Why
study Spanish?
— P. Ángel María Garibay K. —
Reading
and understanding another language broadens an individual’s horizons; knowing a
different culture and a different way of seeing things makes one’s life richer.
One who does not study another language learns
nothing of his own. — Goethe —
The Hispanic culture is widely varied. There are more than
20 million people of Hispanic origin in the United States making Spanish the
second language in a nation which is rapidly becoming bilingual. As a result,
there are many employment opportunities for people who speak Spanish fluently.
These opportunities span many fields, such as business, law, education,
translation, diplomacy, social services, and medicine.
Exploring the traditions of another country gives you fresh
insight into your own culture and way of life.
The country in which there are the most Spanish-speaking
people is Mexico,
with about 100 million. Spain
is second with 40 million, followed by Argentina,
Colombia, and Peru,
all with over 20 million inhabitants. The U.S. is the world's sixth largest
Spanish-speaking country with 19 million "hispanohablantes."
Mexico City
is the world's largest Spanish-speaking city with 20 million inhabitants. Los Angeles is the
world's second largest Spanish-speaking city. Spanish is also spoken on many
islands of the Caribbean, and in other areas of the world such as the Philippines and in parts of Africa
where Spanish colonial rule was strongest.
The rise of Spanish speakers in the U.S. during the
last decade has created a tremendous job market for people fluent in Spanish
and English, ranging from teaching to marketing. The U.S. Hispanic population
grew from 14.5 to 18.8 million between 1980-1987. In areas of the South and Southwest the
ability to communicate bilingually has become a necessity for all sorts of
everyday interpersonal transactions.
According to Professor Vyacheslav Ivanov of UCLA, there are at least 224
identified languages in Los
Angeles County.
This does not include differing dialects. Professor Ivanov
estimates that publications are locally produced in about 180 of these
languages. Only 92 languages have been specifically identified among students
of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Why Study Spanish?
Language
Facts
1. Spanish is spoken by approximately 377,600,000 people all over the world.
2. There are twenty-five countries in the world who speak Spanish either as an
official language or as a primary language.
3. The U.S.
is the third largest Spanish speaking country in the world. According to the
1990 Census Bureau, Spanish is the language most often spoken at home after
English. It comes ahead of German, Chinese, Italian, and French.
4. The 2000 Census Bureau reported more than 4,242,213 Hispanic or Latinos living in Los Angeles County.
Academic Facts
1. The study of Spanish helps with the understanding of English grammar.
2. Studying Spanish helps students expand their vocabulary.
3. Students enrolled in the study of languages including Spanish have higher
SAT scores for each year of language studied than students who do not study a
foreign language.
4. Learning a new language increases problem-solving skills and improves
memory, self-discipline, and self-esteem.
5. Spanish is the language of many masterpieces which can be accessed in the
original version by speakers of Spanish.
Business
Facts
1. In many states, police officers, judges, lawyers, nurses, hospital staff,
social workers, and others are enrolling in Spanish classes to be more
effective in their jobs.
2. South America represents a growing market
for American companies.
3. The NAFTA treaty with Mexico,
Canada and the United States
opened the doors for additional trade and communication among these countries.
4. Mexico, Central and South America are favorite destinations of American
tourists.
5. According to the Kiplinger Washington Editors, the Hispanic share of the
workforce will increase 25 percent by 2010.
For additional sources on this subject,
visit:
http://eleaston.com/why.html#ws