Show Me Spanish - Articles
10 Reasons Why You Should Learn Spanish
So why learn Spanish?
Around 18 years ago I met my Spanish wife in London. I'm not sure we'd be married today if I hadn't learned a little of the language before going to live in Spain. Finding your ideal partner is not the only reason to learn Spanish, though. Here are ten more.
1. To understand it better. Believe it or not, you'll hear quite a lot of Spanish as well as English at the almost any airport you travel from now. I bet it would be nice to understand what people are saying, and what the announcements are, wouldn't it?
2. To be able to help other people. A Spanish girl was with a group of English speaking friends at a restaurant and she didn't know what to order. Overhearing the conversation it felt really good to be able to help her and her friends out.
3. Improve your brainpower. Learning a whole new language expands the range of your possible thoughts. There are concepts and expressions in each language that simply do not in others. These can give you new ways to think and express different viewpoints.
4. To change your perspective. In Spanish, you say "I have fear" (yo tengo miedo). Psychologists tell us that thoughts like "I am afraid" create too much identification with the feeling. It's much more healthier to think "I feel fear," or "I have fear," and in Spanish this comes automatic.
5. Learn Spanish to improve your memory. Did you know that most people experience a general improvement in memory from studying a language? Studies prove it.You'll soon realize this once you immerse yourself in the new language.
6. To age more slowly. Can learning a new language like Spanish really help to slow down the aging process? This is fact. It has been demonstrated that you can put a stop to the age-related decline in mental function by learning a new language, so why not learn Spanish?
7. To get a better job or further your career. Knowing more than one language has always looked good on a job application or your resumé, and Spanish just happens to be the most useful one to learn.
8. So you can enjoy all the Spanish channels on your cable or satellite TV.
9. So you can order without feeling embarrassed in an authentic Spanish or Mexican restaurant.
10. So you can strike up conversations with your neighbors and friends. Learn Spanish for whatever reason you want, and you'll receive all the benefits above into the bargain. There is one more reason to learn Spanish: You'll be able to make new friends. My wife is glad I learned.