The importance of learning Spanish

There are several reasons why learning Spanish is important:

Better understanding of English: Much of the vocabulary of English has Latin origins, much of which came to English by way of French. Since Spanish is also a Latin language, you will find as the students learn Spanish that they will have a better understanding of their native vocabulary. English and Spanish grammars are similar so the students will benefit studying Spanish grammar. For example, it is not uncommon, to gain an understanding of English verbs' tenses and moods by learning how those verbs are used in Spanish.

Learning other languages: When the students learn Spanish, they will have a head start in learning other Latin-based languages such as French and Italian. It will even help them learn Russian and German, since these languages have Indo-European roots, as Spanish does, and have some characteristics (such as gender and extensive conjugation) that are present in Spanish but not English.

Cultural understanding: While most of us can't hope to learn the languages of more than one or two cultures other than that of our own, those that we can learn help us to learn how other people learn and think. Reading a Latin American or Spanish newspapers, for example, one can gain a sense of how other people think and feel, a way that may be different. Spanish also offers a wealth of literature, both modern and traditional.

It's easy: Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages to learn. Much of its vocabulary is similar to English's, and written Spanish is almost completely phonetic: Look at almost any Spanish word and you can tell how it is pronounced. Basic grammar is straightforward enough that you can have meaningful communication after only a few lessons.

In the future the students will have benefited because:

Employment opportunities: Living in the United States and work in one of the helping professions including medicine and education, the students will find their opportunities to expand by knowing Spanish. And wherever they live, if they are in any occupation that involves international trade, communications or tourism, you'll similarly find opportunities to use your new language skills.

Travel: Yes, it is perfectly possible to visit Mexico, Spain and even Equatorial Guinea without speaking a word of Spanish. But it isn't nearly half as much fun. Being able to communicate in another language can open the doors to memorable travel experiences allowing you to see things that many other visitors that don’t speak the language will not be able to come into contact with.