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The Hispanic population is the fastest growing in the United States and the recent debates regarding immigration have made the presence of their people and their culture a source of great controversy, particularly the issue of language. In many parts of the country Spanish has replaced English as the primary language spoken. People in every position in the economy conduct their daily business in their native tongue, to the exclusion of all those unfamiliar.
The fact that Spanish is beginning to replace English as the most spoken language in the country is a source of great concern to many of the people of these areas, and in a tremendous show of support for their language many have refused to extend the boundaries of their own knowledge to learn to speak even the simplest of Spanish phrases. Unfortunately, this is extremely short sighted of them.There are a number of reasons to learn to speak Spanish, none of them having to do with showing support for the removal of the English language. The simple truth is that it takes time to learn a new language, and most of the people who come to the United States from the Central and South American countries that comprise its Hispanic population have not been given the opportunity to master their English speaking skills. They are going to have to learn. In the meantime, they need to eat, work, purchase their groceries and care for their children. Anyone fluent (or even slightly proficient) in both Spanish and English will be a tremendous asset to them, helping them to speed along their learning process. Secondly, the ability to find employment in many parts of the country is becoming hampered by the fact that businesses need people who can work with their Spanish speaking counterparts. In many cases the ability to speak both Spanish and English is becoming a requirement in the quest to locate a job, and the ability to do so will make the person possessing these skills infinitely employable. Finally, learning a new language is a great way to boost intellectual skills, particularly for adults who have a tendency to fall into the rut of their daily routine and allow their thinking skills to be sat upon a shelf without receiving the proper exercise. The fact that Spanish contains a vocabulary and grammar structure greatly differing from that of the English language means that it will encourage the neurons in the brain to connect in a matter entirely different from that it is accustomed to, raising the intellect exponentially. Learning Spanish is a valuable and fun way to expand knowledge and intellectual skill, and is something that will benefit the daily life of every man, woman and child who is willing to make the effort. |
