In the shrinking world of today’s globalized economy, a monolingual lifestyle is slowly becoming a handicap. Those who speak only English are becoming increasingly marginalized as communication between cultures becomes more important. Being able to speak more than one language is extremely valuable, especially the ability to speak Spanish - the 4th most spoken language.

The reasons for learning another language are many; practical considerations may require you to learn another language, or intellectual curiosity, or even sentimental reasons. Thus it is interesting to have a clear understanding of why you might choose to learn another language, in this case, Spanish!

The following 15 reasons to learn to speak Spanish will help you in your quest to find the most effective method for learning the Spanish language.

1. The ability to converse with more than 500 million people worldwide, as well as over 40 million people in the United States who speak Spanish.

2. The ability to enjoy all the channels on your television!

3. The ability to order a meal in Spanish at a Mexican restaurant.

4. The ability to communicate with any co-workers that might speak Spanish.

5. Securing your job. Bilingual people simply have more career options and are more valuable to employers. Bilingual speakers’ career opportunities are greatly increased in the health care and education industries. And your resume will look much better!

6. You will be able to read Spanish newspapers, books, and websites! Which will also help you if you decide to do business with Spanish speaking people.

7. To be able to fully experience the joys of traveling to Spanish speaking countries like Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Spain, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Panama, Puerto Rico, and many more. The ability to speak Spanish while traveling in these countries will open up many more doors and experiences for you.

8. Learning to speak Spanish is fun! You will experience new food, movies, music, and much more.

9. You will make many new Spanish speaking friends.

10. Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages for native English speakers to learn. Because so much of its vocabulary is similar to English and other Latin-based languages, you will have a solid foundation upon which to learn other languages like Italian and French.

11. You will be able to fully enjoy Hispanic and Latino cultures, some of the historically richest and warmest cultures in the world.

12. You will develop your creativity through mental stimulation. Our imaginations are stimulated by language; all languages have their own ideas and cultural expressions that others don’t.

13. Your critical thinking skills will improve. Speaking other languages allows you to see the world in a different light.

14. You will be able to help and teach others who do not speak English.

15. And finally, you will age more slowly! Studies have shown that learning a new language prevents age-related declines in mental and cognitive function.

Not only will you have fun if you learn to speak Spanish, you will experience much more of what life has to offer. So, the sooner you start, the better off you will be!

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