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The Importance of Learning Spanish

By Gerrit Du Plessis

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Published: 30Mar2009
Word count: 555
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Once upon a time, American schoolchildren were taught the myth of the melting pot the idea that immigrants eagerly shed their previous ethnic and cultural identities, learned flawless English, and assimilated into the homogenous culture we know as America. If this were true, the importance of learning Spanish would be minimal. But of course, we know the melting pot never truly existed. Every large city played host to ethnic neighborhoods where English remained the second language. Many of the strongest and most enduring of these neighborhoods became home to Hispanic people. Fed by a steady stream of new arrivals from Spanish-speaking regions such as South and Central America, Hispanic neighborhoods cling to their identities fiercely, bound together by a common language that residents have no intention of giving up.

But what does this mean to you? If you're not Hispanic yourself, and your town doesn't have a large Hispanic population, why learn Spanish? Because your ability to speak a language native to so many millions of people in the United States translates to greater job opportunities for you. Many jobs today require you to be bilingual; but even if yours does not, your ability to speak Spanish may earn you higher pay because you are more versatile. In circumstances where an English-speaking person is required, you can do the job because English is your native language, but in situations requiring a Spanish speaker, you can fill that slot too. The importance of learning Spanish, in many cases, equals your ability to be a team player in today's economy.

And because our economy is consistently becoming more global, the reach of the average business is growing. Twenty years ago, the average Mom-and-Pop shoe store was only likely to sell shoes to people within its own community. Today that same store probably has a website, possibly an online catalog, and a toll-free number for phone orders. The customer service representative who answers that telephone needs to be comfortable speaking to a much more diverse customer base than would have been required a few decades ago. In short, that person needs to speak Spanish and the importance of learning Spanish has never been greater.

"But I don't have time to go back to school to learn Spanish!" you may be thinking. There's no reason you have to. There are many wonderful programs you can download to your computer or access via CD or DVD. Audio-based Spanish learning programs are the best, which combines the type of dialogues you may remember from your school days that include effective computer-based games that teach grammar, build vocabulary, and are just plain fun to learn with. But whatever program you choose, make sure that it's delivered in some kind of audio (versus written) format. You need to hear native speakers pronounce the words so you can learn to pronounce them correctly too. The importance of learning Spanish is moot if Spanish speakers can't understand you.

It would be misleading to tell you that learning a new language requires no effort at all. No reputable learning system would make that claim! But never before in history has the importance of learning Spanish been greater, and with today's technology, it's not the arduous chore it used to be. So give it a try. Your career and your bank account will thank you for it!

Gerrit runs the popular language learning site http://www.listenhear.info/ Do YOU want more ways to learn Spanish fast? Visit the Rocket Spanish download site for more info and get your FREE 6 day Spanish course.

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