Being a Spanish major, I'm a little biased on learning a second language, especially Spanish. I believe that a second language is one of the most important things one should learn in school. There are so many benefits and no reasons to not learn another language. With the world becoming more of a global community, learning a new language can open so many opportunities. Here are my top five reasons for learning a second language.
5. It's super fun to speak in public
I *love* when I'm in public with my Spanish speaking friends or I have to help someone who doesn't speak English. You should see the look on my friend's faces when I switch languages. People become so amazed. Also, if you're saying something you don't want other people to understand, it is super helpful.
4. It inspires the travel bug.
When I started learning Spanish, all I wanted to do was travel and use the language. I finally was able to go to Spain and I was ecstatic. When I went to the Dominican Republic, I was unstoppable. Learning a language will get you to travel because you're going to have to practice somehow!
3. It looks great on resumés.
I've been told countless times how great it is that I have "conversational in Spanish" on my resumé. In a growing global community, I'm surprised it's not required to know at least one other language.
2. You can understand or learn more languages.
Since Spanish is a romance language, I have been learning to understand Portuguese, Italian, and French. Other languages are similar as well. Learning another language will help you make connections in languages which will help you in the long run.
1. You can communicate with more people.
My favorite part about knowing Spanish is being able to communicate with people of different countries and cultures. Knowing someone's native languages opens so many doors for connections. Whether it's getting to know someone's culture through Spanish or helping someone figure out the bus schedule, being able to communicate is my favorite thing about speaking another language.
