Speaking Spanish - Emphasizing the Importance of Learning a Foreign Language

By John R. Olson

As we move into a more global society and the population base of the Unites States becomes more diverse it has become very important to learn a foreign language. In particular, Spanish is becoming the second language of the United States. Trade agreements like NAFTA and the growth of population in the southern states has created an explosion of population growth with the Spanish speaking Hispanic people in the United States.

The Unites states accounted for one of the largest Hispanic population sin the world, with a population over 40 million. According to American Demographics, over 86% of those report that Spanish is still their language of choice. With almost a million people per state on average speaking Spanish it is very important to learn a foreign language.

If you are looking for some reasons to learn a foreign language look no further than the population base of major cities in the south. What do the cities of San Antonio, Houston, San Diego, Phoenix and Los Angeles, have in common?

- These cities are all in the top ten for the largest cities in the United States.

- They among the fastest growing populations in the United States

- They account for huge portion of commerce and trade

- A majority of their population are Hispanic and speak Spanish (source US Census Bureau)

This stresses the importance of learning a foreign language. The ability to communicate with people helps to resolve problems and promote advancement of the common good.

Our political process is also taking note of the how important it is to learn a foreign language. If you watched any of the Democratic Party primaries, the candidates pushed very hard to win the Hispanic vote. Many times they attempted to speak in Spanish at rallies to show that they care and know their issues. The primaries are not much different that real life in that if you can speak Spanish you will have a leg up on your competitors. It certainly helped Barack Obama in his pursuit of winning the nomination.

Never has it been more important to learn a foreign language than now. The Spanish speaking population in the United States is continuing to grow on a daily basis. This trend is not likely to change in the near future and our ability to continue to be a strong nation will rely on our ability to utilize the talents of every American.

John Olson is an owner of several niche websites. He enjoys world travel and communication with people around the world. For more about how to learning to speak spanish visit Foreign Language Now.