Three Practical Reasons to Learn Spanish

We’ve done a few posts on learning Spanish, but today let’s talk about how learning Spanish can affect your everyday life.

 

1. Maybe you’ve fallen in love with someone who speaks Spanish, or you have a new friend or family member who speaks that language. Speaking their language offers them a deeper understanding of what you’re saying and can bring you closer together.

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” – Nelson Mandela

 

2. You can socialize. If there are many Spanish speakers in your area – at your job, in your school or in your neighborhood, speaking the language gives you access. You can make new friends, enjoy different events (salsa clubs, concerts, restaurants, parties) and experience new things.

 You may even get a closer look into the culture just by being able to speak the language.

 

3. It opens your mind. Not only will you have a different personality in a new language, but you can start to think of the way a native speaker thinks.

For example, in English, when we’ve been separated for a long time, we could say to someone, “I miss you.” A Spanish speaker could say, “Te extraño,” or “You are missing to me/I feel your absence in my life.” There are many examples of how differently an English speaker and a Spanish speaker would communicate. Questions and discussion topics vary from region to region. When you learn what to say and how to ask questions, you can avoid mistakes and gain some in-depth knowledge.

You can even build your brain! Studies show that speaking another language can help you to juggle between languages, multitask and better prioritize activities (Swayne, 2011).

 

Spanish can open you up to new opportunities. We’ll discuss this more in our next post.

 

Sources

Galvin, L. (2015). How Many Languages Do You Need to Speak to Be Cabin Crew? LinkedIn Pulse. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-many-languages-do-you-need-speak-cabin-crew-liam-galvin

Swayne, M. (2011). Juggling Languages can Build Better Brains. PennState News. Retrieved from http://news.psu.edu/story/160653/2011/02/18/juggling-languages-can-build-better-brains

 

 

Tacica Bryan, MPC is a communications professional, voice talent and social media enthusiast. She is passionate about helping companies to build their voice and improve their brand. In her spare time, she does voiceover and audio production, builds her communication skills, learns new languages, and enjoys a good game of Connect Four. Her educational background includes an Honours BA in Communication Studies from York University and a Master’s Degree in Professional Communication (MPC) from Ryerson University.