David LinckWith many languages being taught in school and plenty of learning courses offered today why do most kids learn Spanish? The majority of kids are choosing to learn Spanish for some very important reasons and The Department of Education states it’s point quite clearly: “American students must master critical-need foreign language skills for our nation to remain competitive and continue the progress in securing our nation.” (stated on the departments website).
Today, Spanish is the most important language for American kids to learn. Here’s why,
- Countries in Latin America are becoming stronger in global economics making them stronger trade partners. The U.S. workforce needs to keep up to be more competitive. Many countries in Latin America have signed or are on the verge of signing onto NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), which was originally set up by the United States, Canada and Mexico. This should further strengthen trade and business ties between these countries and the U.S. – making the Spanish language an even more important asset for Americans in the business world.
- There are more than 350 million native Spanish speakers compared to 340 million Americans whose primary language is English.
- Excluding Brazil, the entire continent of South America, most of Central America, Mexico, and Latin America primarily speak Spanish. It is the first language in 22 countries.
- Spanish is the official language of the United Nations, the European Union and other international organizations.
- Huge advantage for business on the internet. According to the Website Internet World Stats, Spanish is in the top three of languages used on the internet, with approximately 8.7 percent of internet users speaking Spanish.
- Opens a whole world of possibilities in the U.S. and international job market pool. Many employers will hire someone who is bilingual over someone who isn’t.
- Knowing more than one language enhances opportunities in government, business, medicine and health care, law enforcement, teaching, technology, the military, communications, industry, social service, and marketing.
- The Spanish language has a lot of similarities to the English language and many other languages as well. It is considered a building block for learning many languages.
The facts cannot be ignored. The world is changing constantly and more and more kids learn Spanish each and everyday.
