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Learning a foreign language, like Spanish, is becoming much more of a necessity in today's society. Learning Spanish is easier and more enjoyable than ever with audio courses, online courses, study abroad, and intensive language courses.

Following are just some of the many reasons learning Spanish will benefit you and enrich your life:

More than 400 million people speak Spanish worldwide -- By learning Spanish, you'll be better able to communicate with Spanish speakers who don*t speak English. Whether you travel abroad or within the United States, you'll likely run into more than one situation that will require you to know at least basic Spanish.

Spanish speaking countries include Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela.

More than 33 million people in America speak Spanish -- That makes the United States fifth on the list of countries with the most Spanish-speaking people. Spanish is also one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world, behind Chinese, English and Hindustani. Undoubtedly, at some point during your life, you*re going to find that knowing Spanish is extremely valuable.

More than 1000 Spanish-speaking immigrants come to the United States every day -- That means the country gains at least 365,000 new Spanish-speaking residents each year.

Knowing Spanish enhances your resume -- Employers love applicants that have fluency (or even moderate fluency) in a foreign language. Having the ability to speak Spanish will allow you to communicate with Spanish-speaking employees. If no one else at the company speaks Spanish, you'll be even more valuable. If you*ve ever searched through the classifieds, you*ve likely run across an ad that states, *Must speak English and Spanish.*

If you want to continue your education, you'll need to take foreign language classes -- Most colleges require that undergraduate students take at least two semesters of a foreign language. If you have your eyes on graduate school, you should know that many require students to be able to read and comprehend one, and sometimes two, foreign languages. Getting a jump-start on learning Spanish will definitely pay off later, especially if you*re continuing your education.

If you love to travel, you'll have even more fun if you go to a Spanish speaking country -- Of course, you don*t need to know Spanish, or any other foreign language, for that matter, to travel overseas, but you'll find it really enhances your experience to know the language. In fact, even if you don*t go to a Spanish speaking country, you'll still find that knowing Spanish is an asset. Let's say you go to Paris or Rome. More likely than not, you'll run into Europeans who don*t speak English, but speak several other languages, and you'll be able to use your Spanish.

Spanish is a romance language, which means if you*re in France or Italy, for example, you'll have an easier time deciphering the language because they*re similar.

Learning a foreign language actually helps keep your memory sharp -- As we grow older, our memory begins to fade. In fact, an article published by the AARP (American Association of Retired People) states, *Mastering activities you*ve have not done before, such as playing the piano or learning a foreign language, stimulates neuron activity. For best results, remember this: People exposed to positive reinforcement before completing memory exercises scored well above others exposed to negative reinforcement in a study led by Thomas Hess, a North Carolina State Univ. psychologist.*

These are only a few of the many reasons you'll benefit from learning Spanish. You probably have a few of your own. Whatever the reason, you'll find that learning Spanish is not only fun, but it enriches your experiences, whether at work or while traveling.