They might think it’s too much work, or perhaps they feel they don’t have the time to pursue it. In some ways, this is true! Learning a language isn’t to be taken lightly – the same as with any other worthwhile effort. So while it’s completely valid not to learn a new language, if you look at why such an ordeal is worth doing, it just might convince you.
Take the language of Spanish for example. If it isn’t your native language, then what’s the point of learning it, right? The thing is, there’s more than one reason to do it, and we’re going to be narrowing it down to 7 simple reasons. It’s okay to be intimidated, but consider these reasons why learning Spanish should be on your agenda before you make a decision.
1. It will open your mind to a beautiful culture
While you normally get the feel (and taste) of a culture through their cuisine, those who truly want to immerse themselves in one will find that learning the language really takes the cake. Simply the effort that comes with understanding it will broaden your perspective – and if this is the first time you’re undertaking such an endeavor, then it will truly open your mind. Each and every word is dripping with Spanish culture, and you’ll create a more open-minded side of whom you can interact with and absorb information in a more cultural manner. This will happen even if it isn’t a language you know in particular.
All you have to do is take that first step, and you’ll have taken it in a much larger world than you realized. By having another language inside your head to be able to bounce with your own native language, it creates a thoughtful benchmark that can’t be understated.
2. Spanish is spoken more than English world-wide
It might feel like you’ve read that wrong, so go ahead and give it another go. English, despite the fact that it’s considered the universal language, is only the third most spoken language world-wide. The second most spoken is Spanish, and for very good reason. Its origins go far back and its reach extends farther than most would be able to imagine. What does that mean exactly? To put it mildly, since it’s more spoken than English, many of the other reasons below are directly because of this particular fact. If being able to profit from results is what you’re interested in, then you’re going to want to keep reading.
3. Career opportunities will be overflowing
Because it’s the second-most spoken language in the world means that Spanish can be a literal goldmine. Maybe your country has a minority (or even a majority) that speaks Spanish. Chances are, a lot of business is conducted using this language, and more often than not people are charged a premium for putting their linguistic skills to the test.
For example, a person might be able to benefit from a call center if they have the language skills for it – but a similar employee who knows Spanish will be given a premium because they’ll be able to communicate with that particular community. This is just one of the literal hundreds of career opportunities that will open for you if you decide to take up Spanish. It has a lot more appeal now that you know how much you’ll be able to profit from the language, doesn’t it? Spanish translation is a very successful line of work, and you can even avail of their services as you learn the ins and outs of the language.
4. You’ll end up living longer
This is another surprising side benefit that learning the Spanish language can provide. Technically it’s the same for every other language, all you have to do is learn another one besides your own native spoken language. Basically, by learning Spanish as a second or perhaps third (or more) language, you’ll be creating more connections with your brain. The bit about opening your mind wasn’t just for show; it’s something that can be taken literally as well. The more connections your brain has the easier it will be for it to function. This in turn will make it easier for you brain to fight off those nasty diseases like Alzheimer’s or dementia.
A healthier mind will then lead to an overall healthier body. While a healthy lifestyle is still instrumental, it’s not far-fetched to say that learning a language such as Spanish will allow you to live longer overall.
5. Traveling overall will become easier to do
Because of the very beneficial fact that Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the world, you can bet your bottom dollar that these speakers can be found in every corner of the globe. There are so many beautiful places with a majority of Spanish users, as well as dozens of others where there are a decent amount. Traveling can be rather intimidating if you don’t know the native language of the place you’re visiting, but things will be much easier by default if you know Spanish. This is also true for English, but considering that you’re able to read this it’s safe to assume that you know a good bit of it already.
Knowing both English and Spanish is instrumental to being able to travel and communicate effectively with people all around the world. After all, you don’t want to be stuck in a place where you won’t even be able to ask for directions. Simply knowing Spanish drastically improves your chances because there are so many tourists our there whose native language happens to be Spanish. You’ll be able to help each other and forge connections along the way.
6. Learning a new language creates a better you
Adding to the list of surprising health benefits, those of you who’ve already undertaken a second language will already know what it can do to your temperament. Even people who are generally close-minded with regards to the culture of others are forced to shed this dogmatic way of thinking, because learning a language is to immerse yourself. This kind of complete immersion into a culture that isn’t your own can be cathartic and also very good for you. It isn’t just connections with your brain that improve, it’s your connection with others.
You’ll end up having a longer temper because your mind ends up wiring itself to see both sides of the coin, which is something you’ll be doing a lot on the road to learn Spanish. This counts as living longer as well, because a body that’s balanced with the humors is a body that lasts. It’s never a bad thing to end up friendlier, thanks to an all-new language.
7. Learning Spanish actually will improve your own native language
Aside from being able to improve your overall health and temperament, learning a second (or third) language, particularly Spanish, has this rather amazing side-effect of helping you improve with your own. It might come as a shock but most native speakers, especially those who only speak in one particular language, don’t take their native language too seriously. Oftentimes they’ll end up being great at the conversational aspect.
By learning Spanish, you’re going to have to take it seriously if you’re truly going to master it. There are so many different little details that will go into learning Spanish, you won’t be able to help but make observations of your own and compare it to your native language. This has a positive effect on how you view both of them, and will make you a more thoughtful individual overall. When you learn the Spanish language, it will make you take a long hard look at what you know about your own language and you will end up striving to improve in both.
To conclude, there are most definitely dozens of reasons why Spanish should be a part of your agenda. You might not have given it much thought before, but considering just how much it can improve your life overall, it might not seem so intimidating an endeavor now. It definitely is a difficult goal to achieve however. Spanish might not be as difficult to learn as most other languages (that’s another reason free of charge), but that doesn’t mean it can be underestimated. You have to be willing to pour a lot of time and effort before you’ll be able to see any kind of results. And yes, if chances permit, you have to consider traveling to countries where Spanish is the first language, where you can embed yourself into the culture to make learning the language faster.
Communication is what makes the world go round, and Spanish is one of the most commonly spoken languages. For anyone who is even the slightest bit interested in understanding another culture, learning Spanish is most definitely the way to go.