The Spanish Language

Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It’s part of the Romance language family, alongside French, Portuguese, Italian, and more. That means that when you learn how to speak Spanish, learning the these other Romance languages will become much easier. That’s because they share very common characteristics from their grammar rules to their vocabulary.

Today, Spanish is no longer considered a ‘foreign language’ given its rising importance. Over 20 countries around the world speak Spanish, and over 44 more that has at least 3 million Spanish speakers. Given the vast number of Spanish speakers, it’s no surprise that the GDP of Spanish speaking countries total $6 trillion+.

But that’s only scratching the surface of detailing the reasons why you should learn Spanish today. Shall we dig in?

Why Learn Spanish?

Beyond the obvious reasons for learning the Spanish language, here are some highlights you should know about.

1. Earn more money

Research shows that learning a popular language, especially if it’s popular, can increase your income by up to 10-15%. In hindsight, this makes sense right? Businesses and organizations need to expand in order to continue growing their business, and being able to reach one of the largest segments of the population is essential. This means that bilingual speakers are in huge demand in multi-national organizations, and many will pay a premium salary to keep you happy.

2. Easiest language to learn

For English speakers, or any Romance language speakers, Spanish is the easiest language to learn. Besides the fact that both languages share common words, similar grammar structures, and alphabet, the Spanish language alone is quite simple. There’s no complicated accents, irregular exceptions, and you’ll find plenty of resources to practice.

3. Unlock new career opportunities

As an extension of our first point, learning an important language like Spanish will open up new opportunities that didn’t previously exist. For example, you’ll have the opportunity to work in foreign countries like Argentina, Spain, Mexico, and more. More importantly, some of the most prominent jobs require and/or prefer bilingual speakers. Like we said, many of them with a premium pay!

4. Enjoy the most popular entertainment and literature

With the Internet and the evolution of streaming content, there has been a rise of Spanish native TV shows and movies. Narcos anyone?

5. Improve your native languages!

Research shows that learning a second language, particularly a similar one, can improve your native language. The reason being, learning a new language from scratch allows you to gain exposure to grammar rules, vocabulary memorization, and sentence structures. Since most of us don’t have a conscious memory of how we learned our first, this reminder would enhance your current language.

Best Ways to Learn the Spanish Language

Now that we know the major benefits to learning Spanish, how do we actually get started? What are some creative ways to learn the language? We’ll share this with you below.

1. Spanish teachers online

Research shows that learning anything is faster with live immersion. The reason is because the human brain is able to retain the most information through this learning method, and it can be 9x more powerful than learning via a classroom. You can join Rype to gain exclusive access to hundreds of handpicked professional Spanish teachers online.

2. Spanish apps

There are dozens of different language apps out there that can help you practice Spanish. Most of these will focus on helping you learn the basics of the Spanish language, like grammar rules, sentence structures, and new vocabulary words. If you want to improve your Spanish speaking skills, working with a Spanish teacher or partner is the best option.

3. Local Spanish language meetups

With event organizations like Eventbrite.com and Meetup.com, you can find dozens of language meetups to attend. During these events, you’ll have the opportunity to not only meet fellow language lovers but to practice your Spanish skills in-person. An alternative method is to use couchsurfing, where you’ll spot international travelers that will likely speak Spanish.

4. Conversation exchange partners

If you were to find the right person at a language event, they could eventually become your regular conversation partner in Spanish. You’ll be able to set up a more structured meeting schedule, where you can help each other practice your Spanish. The best partnerships we’ve found is where your partner can speak a language that you’re trying to learn and vice versa. This way, there’s a clear mutual beneficial relationship that can be sustainable, not just a one-way exchange.

5. Watch TV shows and movies in Spanish

Streaming content has taken over the world. Companies like Netflix and Hulu are smartening up by creating original content in Spanish, such as Narcos, given the rising streaming users in Latin America. If you already spend your time watching TV shows and movies online, why not practice your Spanish comprehension skills at the same time? Check out our post on the best Spanish movies and TV shows to watch on Netflix.

6. Date a Spanish girl or boy

Hopefully there’s more reason to date a girl or boy than just learning Spanish, but it is certainly an attractive feat! Who says dating has to be limited only to someone that speaks your native language, right? In the multicultural world that we live in, the opportunities to find a Spanish speaking partner is boundless.

7. Play video games in Spanish

The hispanic community thrives in the gaming world. Given that you’re playing together as a team in many cases of unity involved, you’re bound to find some friendly Spanish speakers that can help you.

8. Learn the most common Spanish words

Studies show that learning the most common words in any foreign language can help familiarize you with 85% of the oral language. The reason is clear: we use only a fraction of the vocabulary we have learned throughout our lives. And we tend to use those fraction of words over and over again, to the point where 20% of our vocabulary is used 80% of the time.

That means by learning frequently used Spanish words, you’ll be able to construct sentences and have natural conversations, even if you don’t learn complicated words.

9. Switch your Social Media into spanish

Social media is a useful way to spend your time (as ironic as this may sound!) by switching your language to the Spanish language. Sometimes just reading articles in Spanish is not enough to help you understand small nuances in social conversations like slang words.

Learn how to speak Spanish with Rype

We hope this post was able to convince you to start learning the Spanish language. From analyzing hundreds of member surveys, we understand that the hardest part is getting started. Rype makes it easy, convenient, and affordable to start speaking Spanish immediately with the best Spanish teachers in the world. Here are some more reasons to convince you to join Rype:

• Gain exclusive access to handpicked and pre-vetted Spanish teachers that have been interviewed live via 1-on-1 video
• Book and enjoy Spanish speaking lessons from anywhere you are in the world (no commuting)
• Learn Spanihs online at anytime of the day, any day of the week
• Pay a fraction of the cost you would pay at a traditional in-person language
• Improve your Spanish speaking skills faster (and retain more information)
• Join an exclusive community of fellow Spanish  language learners and ambitious go-getters
• Start with a risk-free trial

If you still have any questions about how Rype works or want to share any feedback, feel free to reach out at help@rypeapp.com. Activate your risk-free trial now and start learning Spanish online today.

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