Happy belated UN Spanish Language Day!1 If you’re learning – or thinking about learning – this amazing language, this article is for you! Check out our top 20 reasons to learn Spanish below!
Why is it important to learn Spanish?
There are plenty of reasons to learn Spanish. Simply going by its sheer number of speakers worldwide, it makes sense to learn such a globally relevant language.
Per native speaker, Spanish is the world’s second most spoken language behind Mandarin.2 It’s also the second most spoken language in the United States,3 and the fourth worldwide.4
Need more convincing? Well, you’re in luck! Here are 20 more reasons to learn Spanish and speak it fluently.
Hint: If you’re ready to begin your Spanish journey, download our app and start today. You can also work with your very own Spanish tutor with our Live Coaching program. Lastly, be sure to check out our How to Learn Spanish guide for everything Spanish.
Enjoy traveling more
1. Use it in 20 countries where it’s the official language
Like we said, Spanish is massively spoken worldwide and, thus, arguably a useful language to learn. 20 countries have it as their official language,5 including some of the most culturally and environmentally rich nations worldwide – such as Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Perú, México, and Spain, to name a few.
Learning Spanish opens the door to all of these countries. And, even though you don’t need to know Spanish to go there, it’ll make your visit more enjoyable and significant.
2. Travel more confidently
Feeling more confident when traveling abroad is among the main reasons to learn Spanish – or any other language, for that matter. Think about how much more pleasant your trip will be if you can read the road signs on Spain’s highways, understand the lyrics to that mariachi song in Mexico City, or talk to all of the friendly faces you meet in Buenos Aires.
It might seem obvious, but your visit to any Spanish-speaking country will be far more interesting if you speak Spanish, especially if you plan to stay there long-term or indefinitely.
3. Move or retire abroad
Moving or retiring to a Spanish-speaking country is definitely a good reason to learn the language. And you wouldn’t be alone, as lots of people are thinking about it. According to International Living, seven out of the ten best countries to retire are Spanish-speaking.
And once you’re there, you’ll want to make yourself at home.
4. Experience the local culture more deeply
One of the fastest ways to feel at home in a foreign country is to experience and understand the local culture. Learning and speaking the language used there is key to achieving that.
Learning Spanish would allow you to understand locals in ways that you wouldn’t really manage to do in English. Being able to pick up on the nuances of daily interactions, humor, and politics of local culture is one of the most underrated reasons to learn Spanish.
Hint: Are you already planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country? Don’t miss out on our essential Spanish travel vocabulary!
Discover a new culture through its arts
5. Fall in love with new and exciting literature
Learning a language with stories is a fun way to get practicing that new language. And, with Spanish, you’ll have a ball doing it!
The ranks of Spanish-language writers include all-time greats like Gabriel García Marquez, Isabel Allende, and Horacio Quiroga. The list also includes contemporary talents like Mariana Enriquez and Brenda Lozano – and it goes on!
Also, imagine being able to savor all of their enthralling stories in their original, unconstrained original language.
6. Enjoy movies and series in their original language
Not into reading? Not a problem! We’ve got even more reasons to learn Spanish. How about movies?
Learning Spanish will open the door to a world of Netflix shows and movies in Spanish. Even before you become fluent in Spanish, watching movies with or without subtitles is a fantastic way to learn a language on your own.
7. Understand the lyrics of your favorite song
Besides being a great way to strengthen your Spanish vocabulary and pronunciation, listening to Spanish music is just fun! You’ll have lots of choices too – salsa, mariachi, cumbias, and flamenco are some of the many delightful options.
And if you learn Spanish, you’ll be finally able to understand that one Shakira song you’ve sung your heart out to since you were ten.
Improve your work and study prospects
8. Become more attractive to the job market
The reasons to learn Spanish extend to your work and studies, as well.
Being bilingual can increase your chances of getting hired. Think about it: in an increasingly globalized economy and job market, those who can communicate in different languages are, naturally, in higher demand.
