Learning a language has a number of unique benefits. Not only can speaking more than one language improves your employment prospects, but it can also increase your earning potential.
Spanish speakers are often sought out by businesses all over the world, and therefore if you are proficient in the Spanish language, there is a chance that you could have an advantage over someone that can only speak English.
Benefits of learning Spanish for business
So, let us discover 3 important economic benefits of learning Spanish from a business perspective.
Expand Your Earning Potential
Speaking Spanish enables you to interact with a population of almost half a billion people. Being able to conversate with speakers of languages other than your own enables you to learn about new ways of thinking that can help you to experience the world in different ways. Consequently, learning Spanish might even open doors that can boost your income. For instance, it is no secret that employers hold employees that can speak different languages in high regard and are willing to pay a premium price to have them on board.
Learning Spanish is a highly useful skill in the competitive world of business. If you can speak Spanish, then you can apply for almost any job that requires close contact communication, negotiation skills, or sales expertise involving Spanish speakers. Put simply, the Spanish language can be thought of as a differentiator during the recruitment process. If an employer notices that you have proficiency in Spanish on your CV, then this could open up their business to working with more Spanish-speaking clients. To learn more about the advantages of Spanish for businesses, check out these Spanish lessons for business people.
Engage with Spanish Speaking Businesses
Spanish is the official language in 20 countries, and there are an additional 44 countries that are home to at least 3 million Spanish speakers. With the combined GDP of all Spanish-speaking countries estimated to be within the region of $6 trillion, it is safe to say that the Spanish-speaking market has huge potential for businesses. Knowing how to speak the language and understanding the culture is therefore vital if a business wants to expand its horizons and work alongside Spanish-speaking clients.
In recent years, Latin America has shown signs of a bright economic future. With commodities in these countries booming, it makes sense that if you want to sell products and attract new customers, then you absolutely need to be able to speak a common language. In addition, in terms of other international businesses of interest, Spanish corporations are increasingly investing in British banks and companies. In the past few years alone, Santander has taken over Abbey, Telefonica has bought O2, and Iberia has merged with BA. There is even ongoing research to suggest that Spanish might soon overtake German as one of the most important languages of business.
Improve Your Decision-Making Skills
Learning a language is a lot like solving a puzzle. Spanish has distinct rules, concepts, and exceptions that need to be mastered. Negotiating meaning, noticing nuances, and learning the contextually appropriate conditions to use a certain expression all take time and a significant amount of study. When confronted with the unfamiliar on a regular basis, the brain is forced to adapt to new rules of communication. Correspondingly, it is unsurprising that bilinguals typically have a higher density of grey matter in the area of the brain associated with the acquisition of vocabulary.
Accordingly, learning Spanish provides a wide range of cognitive advantages. Speaking more than one language is all about being able to multitask and adapt to unexpected circumstances, and over time this can lengthen your attention span and strengthen your working memory. With regard to the world of business, being able to speak Spanish shows evidence that someone can make good decisions, think creatively, and concentrate on complex tasks. Moreover, although it is not possible to put an exact value on cognitive abilities, these skills can certainly come in handy when negotiating major business moves.
Ultimately, when learning Spanish, it is important to persevere. Above all, the benefits of speaking another language are not always tangible straight away, but the advantages of being able to communicate effectively with Spanish speakers can be incredibly useful in business environments.
One of the best ways to learn a language is by immersing yourself in the culture as a student. For more information about Spanish educational opportunities, take a look at this article that lists popular countries for students.
