This school year marks my sixth year in a row of taking Spanish classes.
Like many other students who take a second language, I started taking Spanish class in eighth grade and decided to take it since it is such a popular language in the United States.
Over the years, I saw my Spanish classes dwindle down in numbers as students reached their second language requirement of two years in high school. All I can say is that sticking with Spanish is one of the best decisions I have made.
By no means am I fluent in Spanish, but what I have learned from the class is something that can't be compared to any of my other classes. Learning to speak another language is so difficult, but it is so worth it. The pride I feel when I am able to understand a conversation in Spanish or speak a coherent sentence, or pronounce something correctly may seem silly to some, but it is unlike the pride I have ever felt from doing well on something in another class. Learning a new language is a daunting task, so it's important to celebrate even the small victories in order to make progress.
Another reason why taking a second language is a great decision, whether it be German, Spanish, Italian, French, or so many others, is because it makes traveling a lot of fun. I went to Mexico a few years ago right when I started learning Spanish, and it was so cool to be able to converse even a tiny bit with the people there.
Speaking a second language opens up doors for cool study abroad trips and is a nice resume builder for future potential jobs. A big part of speaking another language is learning about the countries that speak that language. In Spanish-speaking countries, culture is a big deal and it is interesting to hear about their customs, and it helps people learn to accept other cultures.
Sometimes when my Spanish classes get hard, I wish I would have quit way back after my freshman year of high school when so many other kids did, but then I think of all of the benefits that I am getting out of continuing to learn this language.
I've never met anyone who regrets becoming fluent in more than one language, and I'm so excited for the day that I can say that I am too. Because of my ability to (kind of) speak Spanish, I have so much to look forward to, including having the opportunity to communicate with people of another culture, and it's another reason for wanting to travel to the places I have always dreamed of.
Taking Spanish was truly one of the best decisions of my life and everyone should try to learn at least a little bit of a second language so that they can become more well-rounded and receive the benefits that it has to offer.
