish as competitive assets.
Spanish and Latin American Culture and Travel
One of the keys to understanding other peoples and cultures and making the most of travel to other lands is through learning the language. Learning Spanish makes it possible to more fully enjoy treasures like Spain’s first novel Don Quijote, flamenco dance and beautiful Barcelona; Argentina’s tango dance and vibrant Buenos Aires; Colombia's beaches and One Hundred Years of Solitude; and Mexico’s enchiladas, tequila and Aztec pyramids.
An Essential Language
Spanish is an essential language to know in today’s world, particularly in the Western Hemisphere. However, every native English speaker should be encouraged to learn Spanish.
Sarah E. Rogers - Sarah E. Rogers is a freelance writer and translator based in Madrid, Spain. She currently writes for NileGuide as their Local Expert in ...
