Why Learn Spanish? 12 Great Reasons to Learn Spanish

Finding a reason to learn a new language is very important during your language learning process. It will help you set up your goals and deadlines. The same happens when learning Spanish. So, why learn Spanish? This post will answer this question.

According to ‘El español: una lengua viva’ 2020 report, in that year more than 22 million people studied Spanish as a foreign language. Would you like to join them?

Here, you will find 10 great reasons to become part of this number.

12 Reasons to Learn Spanish

Earn More Money

People have always said that knowing languages is a good skill to have when finding a job, but did you know that it can also make you earn more?

According to a study by The Economist, knowing a second language can help you earn more money. Specifically, Spanish will give you a $51,000 bonus over your career.

Enjoy Awesome Books

Knowing Spanish will give you the opportunity to enjoy reading a diverse number of books.

For beginner readers, I recommend some children books like El Principito to start getting used to the language.

For readers with an intermediate level, I suggest Manolito Gafotas by Elvira Lindo. The book tells the stories of a 10 year old boy who lives in Madrid (Spain). A peculiarity of this book is the amount of slang the author uses.

For more advanced readers, La sombra del viento (The Shadow of the Wind) would be a good pick. The novel takes place in Barcelona after the Spanish Civil War. A boy finds a book that will change the direction of his life. Intrigue and secrets are guaranteed. It is one of the best-selling books of all time, selling an approximate 15 million copies.

Besides learning the grammar and practicing the language, reading books can also teach you about the culture.

Enjoy Awesome Movies and Series

There are a lot of good movies and series in Spanish waiting for you to be watched. 🙂

The same as reading books, watching movies and series is also a way to learn more about Hispanic culture.

Health Benefits

Bilingualism has been shown to have a lot of health benefits.

Some of these benefits include: The delay of the onset of dementia, or the improvement of your cognitive skills.

What benefit would you like to enjoy?

Improve Your Cultural Tolerance

Learning a foreign language will make you more tolerant toward other cultures.

A study published at The Modern Language Journal shows that language students who held cultural stereotypes evolved their views as they learned more about that culture. Also, they state that “a second language involves the acquisition not only of linguistic forms but also ways of thinking and behaving in new communities of practice.”

Additionally, a different study from Elsevier confirmed “the hypothesis that foreign language acquisition, followed by the knowledge on the related nations and cultures makes people more open for the new and the unknown and more tolerant to diversity, thus more ready to accept life not only in multi-, but also in intercultural world, that has become our reality.”

Therefore, we could say that when you learn Spanish you will also learn Hispanic culture and understand the cultural differences. Consequently, this will make you more tolerant toward the new culture.

Improve Your Mother Language

Learning a second language can help you better understand the grammar and vocabulary of your mother tongue.

When you learn Spanish you are likely forced to compare grammar rules with the ones you already “know” in your language. Doing so will get you a better understanding of your mother’s language grammar.

Also, Spanish can help you familiarize with words in your own language that share common roots.

Join a Big Community: More than 585 Million Spanish Speakers

Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world. There are more than 580 million people who speak Spanish, according to ‘El español: una lengua viva’ 2020 report. This means that 7.5% of the world population speaks Spanish!

When you learn Spanish, you will be part of a big community, which will give you the chance to communicate with a lot more people.

Learn New Cultures

When you learn a new language, you don’t just learn new words and grammar, you also need to learn the culture behind it.

First of all, learning the culture will give you a better understanding of the language. For example, it will make it easier to understand expressions related to the culture of the country where that language is spoken.

Also, when it comes to meeting foreign people, cultural fluency plays an important role. This BBC article explores this idea.

The same happens when learning Spanish. By learning the Hispanic culture, you will be able to understand why Spaniards say expressions like ‘estar en el quinto pino‘. In addition, you will learn that when you greet a woman, a simple ‘hola’ is not enough, you will also have to give each other a kiss on each cheek.

Make New Friends

If you travel or live in a foreign country, understanding and speaking their language will help you connect better with the people.

When you speak in Spanish to native speakers, you will have something in common with them right away. Doing so will easily break the ice when meeting someone.

In addition, speaking the language in a Spanish speaking country will help you get to know people better, at much deeper level.

Opportunities for Work

Knowing foreign languages is a great skill to have when looking for a job.

According to New American Economy´s 2017 report, the demand for bilingual workers increased more than double in 2015 compared to 2010 in the United States. In addition, the number of U.S. job ads asking for Spanish as a desired skill increased by around 150% in 2015.

Additionally, if you know Spanish, you will have the chance to find a job abroad. Specifically, you could potentially work in 21 Spanish speaking countries.

Opens Doors

Besides making you a better fit for employers, learning a new language, such as Spanish, opens a whole new range of opportunities for you.

For example, this BBC article explains how some people’s life changed after learning a new language and the opportunities they had. Here are some of the stories:

• Alex Chaffer, a journalist who moved to Germany says the following about learning German: “It gave me the confidence to interview footballers”.
• Cassandra Scott, who is from Edinburgh, studied Advanced French and German, and beginner level of Russian. Now, she is a freelance translator, and says: “Learning languages at school really set the course for my career.”

Would you like to be able to tell a similar story? What doors would you like to open?

Travel to More Places

If you like to travel, Spanish is a must. Knowing Spanish will help you travel to 21 Spanish speaking countries.

Most Spanish speaking countries have low or very low English proficiency as shown by EF English Proficiency Index. By knowing Spanish, you would be able to move around easily and get to know people better.

Final Thoughts

No matter how many reasons there are to learn a new language, you only need one to start the adventure.

We can’t deny it is extremely hard to start learning a foreign language. I hope these reasons give you the motivation you need to start learning Spanish.

Now, I would love to hear your opinion:

• Why learn Spanish?
• Do any of these 12 reasons make you want to learn Spanish?

Leave your answers below, in the comment section!

Before you leave, are you interested in Spain and its language? Then, you may find our online Spanish classes helpful. With these classes, you will practice your speaking and listening skills with a native speaker from Spain.

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