A minor in nearly anything has the potential of making you more money, but have you ever considered minoring in a foreign language? Spanish is the second most-spoken language in the United States, and employers all over the nation are constantly looking for individuals who are able to break the language barrier. There are many benefits in picking up a minor in a foreign language. And hello, more money! What more could you want!
1. You will make more money.
According to the statistics, businesses are likely to pay five to 20 percent more on top of base salary for a bilingual employee. Some employers even require employees to be bilingual. The Western states of the U.S. require nearly everyone to be somewhat familiar with the Spanish language for the ever-growing Hispanic population.
2. You will have an opportunity to study abroad.
If you are able to, many universities offer study abroad programs to students minoring in a foreign language. Of course, the trip is not as extensive of those that major in Spanish, but it is still vital that you are exposed the Spanish culture. Not only is studying abroad in a foreign country exciting, but you must be thrown into the language in order to really be fluent in it. And let's not forget all the amazing food you can eat in Spain.
3. You will always have a job.
According to the 2003 National Survey of College Graduates, 81.5 percent of recent graduates who majored in Foreign Languages were employed. Aside from job security, there is a high demand in multiple fields for people who are fluent in a foreign language. For example, the government is constantly looking for employees for national security purposes, and businesses around the world need employees that are bilingual in order to thrive. Other employment fields that are in need for bilingual employees include healthcare, law enforcement and education. Not only will your bilingualism help you here in the States, but you will have work opportunities all over the world.
4. It is the second most spoken language in the U.S.
There are more than 37 million native Spanish speakers in the U.S. today. Your knowledge of the Spanish language will break language barriers and give you the opportunity to learn and embrace a culture other than your own. You will have the privilege to make friends that can teach you new things about their cultural norms. Not only will this grow your knowledge, but it will help you embrace the diverse nature of not only our country, but our world. Your experience learning the Hispanic culture will inspire you to adopt more cultures and languages.
5. It's the easiest language to learn.
No=no, could it get any easier? In Spanish, there are several cognates, or words that sound like the English equivalent. For example, absoluto is absolute and attention is atención. This makes learning Spanish a lot easier to learn than a language that requires you to learn a whole new alphabet of letters or symbols.
It's simple, there are so many benefits to learning a new language alone. If you're a student in the U.S., minoring or majoring in Spanish will open so many doors for your future, as well as give you the opportunity to travel and discover a culture completely different from your own. So what are you waiting for?
