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Why You Should Teach Yourself Spanish

by David Durham

 

Within a very few short years, over 25% of the US population will be Spanish-speaking. Already, the US is the second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, second only to Mexico, and greater than Spain, Colombia, or Argentina. There are more Spanish speakers in the US than French, native Hawaiian and all Native American languages combined. According to a 2007 survey, over 34 million people aged five years and older in the US spoke Spanish at home. There are approximately 45 million Hispanics (about 16% of the US population) who speak Spanish as either a first or second language, and this trend isn't likely to slow any time soon. Even if the US government manages to bring illegal immigration under control in the next few years, mere procreation will ensure that the Hispanic population in the United States continues to swell.

 

Most of us are aware to one degree or another of the tremendous influence Hispanic culture has had in the US, but few of us realize the far-reaching ramifications. The very first permanent European settlers in North America were Spanish speakers, and there has never been a time in our history when there was not a Spanish-speaking contingent in this country. The countless Spanish names in our cities and states, if noticed, serve as constant reminders; yet it is uncanny how many Americans completely miss the import and magnitude of this fact. San Francisco (St. Francis), San Jose (St. Joseph), San Diego (St. Peter), Sacramento (sacrament), Nevada (snowy), Colorado (reddish) are but a few examples.

 

The 'gringo' populations in the Western states with historically high concentrations of Hispanics seem, in large part, to have managed to avoid learning this language that is so prevalent around them. Many times their street names are Spanish, yet they are often unable to form a single sentence in Spanish.

 

But times are changing. More and more Hispanics are taking their place in mainstream American culture -- whether it be in positions of leadership, education or business. And in the global village in which we live, there are fewer and fewer excuses not at least become somewhat conversant. Americans are well known throughout the world as resistant to the idea of learning a foreign language, but I believe this is changing. Along with the internet has come a wealth of resources that make it entirely possible for you to teach yourself languages. Whether printed products or learn Spanish audio products, it is truly possible to become conversant without leaving the comfort of your own home.

 

That said, I recommend that anyone who wants to learn a foreign language take the step of developing a relationship with at least one native Spanish speaker. In the 21st century, there is hardly a city where native Spanish speakers cannot be found. Why not befriend the serving staff at your favorite Mexican restaurant for starters? It has been my experience that they are delighted when someone shows the effort to address them in their mother tongue.

 

I dare you to give it a try! 

 

 

Teach Yourself Languages: Why Should You?

Believe it or not, there was a time when it was considered a mark of culture and sophistication to be multilingual. Nowadays, it seems Anglo-Saxon culture has become more and more resistant to the idea. Let's face it -- we're downright spoiled. With the mass exportation of Anglo-American pop culture to the rest of the world, English has become so pervasive that it's easy to assume -- albeit mistakenly -- that the world speaks English.

If an English speaker is going to be persuaded to learn a foreign language (speaking here of voluntary study, not required courses), he/she is going to need a motivation.



For me, the process begins with what I call cultural curiosity. If you are not curious about other cultures -- their language, their customs, their history, and their physical space, you won't be particularly motivated to study the language they speak. If, on the other hand, you find yourself wanting to know more about other parts of the world -- or even people of different cultures in your own home town -- you will be much more motivated to dive into the language that binds them together and makes them a distinct people group.

 Ever since then, my life has been one adventure after another of opening up new worlds with every new language I've approached. Granted, I have been blessed with a facility to pick them up: I was conversant in six foreign languages before I was 30. I did two degrees in French, which will always be my favorite; I studied German and Spanish as electives; and picked up Italian, Dutch and Portuguese simply through hanging around speakers of those languages or living in the country, as was the case in the Netherlands.

I could talk about the professional benefits of learning another language -- if you are motivated to teach yourself languages, you will reap rewards in the professional arena. But what has changed my life is the rich personal relationships that have formed over the years -- relationships that simply would not have existed had I not taken the step toward those people by learning at least some of their language.

I would not say I am fluent in each of these languages -- they vary from extremely fluent to getting by in a basic conversation -- but just knowing a few words and phrases in another language will unlock doors and open people's hearts to you. It is amazing how much people light up when they realize you are making the effort to learn their language. In many parts of the world, especially in smaller, more rural locations, people are genuinely enchanted with someone who is trying to learn their language.

I'll relate more of these experiences in future posts, but one that comes to mind was when my wife and I were in Florence, celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary. We were staying oon the outskirts of the city and didn't want to have to worry about parking in the city, so decided to take the bus. We arrived at the bus stop and discovered we had just missed one, and the next one wasn't coming for another hour.

For the first time in my life, I stuck out my thumb.

I believe it was the second car that stopped. It was a man in his thirties, and we immediately struck up a conversation, using my basic but decent Italian. Within minutes, he had invited us to his house for dinner that night. Imagine that happening in the United States or the UK. We politely declined, as our time there was so limited, but looking back, I almost wish we had accepted his invitation. Who knows, we might still be in touch to this day. 

I am in touch with many others whose language has been my doorway into their hearts -- and I am the one who is the richer for it.