9. Earn more money
Learning Spanish can certainly help you boost your income opportunities, for example. Besides, speaking it fluently can provide better growth opportunities within or outside your company…
10. Expand your job opportunities abroad
…Speaking of which, have you ever thought of working abroad? Learning Spanish can open the door to new jobs outside of your home country.
Imagine that your company starts operations in the sunny Mexican Caribbean, and they urgently need an experienced, bilingual manager of operations. You could be that manager of operations who sips on margaritas at the beach on the weekend!
11. Prepare to study abroad
Traveling abroad is a great way to learn a new language. Unfortunately, studying abroad requires you to already know a second language, or to score a certain grade on a language test before you can enroll in a program. If this is your case, and there’s a Spanish-speaking country in your sights, then what better reason to learn Spanish now?
12. Make learning other languages easier
Learning Spanish can make studying certain other languages easier!
Spanish is part of the Romance family of languages, which includes French, Italian, and Portuguese. Because these languages have many similarities, once you learn one of them, the others become easier to pick up. Trust us – we know!
13. Improve your overall learning skills
Among the reasons to learn Spanish or any other language, improving general learning skills like memorization, reading comprehension, and pattern identification is definitely a top one. Your Spanish journey will undoubtedly make you better at learning because of everything that acquiring a new language entails.
Improve your relationships
14. Meet (or impress) the love of your life
Some learn Spanish for job opportunities, others for their studies, and others do it for love. Knowing Spanish opens up a world of possibilities, including love-related ones.
This can mean impressing that Ecuadorian fellow student at school you’ve had a crush on for years now, or writing a love letter to your Spain-born significant other that they will never forget.
Hint: Are you a romantic language learner? Check out these different ways to say I love you in 11 languages.
15. Relate better to family, friends, and colleagues
Nelson Mandela once said: “If you speak to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”
It’s amazing how people open up to you when they can express themselves in the language they grew up using. Learning Spanish can help you build deeper relationships with people you know who speak it natively.
16. Make new friends and learn about a new culture
Making new friends and meeting new people are also great reasons to learn Spanish. You’ll be able to talk to people that you normally wouldn’t be able to talk to. In the process, you will learn about the specific culture and traditions linked to their native tongue.
Self-improvement
17. Boost your brain
Still need more reasons to learn Spanish? How about for the sole purpose of becoming a better version of yourself?
Did you know that learning a new language can make you smarter? This applies to Spanish too! Learning Spanish can improve your memory, enhance your concentration, and make you better at multitasking.
18. Build a habit
Learning Spanish can also show you how to build and maintain a habit. If you’re into self-improvement, you know that habit-building is a skill that can help you in different aspects and projects in your life.
Hint: If you’re into self-improvement, check out our article on developing a language learning habit to get you started.
19. Improve your time management skills
Taking into account that learning a new language takes dedication and discipline, learning Spanish will inevitably teach you how to manage your time better.
To help you out on this, we made a short and sweet list of time management tools every language learner should know about.
20. Challenge yourself
Learning a new language, including Spanish, is no easy task. The path to fluency, however, is well worth the journey.
Challenging yourself to learn Spanish is a great self-development project that can reap many benefits. And, aside from learning a new language, you’re bound to learn a thing or two about yourself.
And there you have it! More than enough reasons to learn Spanish and speak it fluently. Get started now by downloading our app, and boost your journey to fluency with your own Spanish tutor by trying out our Live Coaching.
References
- https://www.un.org/en/observances/spanish-language-day
- https://web.archive.org/web/20190312060544/https://www.ethnologue.com/statistics/size
- https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Language%20Spoken%20at%20Home&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1601
- https://www.ethnologue.com/guides/most-spoken-languages
- https://web.archive.org/web/20140903092938/http://eldiae.es/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/El-espa%C3%B1ol-lengua-viva-2014.pdf
