The Top Five Reasons to Start Learning to Speak Spanish Today
There are more Spanish speaking Americans in 2009 than there have ever been before. In fact, experts predict that the Spanish speaking population of America will continue to increase over the coming years. It has never been more useful to speak Spanish as it is today.
There are numerous reasons to think about learning Spanish in the near future. This article covers five of the most topical, pressing reasons that ordinary Americans might want to give Spanish a shot.
The most convincing reason to learn Spanish is economic. Businesses which can reach into the Spanish market are likely to enjoy enhanced profitability. And even businesses that don’t directly touch the market can benefit from better communication with Spanish-speaking employees.
Another reason to learn Spanish is to increase the locations you can safely and effectively travel to. Imagine if you could drop into interior Mexico without a translator? If you were fluent in Spanish there would be more than 50 nations for you to explore safely.
Personally, I enjoy world cinema. And one of the reasons that I first undertook to learn Spanish was so that I could savor Spanish-language performances without having to rely on sub-titles. If you learn Spanish you can increase the number of titles you might consider renting at the video store greatly.
Another reason to consider learning Spanish is to find more job opportunities. Recent studies suggest that bilingual Americans make more money are move through the workforce more effortlessly than English-only Americans. If you speak both languages you can make more money for the same amount of work.
The last reason to consider learning Spanish is slightly more controversial but I shall offer it to you anyway. If you are a single person you can substantially increases your dating pool by including Spanish speaking individuals. Imagine being able to successfully date another 1 billion plus individuals. Mathematically, your chances of success with improve substantially if you are able to learn another language.
Now, not every single one of these reasons will apply to all the people out there. Still, it is almost a certainty that one of these listed reason WILL apply to you. Maybe you want to make more money, or improve your businesses bottom line, etc. Learning Spanish just might be factor that allows you to make a change for the better.
One last reason to consider learning Spanish: It has been shown that individuals who can speak more than one language are more likely to retain their highest order brain functioning late in life. The evidence is not conclusive but it appears that learning Spanish might just benefit your intellectual health.
Learn Spanish with these 7 Simple Techniques
1) There are many websites that offer free online lessons for beginnners. Look for one that has a lot of audio, such as our site: LearningSpanishCentre.com. Use the forums to ask questions, and make friends with other students at your level.
2) Don’t waste the driving time you spend in the car. Instead of listening to the radio (unless you are listening to Spanish radio), try listening to programmed course materials. Many people commute more than 5 or 10 hours per week. Even at 30 minutes a day, you will be astounded what you can learn in the car.
3) Carry flashcards with you. Make your own flashcards on 3×5 notecards using words from the course from which you are currently studying. Be sure and carry them with you; next time you are standing in line or waiting for whatever, pull out the flashcards, and do a quick review.
4) Don’t forget about using a good book (with a dictionary in the back). While some people learn best from audios, you might be the type of person that has to see it in writing to learn it. Books typically have short story and reading lessons that will help enforce what you are learning on audios.
5) Don’t forget about software on your computer. You can easily listen to the same words and phrases over-and-over again without tiring out your computer. With multimedia systems, you typically get immediate feedback on your progress and mistakes.
6) Check your local school systems, both high-schools and college, for continuing education or community “fun” classes. Many offer multiple levels of Spanish, from beginner to advanced. You will look forward to working with a “live” teacher and fellow students.
7) If you get a chance, visit a Spanish-speaking country, especially if you can stay in the home of a family. You will learn so much more than the typial tourist/hotel experience. The site-seeing, museums, culture and foods will all help you learn your new language.
Knowing How To Speak Spanish Can Be A Plus In Today’s Job Market
Since the ability to speak Spanish enables more effective communication between employees, co-workers, clients and customers, speaking Spanish is becoming more important in business and career development. Bilingual speakers of English and Spanish are finding an increasing demand for their skills.
Since the ability to speak Spanish enables more effective communication between employees, co-workers, clients and customers, speaking Spanish is becoming more important in business and career development. Bilingual speakers of English and Spanish are finding an increasing demand for their skills.
According to recent marketing studies, the Hispanic population is the fastest growing segment of the market in North America, and many companies find themselves scrambling to catch up with the new changing market place. This increases the demand for bilingual English/Spanish speakers enhancing the value of learning to speak Spanish.
This translates into improved career opportunities. Learning Spanish can help you gain promotions in your job or it can pave the way for you to move into a different career that might be more interesting to you. Just having a notation on your resume that you speak Spanish can often mean the difference between your resume ending up in the round file or getting the all-important interview. Speaking Spanish will serve you particularly well if you happen to be involved in the building trades, in the educational field or in healthcare, especially in the US.
The increase in free-trade between the US and the countries of Central and South America brought about by the increase in globalization has led to an increased demand for bilingual English and Spanish speakers. It is clear that those who take the time and make the effort to become bilingual will soon have a clear advantage over those who don’t. Even without the increased free-trade, the demand for bilingual speakers is growing along with the changes in the demographics of the US population. It is estimated that over 40 percent of the increase in the US population is from within the Hispanic community currently yielding over thirty-five million Spanish speaking US citizens. This is a sizable segment of the population that US businesses cannot ignore.
The popularity of learning Spanish as a second language is growing not only in the US but also in many other countries of the world. As a second language, Spanish is the second most studied language, after English, in Europe. Native Spanish speakers exceed 400 million people worldwide making it the third most widely spoken native language, following Mandarin and Hindi. Considering the widespread use of Spanish and the rapid growth rate of the Hispanic sector of the population in the US, one can readily see that learning Spanish as a second language could be a wise choice
With the growth of the Hispanic population in the US, your daily interactions with native Spanish speakers, will continue to increase. For example, you might have Hispanic employers or employees that you have to interface with daily. If you wish to be able to clearly communicate with the world around you today, knowing how to speak Spanish certainly has its benefits.
For example, as my son did, you or a close family member may marry into a Spanish speaking family, or you might have Spanish speaking families in your neighborhood as my wife and I do. Also, if you don’t already, you might also find yourself with Spanish speaking employees or employers. Your interactions with the Spanish speaking community are increasing daily, whether you realize it or not. Just look at the signs sprouting up everywhere these days.
If you are interested in having a fuller understanding of the unique and rich heritage of the Hispanic people, learning Spanish is an excellent way to do that. World culture has been greatly enriched by the contributions of artists, writers, architects, musicians and others over the centuries who herald from Hispanic roots. Add to that the wonders of the rich and flavorful food that come to us from Spanish speaking communities, and there is even more reason to embrace the Spanish language and culture.