Why Study Spanish?
Why Study Spanish?
Spanish is spoken by 7.5% of the world's population, so it's easy to understand why employers from education to business seek employees with Spanish language skills. But Spanish is also a portal to a world rich in heritage and culture.
An Important World Language
- Spanish is spoken in 21 countries on three different continents.
- More than 500 million people worldwide speak Spanish as a native, second or foreign language. That鈥檚 approximately 7.5% of the world鈥檚 population[1].
- Spanish is the third most widely used language on the internet and the second most used language on social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube[2].
- Spanish is the third most frequently used language in the United Nations and the fourth most used in the European Union[3].
An Opportunity to Increase Your Career Prospects
- The ability to speak a foreign language may increase employment prospects by 35%, and Spanish is one of the most widely sought-after languages in the workplace[4].
- There is an increased demand for Spanish-speaking professionals in the education, health, legal, sports and business professions[5].
- Speaking a foreign language promotes greater understanding and communication with colleagues of other cultures and increases opportunities for networking both at home and abroad.
A Prominent Language in Arts, Humanities and Sciences
- There have been 24 Nobel Prize winners from Latin America and Spain who have contributed greatly to literature, medicine, chemistry and peace[6].
- UNESCO has declared more than 150 World Heritage Sites in Latin America and Spain[7].
- Some of the world's most famous artists are from Spain and Latin America, including Salvador Dal铆, Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, to name just a few.
- The world of dance and music has been enriched by movements out of Spain and Latin America, such as tango, flamenco, zarzuela, salsa and bolero, among many others.
- Spanish is the second most used language in scientific texts, and scientific publications in Spanish have increased by 30% in the past decade[8].