5.5 Why is it important to study Spanish?
Kenneth Bond and Whitney Chappell
Kenneth uses Spanish all the time, at home and at work. Why does he think it’s important to study it?
Transcript: “Why do I think learning Spanish is important?–It is because it opens so many doors for you. Employers nowadays look for so many things. Obviously they want people with experience but they also want people with abilities, and learning a second or a third language is a great and marketable skill that employers are looking for. It gives you the opportunity to communicate easily with others and travel throughout the world and have experiences that otherwise you might not have.”
Kenneth notes that his daughter is fluently bilingual. Kenneth and his wife have always spoken Spanish to her since birth, and she learned English on her own in school. What has really helped her, according to Kenneth, is being able to spend every summer in Mexico with family. Being immersed in the environment is an amazing way to learn, and studying Spanish gives you a communicative base that you can use when you study abroad. That’s exactly how Kenneth perfected his Spanish: he lived in Oaxaca, Mexico when he was 19 and became completely fluent in just 7-8 months. It takes practice and dedication, though! He hasn’t stopped learning, reading, speaking, or listening to Spanish since then.
