By Aswad Walker
Learning another language isn’t just cool, it’s practical and practically becoming a must to move successfully in this nation and world. And learning Spanish comes with several benefits. Here are 10 of them.
1. Spanish is no longer a foreign language: The U.S. is now the second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, with over 33 million folk living here who speak the language. Hell, there are more Spanish speakers in the U.S. than in Spain, and demographics show that is not going to change in the near future. Rather, the US Census Office estimates that Latinos–which includes Afro-Latinos–will become 30% of the U.S. population by 2050. They will soon be the majority in Texas. Due to growing demographic changes that also shape the economy, the “Speak English, this is America” mentality that once discouraged bilingualism is quickly becoming unrealistic.
2. Millions of Blackfolk Already Speak Spanish: There are over 400 million Spanish speakers worldwide. Not only that, one in four Latin Americans identify themselves as people of African descent (Black). That’s over 133 million Black people who speak Spanish, with the majority living in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela. If we are serious about empowering our sisters and brothers globally, being able to communicate with them would help. Moreover, in the 2020 U.S. Census, about 2.4 million people identified as “Black and Hispanic” or “Black Hispanic.” The vast majority of them are fluent in Spanish, and live right here in the U.S.
3. Essential in U.S.: Hispanics are the largest minority in Texas and the largest in the United States, with the majority of them being Spanish speakers. Knowing how to speak Spanish will be a necessity soon to be able to live and move effectively in these Texas/U.S. streets.
4. Economic/Career Boost: Being able to speak Spanish greatly enhances your resume. Being bilingual makes you more competitive in the U.S. workplace and an economy that’s becoming more global by the day. At every level of the pay scale, Spanish gives Americans a decided edge. Now, even call centers and receptionist jobs seek out bilingual applicants to meet the growing needs of immigrant communities. Big corporations are also realizing the importance of reaching the $1.5 trillion in purchasing power represented by Spanish speakers in the U.S. and seek to employ people who can bridge that gap.
5. Enhanced Global Travel: You can travel to Spanish-speaking countries and really get to know the culture. And as stated, many of those nations have huge Black populations.
6. Generally Smarter: Your ability to understand Spanish enables you to gain important insights which monolinguals cannot.
7. Memory Boost: Learning a foreign language has been shown to help you not only keep your memory sharp, but to potentially improve your memory.
8. College/College Prep Edge: High school students may get a slightly higher SAT score if they have experience in a second language like Spanish. Learning languages gives students an advantage in the verbal section of the test. Moreover, taking Spanish courses can help some high school students earn additional college credits. Spanish language college courses can be used to earn an associate’s degree or undergraduate degree.
9. Improve Your English: English speakers are sometimes surprised to learn that some phrases in their native language are actually borrowed from other languages. Place names all over the U.S. map are derived from Spanish, such as Florida, Colorado, California, and Arizona. And, learning Spanish gives English speakers a new understanding of English grammar rules. Sentence patterns, verb conjugates, and even spelling sometimes make more sense to people who have studied Spanish.
10. Create Globally-Minded Children: Parents who are bilingual increase their children’s openness to learning another language and being more respectful of other cultures.