Learning Spanish Has a Strong Benefit in the Marketplace

by George Dodge

Since the ability to speak Spanish enables more effective communication between employees, co-workers, clients and customers, speaking Spanish is becoming more important in business and career development. Bilingual speakers of English and Spanish are finding an increasing demand for their skills.

Speaking Spanish is also becoming more important in business and career matters. People who are bilingual in English and Spanish are in increasing demand in the market place. Knowledge of Spanish will enable you to more effectively communicate with co-workers, clients, customers and employees who speak Spanish as their native tongue.

Recent marketing studies conclude that in North America, the Hispanic population of customers is the most rapidly growing segment of the market, which has many companies scrambling to attract and accommodate the Spanish speaking crowd. This further enhances the value of learning Spanish.

This means learning Spanish can be quite a career boosting endeavor. It can mean advancement in your chosen career, or it can open doors to other careers that otherwise might not have been available to you. More frequently, listing that you are bilingual on your resume can help you to get noticed and increase the likelihood of getting an interview. In the US, speaking Spanish will be especially helpful to you if you work in the areas of healthcare, education or building and construction.

There are well over thirty-five million Spanish speaking citizens in the US, and estimates say that over 40 percent of the increase in the US population is within the Hispanic community. This means that, as time passes, the need to learn Spanish will continue to increase. With the increase in globalization and free-trade between the US and Mexico and other countries in Central and South America, there is no doubt that the people who take the time and make the effort to become bilingual, especially in Spanish, will have a clear advantage over those who are only English speaking.

It is not only in the United States where Spanish is popular and growing is usage. In Europe, Spanish is the second most studied language as a second tongue, with English being the number one most studied second language. Around the world, Spanish is the native tongue of more than 400 million people and is the third most common native language spoken, ranking behind Mandarin and Hindi. By simply acknowledging the current widespread use of Spanish, combined with the growth rate of the Hispanic culture worldwide, it is easy to see why the Spanish language is a wise choice for a second language.

Certainly, the ability to speak Spanish as a second language will expand your opportunities for new experiences and interaction with people. It is becoming increasingly clear that with the continued growth of the Hispanic population, you will have more interactions with Spanish speakers as you go about your daily activities

For example, my son’s father-in-law is from Panama, the cleaning folks for my building are from various countries in Latin America, as well as those who provide lawn care for my yard. The fellow who built my back deck was from Bolivia. The signs in most hardware stores in my area are now in both English and Spanish.

If you are interested in having a fuller understanding of the unique and rich heritage of the Hispanic people, learning Spanish is an excellent way to do that. World culture has been greatly enriched by the contributions of artists, writers, architects, musicians and others over the centuries who herald from Hispanic roots. Add to that the wonders of the rich and flavorful food that come to us from Spanish speaking communities, and there is even more reason to embrace the Spanish language and culture.

About the Author:

George Dodge began studying the Spanish language in 1973 at the University of Arizona and has used many home study programs as well. Read his top recommended programs for learning the Spanish language