Learn spanish abroad: Why ?

In leaps and bounds the Spanish language is gaining more and more importance in the world today. The world is changing and Spanish connects cultural, economic and social forces internationally as monolingualism is fast becoming insufficient. It is a favorite among people in all different areas of work and study as an exciting and very useful language in the business environment.

There are many reasons to learn how to Speak Spanish:

• Spanish is currently the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world after English, Mandarin and Hindi. As a native language, an estimated 350 million people speak it, dispersed throughout many continents and regions, namely North America, South America, Europe, Africa, The Phillipines and the Caribbean and it is the official language of 21 countries.

•  Learning to speak Spanish opens the door to a world of both modern and traditional literature, film, music and art. Reading a novel or watching a film in its original language can help you to gain an even greater appreciation of the artist´s work. A translation may not always be accurate or may fail to capture some important nuances only apparent in the original language. Some of the most renowned and fascinating literature has been written in Spanish, such as works by Gabriel García Márquez, Jorge Luis Borges and Miguel Cervantes, and in cinema many stars from Spanish speaking countries have emerged, such as Penelope Cruz and Gael Garcia Bernal, as well as singers in popular culture such as Ricky Martin and Shakira. Influential figures have also greatly influenced the world of art, such as artists Dali, Frida Kahlo and Picasso.

• Studying Spanish abroad in a country which speaks the language can not only help to greatly improve your language skills, both oral and written, but it can also help you to appreciate and understand Spanish speaking cultures by observing their daily lives and communicating and spending time with natives. You can also get involved in the culture of the country. For example, in Argentina, learn to dance tango which is still popular in Buenos Aires' many milongas, discover the Argentines' staggering passion for soccer and visit museums of famous national figures such as Eva Peron and Carlos Gardel.

• A candidate who is bilingual or who has a good command of another language will be more marketable and enjoy a wider range of career opportunities than one who is monolingual. Also, Latin America has been experiencing strong economic growth and are becoming important commercial partners globally, and for this and other reasons such as the global economic crisis, many people are choosing Latin American as a place to live or even to spend time studying Spanish abroad.

• Spanish is growing as a language of scholarship and travel as students are seeing its importance and choose to study it either by enrolling in Spanish programs while traveling during their gap year or after graduating to Spanish speaking countries, or by pursuing it in their University studies. It is more and more popular in North America as 53% of university language students choose to study Spanish over other foreign languages.

• Spanish is an official language is many eminent international organizations such as the United Nations, European Union, Organization of Ibero American States, Caricom and African Union. This greatly attests to its importance in the global market and economy -it is notably the second most used language in global communication.

• In Europe, Spanish is the second most popular second language after English. This is particularly significant with the emergence of the European Union as an important economic and political player in Europe as well as globally. Also, in the United States where there are over 35 million Spanish speakers, knowledge of the language is a particularly useful asset in the medical and education sectors.

Commenting on a report presented to the British Council, language researcher David Graddol observed that, "the world is rapidly becoming multilingual and Spanish is the key language of the future." Besides its importance in global relations, the Hispanic culture is contagious in its energy and animated spirit and learning how to speak Spanish is a great way of appreciating and understanding their unique culture. Having a good command of the language undoubtedly makes traveling much easier and more enjoyable.

So come to Mundo Español, we'll be waiting for you!