If you want to get on in today’s world, speaking just English is not enough anymore. It really pays of to speak another language. Reasons to learn it can be practical, intellectual, aspirational or even sentimental, but it clearly helps to have a clear idea of why you are learning.
Below you can find 15 reasons to learn Spanish. Pick your own ones.
1) To speak with more than 500 million people worldwide and over 40 million in the USA who speak Spanish. It is the second most widely spoken language in the world.
2) To enjoy ALL the channels on your cable TV 
3) To say hello (hola) to your neighbor. Nowadays you can find Spanish-speaking people throughout the United States, not just in the Mexican border states.
4) To order a meal in a real Mexican restaurant with no help.
5) To be able to communicate with your Spanish-speaking co-workers.
6) To secure your job. Bilingual people have more career choices. If you happen to work in the healthcare industry or in education your career opportunities will expand significantly. And of course, it looks great on a resume.
7) To enjoy traveling in Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Panama, etc. Traveling these countries speaking English only is possible, but speaking Spanish opens up new doors and let’s you experience new things.
Because learning Spanish is fun! You can experience new music, food, movies, & much much more.
9) To make new friends among people who don’t speak English.
10) Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages to learn. Much of its vocabulary is similar to English’s. Moreover, it gives you a solid base to learn other Latin-based languages such as French and Italian.
11) To be able to enjoy one of the warmest and richest culture on earth, the Latino culture.
12) To develop your creativity - language stimulates your imagination. Every language has its own expressions and ideas that other languages simply don’t have.
13) To help you improve your thinking skills. Speaking another language means seeing the world in another way too.
14) To help others around you who may not speak English.
15) Last but not least, to age more slowly. Studies show that by learning a new language you can halt the age-related decline in your mental functions.
Learning Spanish is fun, brings you new experiences and new friends, so the sooner you start, the better… go ahead!
September 30th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
How do I tell someone they need to start speaking English more?
My company requires for all to speak English. We have a Delivery driver that speaks VERY little English (he speaks Spanish ONLY). And the reason he was hired was because my boss's daughter felt sorry for him. Now, I speak spanish (now, it's not perfect- but enough to get by). And I've been speaking w/ him in spanish. My boss told us to speak English, because that's the only way he'll learn. And he still speaks spanish to me. How do I nicely tell him not to speak to me in spanish anymore? He is mad because he has to speak english. But he knows he needs to speak it if he wants to work here.
I feel like if you come to this country at least make the effort to learn to speak our language. I think this country accomodates immigrants and it's not fair.
He's lived in this California for over 25 yrs, and he hasn't taken the time to learn it. He's told me his children dont know how to really speak spanish. My mother has been in this country for over 25 yrs too, and she learn to speak it, it's not perfect but she hast aken the effort to learn it. My job deals with the African-American community, so you definetly need to know how to speak english. And me being half Black and Half Latino I get the best of both worlds.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Say, I can't speak with you anymore unless you speak english
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September 30th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
You can just tell him by example. When he starts speaking to you in Spanish just answer him in English…everytime. If he ask you why you are doing this just tell him that the boss says that you have to speak in English and that you don't want to make him mad.
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September 30th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
i agree he is in america he should have known our language before coming here just stop talking to him in spanish if he says something you understand in spanish respond in english!
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September 30th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Be truthful with him. Tell him what the company policy is and that unless he makes an effort to communicate in english, sympathy will only get him so far - but no further. Also let him know that you have been directed to conduct business with him only in english.
The english language is difficult. Give him a list of words he needs to get by in his duties as delivery person - perhaps a tape of the words in spanish and the english counterparts. That way he will be able to at least stay on good terms with the company.
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September 30th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Just tell him flat out. Stop talking to him in Spanish and if he speaks in Spanish to you, ignore him. My mother came from Germany and learned English. My father came from Ukraine and learned English. I have neither sympathy nor tolerance for this.
You are absolutely correct when you say they are accommodated. This gives absolutely no incentive to learn.
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September 30th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
call him a puto and see what he says
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September 30th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
You have no control over what language your coworker uses with you, but you can control what language you speak to him in. And since your company's policy applies to you as well, it's wise of you to follow it. Your bosses will decide whether they think his way of following the policy is appropriate. Obviously, by switching over to speaking English to him, you might have to explain to him that you're doing it because of the company policy. He does not have to speak English back to you; that's his choice. Imagine how frustrating it would be to want to communicate with someone when you know they can understand a language you speak but you are supposed to only communicate in a language that you barely know. I can't blame him for wanting to speak Spanish with you.
If it makes you feel any better, your speaking English to him will actually help him learn English. When you speak to him in English that he can understand, it will be providing appropriate input in English to him so he has some English in his mind when he is ready to speak it. Think about it this way: if he doesn't hear any English, how will he be able to speak it even if he wants to? And at this point, he has very little knowledge of English to draw on, even if he did want to speak it. Neither you nor your boss is an expert on language teaching, I assume, but your company can hire inservice English teachers for its staff, too. It sometimes bothers me how so many people believe they know the best ways to teach and learn languages when they haven't studied the field at all — sometimes their opinions are way off. I assume the people at the company who made this policy are not up on the field of second language acquisition either.
You're in a tough spot, but I'd say do what you must to keep your job, and then do your best to speak English that is understandable to your coworker. That will help his English, too. And you won't be blamed for encouraging him to not follow the company policy. And, if you dare, you might encourage your company to revisit their policy and make sure that it's reasonable and informed.
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I'm a linguist and a language teacher, and I teach people how to teach languages.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
You should come to California… here the boss has to learn to speak Spanish…. is seen as an advantage if the boss speaks Spanish, more business, this is why we accommodate Spanish speaking people…. money.
This is wrong, this is where the people's hypocrisy come in play, don't advertise in Spanish.
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September 30th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
I agree 100%!!
I would encourage him to take an english web-based or other course.
….and just continue to dialogue in english with him…he needs to
accept the fact, that he is in the U.S.A., and that so far the official language is still english.
Es apregunta muy bueno.
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September 30th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Your so cute~
And yes you are right, my parents have been in this country for about 30 yrs. or more and my mom speaks both languages with no problem she even volunteers in my son's preschool~I'm Hispanic and I'm very bi-lingual good Spanish and good English! Thanks to my parents. Have a wonderful day Black-Latina beauty.!;)
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September 30th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Just tell him "Tenemos que hablar Ingles en el trabajo. Cuando estamos fuera del trabajo podemos hablar en espanol."
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September 30th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Just keep speaking English even if he gets mad about it… I fully agree with you that he should learn! Unfortunately, if he's been in the US for that long and hasn't made the effort I'm not sure if you can get him turned around…. I worked with a guy like that for a while when I lived in Wyoming. I don't speak any Spanish so it was a lot of pointing & gesturing… even for things that came up every day or every week, he just didn't pick up even those simple, recurrant phrases, while he had been in the country for several years. On the other hand, a guy who worked in the kitchen at college (Lamar Colorado) was always asking us for new words, asking us to correct him if he made a mistake… I'm always sad to hear of those who refuse to even make an effort to learn the language, it's those who give immigrants a bad name and others like that hardworking guy at college suffer from it.
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