Spanish has become a top choice for those who want to learn a second language. According to the Instituto Cervantes, a Spanish public institute created to promote the Spanish language, there are 24 million students learning Spanish worldwide, many of them in a centre belonging to the Best Schools in Spain network.
One of the aims of these schools is to help their international students gain the best level of Spanish possible. This undoubtedly helps international students adapt to the Spanish culture and, therefore, enjoy the local traditions and lifestyle.
What’s more, students at these BSS schools can prepare for the DELE language exams from the Instituto Cervantes to certify their level of Spanish as a foreign language.
If that’s not enough to convince you of the benefits of learning Spanish, here are five more reasons to show why it’s a sure-fire advantage.
1. Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages:
According to data from the Instituto Cervantes, Spanish is the most widely spoken native language in the world after Mandarin Chinese and has the third highest number of speakers globally behind English and Chinese. It is a language of the future that already has more than 1,000 years of history.
The Instituto Cervantes recently presented its Anuario del Español 2021 report, which states that there are already 591 million Spanish speakers in the world. No less than 7.6% of the world’s population speaks this language and it is the native language of 493 million people, a figure that is only surpassed by Mandarin Chinese.
2. It helps you get even more out of travelling:
Travel is an enriching experience, but it gets even better if we master new languages and thereby break down the main barrier to discovering new cultures and different places.
Spanish is not only spoken in Spain. Therefore, mastering this language will not only allow you to order the most traditional dishes in a restaurant, but also means you’ll be able to converse with the locals on some of the best beaches in Cuba or the Dominican Republic, when visiting the pyramids in Mexico or while you discover pre-Colombian cultures in Central America.
Although technological progress is making it easier to travel to Spanish-speaking countries without knowing the local lingo, learning this language increases your chances of interacting with locals and makes for a more enriching cultural experience.
3. It improves our professional and employment options:
Spanish facilitates cultural and commercial exchange and adds value to any young person’s CV, multiplying their professional opportunities as one of the most sought-after languages by companies.
Spanish is the third most widely used language on the internet by number of users, and is the second most used after English on the main social media networks and platforms such as YouTube, Netflix or Wikipedia.
What’s more, Brexit seems to have increased interest in learning Spanish. The British Council created a report on the languages of the future, which recommends learning Spanish as the best option to open up to the world after Brexit.
4. It allows us to enjoy a wide range of cultural products in the original version:
Many of the best films released in recent years are in Spanish. Therefore, knowing how to speak this language opens up new entertainment options and allows viewers to enjoy these pieces in the original version, increasing realism and their understanding of the plot.
Mastering Spanish gives students the chance to enjoy a large variety of Spanish cinema in the original version, as well as the best literary works and Spanish-language music, which is growing in popularity among young people right now.
5. It opens up the door to more friendships:
Spain welcomes 259,000 international students to learn Spanish every year. It is an increasingly popular destination that offers many excellent educational options for families and students.
Learning Spanish allows students to widen their circle of friendships and social contacts, immerse themselves in different customs and cultures and open up their world to an endless number of possibilities that will enrich their growth as citizens of the world.
Centres from the Best Schools in Spain network have a clear international outlook, a guarantee that foreign students will receive the personal and academic support they need during the adaptation process.
