Why Learn Spanish
Why Should I Learn Spanish?
Popular: Spanish is a popular second or third language, with 400 million speakers; it’s the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world. It is an official language on four continents and is of historical importance elsewhere.
Better understanding of English: Much of the vocabulary of English has Latin origins, so you will find as you study Spanish that you have a better understanding of your native vocabulary. Similarly, Spanish and English share Indo-European roots, so 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.
Make traveling fun: Learning Spanish is helpful when traveling the globe, since many countries speak the language. Some foreigners do speak English, but conversing in the native tongue is always more fun.
Cultural Understanding: Learning Spanish provides insight to the relevant cultures and customs of Spanish-speaking individuals. By studying Spanish, we heighten our understanding of how others think, learn, and feel.
Learning other languages: If you can learn Spanish, you’ll have an advantage when learning other Latin-based languages such as French and Italian. And it will even help you learn Russian and German, since they too have Indo-European roots and have some characteristics (such as gender and extensive conjugation) that are present in Spanish but not English.
It’s easy: Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages to learn. Much of its vocabulary is similar to English’s, and written Spanish is almost completely phonetic. Look at almost any Spanish word and you can tell how it is pronounced. And while mastering the grammar of Spanish can be a challenge, basic grammar is straightforward enough that you can have meaningful communication after only a few lessons.
Better employment opportunities: If you’re in the United States and work in one of the helping professions including medicine and education, 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 similarly find opportunities to use your new language skills.
It’s fun: Whether you enjoy talking, reading, or mastering challenges, you’ll find all of them in learning Spanish. For many people, there’s something inherently enjoyable about successfully speaking in another tongue.
Increases brain function: Learning a new language increases cognitive ability across the board, making you that much smarter for learning Spanish. Recent studies have predicted that learning a foreign language will help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and various other forms of dementia.
Join the club: By 2050, the US will be the largest Spanish speaking country, according to Humberto López Morales, the general secretary of the Association of Spanish Language Academies. This means that your children will most likely speak Spanish!
Impress Your Friends: Americans have a reputation for being monolingual, though about 20 percent of us speak a language other than English at home. Impress your friends by joining the ranks of the bilingual. Better yet — help them learn too!
For more information please visit: http://spanish.about.com/cs/forbeginners/a/whylearnspanish.htm