To those enjoying the thought of travel and connecting with an entire group of people they would never otherwise be able to communicate with, the reasons to learn Spanish are obvious. Twenty-five countries and over three hundred million people speak Spanish. Yet even those who may prefer to keep near their home could benefit from learning Spanish as a second language.

Employment
It's no surprise that having a second language makes you a more desirable employee, and when the economy gets rough, standing out above the crowd on your resume is a dizzying boost. Because Spanish is so widely spoken, it makes an amazing second language to have as an employment benefit. This is especially true of United States citizens: over 20 million people who speak Spanish live in the USA. Even if you're not struggling to get a job, knowing a second language can help you land higher paying positions.

Jobs may also exist overseas. English and Japanese speakers may be well known for strong economics in their countries, but who's number three? Spanish speakers. And it's growing.

A Great "Starter" Language for English Speakers
If you've ever dreamed of learning languages, but felt a bit put out, Spanish is often the chosen gateway language of linguists. Though there are variations and accents in Spanish the same way British and American English have some variations, any Spanish you learn will be understood by those other 300 million+ Spanish speakers, making it easy to focus on the language without concern.

Spanish is also objectively easy compared to learning many other languages. Pronunciation should not be overtly difficult for an English speaker and spelling is logical. The small changes in grammar and vocabulary lend itself extraordinarily well if you choose to learn more "romantic" languages later, such as French and Italian. Knowing Spanish will not only give you the confidence in learning the language, but actively helps understand these other languages should you choose to take them on.

Learning a Language Keeps You Health
Studies have shown that mental conditions, especially those that happen with age, can be delayed and avoided by keeping the brain fresh-- especially in the way that learning a new language does. Do not be mistaken into thinking you're ever too old to learn a new language! Anyone who wants to can with enough regular study and practice, and doing so will keep your mind fit.

Even if you are not concerned about such conditions, learning a language can help improve memory and gives you new perspectives and ways to think because of the differences in expression between language.

Learning Spanish Isn't Hard
If you've ever wanted to be multilingual, Spanish is a great place to start. Some people claim learning it as quickly as six months as long as they are sure to practice every day. A great way to make sure you always practice and are getting the information you need is through language software. You can do it from home and have the courses set up right in front of you so you don't have to waste time planning how to learn-- you just learn and practice.

As language software goes, Rocket Spanish is a great deal cheaper than most. Many courses go for nearly a thousand dollars, which may not seem like much for a new language, but I like to save money where I can. Rocket Spanish gives both CDs for lessons and audio to take with you on commutes, so you can make sure to really slip in education throughout your day no matter how busy or free it is.

At the time of this writing, Rocket Spanish is offering a 6 day free course, so you can make sure that the program really jives with you before purchasing.

Is There a Reason to NOT Know Spanish?
There's absolutely no reason why having Spanish as a second language, or learning any kind of language, could be harmful to you; the only thing it can do is sharpen your mind and open new opportunities and perspectives for you. If you've ever been curious about learning a new language, but aren't sure which, then Spanish is undoubtedly a very helpful one to learn because of its frequent use and relation to other languages should you change your mind and decide to focus on another, or learn more on top of Spanish.