English is the most widely spoken language in the world, so we can easily realise that learning it can be quite beneficial. But despite knowing that, the truth is that many times people consider that knowing your native language is more than enough, especially when you are born in a country where Spanish is spoken, as is the case in Spain.
After all, Spanish is also one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and, therefore, sometimes it is easy to settle for speaking Spanish. But what if we told you that there are many more reasons why you should learn to speak English in Spain? Here are a couple of reasons why you should definitely consider it.
You will discover a new world
You may not have thought about it until now, but your world is often limited by your language. Think about all the people you could meet if you mastered English, the songs and movies you could enjoy without needing to read subtitles, the books that you could read that are not available in Spanish, the ability to learn about other cultures in a much simpler way. You will be able to do all this and much more once you learn the language.
Tourism
TourismSpeaking of learning about other cultures; English is the language you should know if visiting many countries is in your to-do list; in fact, Spain shares a continent with 3 countries whose official language is English. But even when you travel to countries that do not have English as their official language, you will surely run into people who do speak the language. That is one of the wonders of English, no matter where you go, there is always a percentage of the population who speak the language, so if you plan to travel without the need of a tour guide and enjoy international experiences to the fullest, learning English will be perfect for you.
Job Opportunities
One of the difficulties that exists today in Spain is the high unemployment rate, and, unfortunately finding a good job can be a challenge. Luckily, learning English can make things much easier.
This is perhaps the main reason why many people start learning English. It is clear that learning a new language not only allows you to interact with many more people, it also increases your job opportunities; there is a reason why it is the most spoken language in the world. Learning English is preparing you for your future. Not only will it open a lot of doors and you will be able to access endless job opportunities, but even in other jobs you will also have an advantage over those who apply for the same vacancy, after all, you will be more prepared.
Work Abroad
If you are Spanish, surely you know or have heard of someone bilingual who left Spain for work. This is not surprising if we consider the fact that being bilingual is something highly valued when working with international companies, so if you prepare well, you just might be the one who lands an amazing job offer abroad.
Online Jobs
It’s no secret that nowadays the internet is everywhere. You don’t really need to go outside and search for a job opportunity, you can directly search for a job opportunity from your couch just by using your phone, and yes, we know what you are thinking, in Spain there are many online job opportunities too without the need to learn English. This is true, but it is also true that the most competitive salaries in terms of online jobs are usually offered in foreign countries, and the best offers come from international companies that are interested in people who speak English.
Job search websites
On the other hand, there are many platforms that even offer you the possibility to work independently. But needless to say, once again, most of these platforms are in English, so you need to understand the language to improve your chances. Think about it this way: if you’re interested in looking for a job online, knowing two of the most spoken languages in the world gives you more than twice the chance of finding something you like. Sounds awesome, right? Well, it is possible.
Is it hard to learn English in Spain?
Despite being a fairly advanced country in a lot of aspects, for different reasons it seems that many Spaniards are particularly bad at English, either because of the little interest that the language has been given in the culture, or maybe for another reason. It seems that many people in Spain find it difficult to master the language, especially its pronunciation. This is due to various differences between English and Spanish, but don’t be discouraged by this: things are changing and it seems that people in Spain are giving more importance to English, and you can be one of those who stand out above the rest.
Basic tips
Ok, you want to start understanding English and you are willing to take classes, but apart from classes, what other tips could be useful for you to improve your English skills?
When you watch a movie or TV show, instead of listening to the dubbed Spanish version, listen to the original version in English and activate the subtitles. It sounds silly, but unconsciously you will be familiarizing yourself with the language and learning a couple of words in the process, so it’s not bad for you at all.
Listen to music in English: Ok, this is optional since you may not like listening to music in other languages, but surely you listen to a few songs in English and you like them, even if you don’t understand what they say. Well, now that you are learning English, you can try listening to the song and at the same time reading the translation of it, this has the same effect as watching movies with subtitles. Besides, if you try to sing in English, you can also slightly improve the pronunciation–it seems like an insignificant detail, but it is really useful.
There is no need to lie: learning any language is a challenge, but when there are goals that we want to achieve, it is worth the effort.