Why Should I Learn Spanish?

I have asked myself that question numerous times. Why should I learn Spanish? But the answer is clear and is becoming clearer and clearer as time passes. If you live in the U.S especially in the Southern part of the U.S learning Spanish is eminent.

 

Here is a great article I ran across in the Huffington Post.

I found this article to be well written and he touches on some points that I found very interesting and thought you might feel the same.

After a brief introduction about how Daniel came to the realization that he and everyone else should learn Spanish he started off the article with the main reason why he wrote it in the first place.

Written by: Daniel Cubias

So with English firmly ensconced, why should I, or anyone, bother to learn Spanish?

Well, first, there is the practical aspect. According to the U.S Census Bureau, about 12 percent of U.S. residents speak Spanish at home. They range from adults who don't know any English to little kids who are perfectly bilingual. Within this range are millions of Americans who prefer to communicate in Spanish.

At some point, you will need to talk to someone who will throw a cascade of trilled R's at you. It will happen. And when it does, gesturing randomly or yelling louder in English will not work.

This is funny, I agree whole heartedly with the above paragraph, all too often I have seen people try to communicate with each other and they think that yelling or speaking really loud will make the other person understand them. I have probably even done it myself. You are still probably asking, "so why should I learn Spanish"? keep reading.

A second reason for learning Spanish is pure economics. Among the few booming occupations are jobs where Spanish is considered a plus, if not an outright requirement. Both the blue-collar construction worker and the white-collar marketing manager are learning that it's smart to know the difference between lo siento and claro que se. In these recessionary times, a little awareness of Spanish can be the difference between landing the gig or spending another day watching soaps.

In addition to these practical matters, there is the fact that we are a multicultural society. We have always been a multicultural society, in truth. It just is no longer possible to wall ourselves off and demand that everyone acquiesce to the majority's needs. Showing respect for other cultures, and gaining a basic understanding and empathy of others, is becoming a necessary skill - not a luxury for do-gooders.

Finally, exercising your brain and learning something new will never hurt you. So don't worry.

Of course, for me, there is another, more personal reason. Growing up Latino without a firm grasp of Spanish is culturally confusing. It gets into messy questions of identity and authenticity, and we all love addressing those issues as middle age closes in.

So I'm going to hit the books and internet sites. When I get up to speed again, maybe I'll take an intermediate class. It will take weeks, perhaps months, before I'm ready to tackle a conversation with a native speaker. When it comes, and I stutter past the initial Buenos dias, it will be a sublime breakthrough.

So next time you ask yourself, why should I learn Spanish, revert back to this article, or even read about some more reasons to study Spanish to get a full understanding for yourself.

If you would like to read the article in its entirety you can find it here.