10 Reasons to Speak Spanish

TL;DR: At Lingopie, we make learning Spanish online fun. However, if you still need some extra motivation, try remembering all the ways in which Spanish fluency will improve you: from travel or job opportunities to a healthier brain and deeper personal connections.

Every once in a while, every language learner in the world goes through a few days when there is just not enough energy left to review anything. When this happens, it is easy to lose sight of your original reasons to learn Spanish. If this is the first new language you are learning, or if you had a bad experience with “high school Spanish” before, then staying motivated can be extra challenging.

Consider this blog post to be your emergency “pick me up” for the next time you are hitting a linguistic slump. Instead of focusing on the abstract benefits of learning Spanish, come back to this page and remember how Spanish will make your life better, fuller and richer.

#1 – It will take you to 4 different continents

Usually, when we think of reasons to learn Spanish, we just think of travelling to Southern Europe or Latin America. These two continents by themselves encompass 24 countries where Spanish is a majority language.
However, Spanish is much more global than that. You will find Spanish-speaking countries in Asia and Africa as well:

• The Philippines were a Spanish colony for over 350 years. Though Spanish is lo longer listed as an official language, the Philippines still has a few Spanish-based local dialects.
• In Equatorial Guinea, 68% of the country speaks Spanish as a native language.
• Morocco considers Spanish as its second- most important foreign language, especially in the North of the country.

Chances are that even in distant Oceania, you are likely to find a lively Spanish-speaking expat community!

#2 – It will open up 27 cultures for the price of one

Spanish is the second- most popular native language in the world, with 450 million people who consider it their “mother tongue”. It’s only behind Chinese and it boasts 90 million more speakers than English!

But who’s counting, right?

Perhaps more importantly, Spanish speakers are spread out over 27 different countries. Each one has its history, culture, inside jokes, and sources of culinary pride – as well as national TV networks, which we can’t wait to bring to you with the appropriate subtitles.

#3 – It will provide you with a tangible marketable skill

Nowadays, there are economic benefits to learning Spanish. If you are trying to get yourself noticed from the piles of resumes, being able to say you are bilingual may be a more impressive addition than that generic “problem-solving skills” line you're using now.

While any second language will give your resume a nice little push, Spanish can be particularly powerful across many industries and pay ranges. Customer service jobs and entry-level gigs, such as call centers, pay up to one dollar per hour more for bilingual workers.

#4 – It’s relatively easy

If you are a native English speaker and just want to learn any second language, Spanish is a pretty swell one. Despite the bad reputation it gets because of all the genders and some confusing verbs, it shares the same Latin roots as many English words. It also has remarkably simple pronunciation rules.

Spanish is ranked by the U.S. Department of State as a “Category 1” language – that is, the one that it takes future diplomats the least time to master.

#5 – It sounds like music

Perhaps we are riding on decades of hard work by the many fabulous Spanish actors who crossed over into mainstream Hollywood – but Spanish just sounds nice. Plus, with its wide variety of regional accents and intonations, there is sure to be a variant that will sound extra sweet to your ears.

#6 – It will make your brain stronger and more resilient

Your brain has its own reasons to learn Spanish: it will keep it young and agile, and by extent, it will help you stay smarter for longer.
Learning a second language offers a great opportunity to train your memory skills. Having to switch between languages also makes neural connections stronger and more numerous.

or children, this may mean an opportunity to score higher on standardized exams . However, even if you are done with that part of your life, being bilingual can have long term health benefits like delaying age-related dementia for about 5 years, on average.

#7 – It can make you better at your native language

When was the last time you stopped to think about the structure of your language? For most of us, chances are that grammar stopped being a concern around high school.

Most people tend to innately assimilate the grammar rules behind their native language, as words just fall into place as you go. If a sentence sounds weird, you can just tell.

However, learning a second language will force you to dust off all those old concepts on subject-verb agreement and preposition placement. Before you know it, you’ll be better at spotting grammar mistakes in English too.

#8 – It will allow you to get closer to people

Are there any native Spanish speakers around you? One of the most common reasons to become interested in a foreign language is  creating bonds with other speakers. Often, just a few minutes of “small talk” can be enough to break the ice when talking to your cute new neighbor or cool coworker.

If you are willing to go the extra mile and become conversational, however, you will get a chance to graduate from “casual acquaintance” into “real friend” very quickly. Even if the other person speaks English, there is a unique closeness felt when living abroad and hearing your native language. Being fluent in Spanish  makes it easier for them to feel comfortable with you.

#9 – It will put you in touch with your emotions…

Spanish is a very emotional language. Its grammar is very prone to creating endearing diminutives. It also has a wider variety of words meant to express feelings, plus several very expressive idioms.

By having access to all these new ways to communicate, you may be able to explore new aspects of your personality. When we speak another language, we temporarily adopt a different mental framework, and some people seem to be able to switch between the two. Neurolinguistics experts call this “frame switching”.

#10 – …And your roots (or those of a loved one)!

Out of these 10 good reasons to learn Spanish, this one can be particularly good at tugging at your heartstrings. If you have a parent or grandparent who came from a Spanish-speaking country, learning the language may be the launching point for a deeper exploration of your roots.

The same concept applies to your partner’s family.  At the next family reunion, Spanish may be the key to a more harmonious relationship with your in-laws!

At Lingopie, we are trying very hard to ensure that learning languages online remains fun, easy, and affordable. However, we also want to make sure you stay committed to your long- term goals. So next time you  feel like learning Spanish is a goal you can  push off until next year, break the emergency glass and return to this post.

Can you think of other reasons to learn Spanish we may have missed?