Top 5 (Unconventional) Reasons to Study Spanish
We’ve all heard it before. There are so many reasons to learn a new language, including things like “it makes you smarter” or “it’s a really rewarding experience” or “it stands out on college applications.” I’ve been learning Spanish for over 10 years now and it has empowered me to travel abroad and feel confident when talking to native speakers.
But then I think about those unconventional reasons that make me proud of learning Spanish, and they are some of my favorite parts about learning a second language!
I could come up with a list of about a million different justifications for why Spanish is a great language to learn, but these are my top 5 “unconventional” reasons why you should study abroad at a language camp during your summer break.
You’d be able to speak with the nearly 500 million native speakers!
Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world behind Mandarin. Now that’s a lot of people. You could be one of those Spanish speakers! Imagine being able to communicate with 12% of the global population. Talk about opening up some doors!
Learning a second language makes you better at multi-tasking.
Studies show that learning a second language can increase your ability to multi-task. Bilingual people can switch between tasks quicker and show high cognitive flexibility. Plus, it easier for them to deal with surprise situations. Want to get better at texting while you watch Netflix and check unexpected Snapchats from friends? Well learn a new language and you’ll be a multi-tasking expert!
Spanish TV is hilarious and highly entertaining.
When you return to the US, it can be hard to find fellow Spanish speakers to practice with. So I got in the habit of watching Spanish TV to keep my language skills fresh. Now that I actually understand some of it, Spanish television is totally entertaining! The characters and situations of telenovelas and game shows are so over-the-top, I find myself laughing out loud regularly.
You could visit 3 different continents in 1 year!
If you’re feeling really ambitious, Greenheart Travel is offering two different Spanish language camps this summer. One is in Costa Rica (Central America) and the other is in Spain (Europe). If you’ve got the time, you could even study Spanish in an additional continent by studying in Argentina (South America). Just one of these destinations would be the trip of a lifetime but all three? Now that’s a good story for college applications!
Spanish is a beautiful language and it’s fun to speak!
Over the past 10 years, I have developed a love for speaking Spanish. It sounds beautiful aloud! It’s fun too, especially rolling your R’s or trilling your L’s. The sounds are so much different than English. Plus people will be amazed when you show off what you learned in Spain. My parents are always so impressed when I communicate for us in markets or at restaurants while traveling. It feels good!
Bonus reason! If you’re still on the fence about attending a Spanish language camp this summer, here is one final reason: You’ll make life-long friends and family from around the world.
I’ve been lucky enough to travel quite a bit, and on every single trip, I made really close friends. I keep up with many of these people to this day, and I consider them some of my most meaningful relationships. Our past language camp participants say the same thing. These camps attract students from around the world, and even after 2 weeks together, you’ll leave with a global network of Spanish-speaking friends.
With Spanish camps in Spain and Costa Rica, you could spend the summer perfecting your Spanish skills and coming up with your own list of the best reasons to study a foreign language.