Have you been to the store lately? You've probably noticed that on a clothing label, right next to the word "small," you'll see "chico." Your medication may encourage you to "agite bien" as well as "shake well." Why this sudden emphasis on the importance of learning Spanish? Simple Hispanics are the fastest growing "minority" in the United States, and most Hispanic Americans speak at least some Spanish at home because that's the language with which they're most comfortable.

But what does this mean to you? If you're not Hispanic yourself, and your town doesn't have a large Hispanic population, why learn Spanish? Because your ability to speak a language native to so many millions of people in the United States translates to greater job opportunities for you. Some American companies may require you to speak and understand Spanish; but even if yours does not, your ability to speak Spanish may earn you higher pay because you are more versatile. It will be easy for you to apply for a job where you only need to speak English, however when you are able to communicate effectively in Spanish too, you can easily apply for a job where Spanish are required for that position. The importance of learning Spanish, in many cases, equals your ability to be a team player in today's economy.

The American economy is also becoming more global and the need to do business in languages like Spanish cannot be underestimated. Twenty years ago, the average Mom-and-Pop shoe store was only likely to sell shoes to people within its own community. Today that same store probably has a website, possibly an online catalog, and a toll-free number for phone orders. The customer service representative who answers that telephone needs to be comfortable speaking to a much more diverse customer base than would have been required a few decades ago. In short, that person needs to speak Spanish and the importance of learning Spanish has never been greater.

"But I don't have time to go back to school to learn Spanish!" you may be thinking. There's no reason you have to. There are many wonderful programs you can download to your computer or access via CD or DVD. Audio-based Spanish learning programs are the best, which combines the type of dialogues you may remember from your school days that include effective computer-based games that teach grammar, build vocabulary, and are just plain fun to learn with. But whatever program you choose, make sure that it's delivered in some kind of audio (versus written) format. You will find it very helpful learning to pronounce Spanish words correctly if you can hear how native Spanish speakers pronounce their words. The importance of learning Spanish is moot if Spanish speakers can't understand you.

It would be misleading to tell you that learning a new language requires no effort at all. No reputable learning system would make that claim! But never before in history has the importance of learning Spanish been greater, and with today's technology, it's not the arduous chore it used to be. So give it a try. You will receive a lot of benefits learning to speak and understand Spanish and your job and bank balance will show the results in time!