Spanish has become so prevalent in the US that it is considered the 4th largest Spanish speaking country in the world. According to the Census of 2000 there are 41.3 million Hispanics in the US. By 2050, they project this number to be 102.6 million, which will then represent 24% of the total US population. The number of students who choose to study Spanish beyond the requirement has grown significantly in the last decade. For careers in the government, health care, law, media, NGOs, and education, understanding Spanish will put you in great advantage.

Besides being the official language of 23 countries in Europe, Africa and the Americas, Spanish is spoken by nearly 500 million people all over the world, in communities large or small in the five continents. It is also one of the six official languages of the UN and a component of different dialects in different corners of the world.

With an origin that can be traced back to the 8th century, Spanish is also a millenary language that has produced an amazing body of literature. Keep in mind that this language gave entity to universal myths that are essential. You already know some of them: like Don Quixote or Don Juan. Some are legendary, but there are a good number of real ones, like Moctezuma, Bartolomé de las Casas, Túpac Amaru, Bolívar, Pancho Villa, and Che Guevara, among others.

The Significance of Spanish in the Arts

Some books originally written in Spanish are indispensable for a university level education and at the same time have become very popular choices worldwide. Think about El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha or Cien años de soledad. If you have not read them yet, chances are they have a place in your reading list. Not surprising, there are major writers from Spain and Spanish America that are Nobel Laureates in Literature: José Echegaray, Jacinto Benavente, Gabriela Mistral, Juan Ramón Jiménez, Miguel Ángel Asturias, Pablo Neruda, Vicente Aleixandre, Gabriel García Márquez, Camilo José Cela, and Octavio Paz; not to mention writers that had an even greater impact but never were honored with the prize, like Rubén Darío, García Lorca or Borges.

Spanish is the key for a thorough comprehension of the creations of many main figures in the world of fine arts: El Greco, Velázquez, Murillo, Ribera, Goya, Dalí, Picasso, Miró, Frida Kahlo, De Syszlo, Matta, and Botero, to mention only a few. The vigorous cultural life of many Spanish-speaking cities continues to create and innovate in different cultural manifestations, from architecture to popular music and from installations to the culinary. Are you a cinephile? Names like Luis Buñuel or Víctor Erice could be among your cherished directors. Do you go to the movies often? Pedro Almodóvar and Guillermo del Toro should be familiar names to you. And if you love music… well, you may know a lot of names.

A language of culture, Spanish will round your education as a student and open opportunities for fellowships and study abroad programs. As a professional, Spanish will make you competitive among your peers and attractive in front of potential employers. But even more important, as a citizen of the world Spanish as your second language will assist you in your experiences with peoples and places other than your own and make you more receptive and sensible in a world in urgent need of peace and understanding.

Spanish-speaking communities all over the world and also in the US are open and vibrant. Learning the language will open up an exciting, rich and complex world to you. ¡Bienvenido!