Many English speakers are seeing the advantages to learning Spanish.  Everyone has different reasons for wanting to learn the language.  If you are a little more on the skeptical side and don’t see a lot of benefit to putting the time and effort into studying Spanish, consider these reasons.  You may find yourself ordering a computer assisted course like Rocket Spanish if you really think about the benefits of learning Spanish as a second language.

  1. Travel. Who doesn’t want to travel?  With the exception of the small percentage of the population who consider themselves homebodies, most people want to travel and see the world.  Did you know that 25 countries speak Spanish as their national language? Knowing Spanish will make your goal of seeing other parts of the world much smoother. Imagine a trip to a foreign land where you can actually communicate with taxi drivers, restaurant servers, and hotel clerks.  You know enough of the language to ask directions when you are lost and barter prices with the slick salesman in a corner market.  If you speak Spanish you will be able to chat with locals to find the best places to eat and the secret must-see attractions. Speaking Spanish when you travel not only makes your trip go smoother; it also gives you opportunities to see what life is really like for people in the countries that you visit.
  1. Communicate with your neighbors.  If you live in the United States or Canada it is very likely that you have some Spanish speakers living near you.  People from Central and South America are immigrating north at huge rates.  Instead of feeling hostile and threatened by new people moving to your area, if you are able to communicate with them you can welcome them to your neighborhood.  Who knows, you may find yourself with a car that won’t start and need to ask your Spanish-speaking neighbor to give it a jump.  Learning Spanish can definitely help you out of some sticky situations.
  1. Better understanding of English. If you study Spanish grammar you will probably learn things about English grammar that you had either completely forgotten or never knew about in the first place.  Learning Spanish and getting a better grasp on English will help you communicate better in every situation.
  1. Higher cultural awareness. You might not believe it at first, but learning a language will give you subtle insights into the culture of Spanish speakers.  When you understand how people communicate and the type of vocabulary that is available for them to express themselves, you understand a lot more about their values and why they act they way they do.
  1. Career opportunities. Being bi-lingual is a highly attractive skill to a potential employer.  Even having a basic conversational level of Spanish, you will be presented with many more opportunities for jobs than you would if you only spoke English.
  1. Achieving a goal. Some people may set out to learn Spanish as just a hobby.  They may just

listen to their Rocket Spanish materials as a way to fill the hours while exercising or driving.                 But when they get to the level that they can participate in an online community or actually have a conversation with a native speaker, it is an almost euphoric feeling.  Learning a new language is an extremely rewarding experience.

  1. Enrich your life. Knowing Spanish opens many doors.  As mentioned above, it gives you freedom to travel, career and volunteer opportunities and builds your awareness of the world.  You will find more and more situations to practice Spanish and be exposed to people, places and culture that you never would have known about if you didn’t speak Spanish.  You will truly become a more well-rounded individual and highly functioning citizen of the world if you take the time to learn Spanish.

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