Why is it important to learn Spanish? Well… here are some reasons. No doubt there are many more.

If you are a tourist in Mexico or another Spanish-speaking country, the more Spanish you have picked up, the easier it will be to get around, to appreciate what you are seeing, and to get to know the people.

If you are living in Mexico, as we do much of the time, then it becomes even more important to learn Spanish. Not only to haggle for tomatoes in the mercado, but to immerse yourself more fully in the life around you… from catching the repartee while eating dinner in someone’s home to going to the doctor to opening a bank account. Many details that make up life happen in Spanish. Some of our misunderstandings make hilarious stories later, but they aren’t so funny at the time!

If you are in your home country and planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking one — or just dreaming of a such a trip — it’s valuable to learn some Spanish or to brush up what you already know. It really will help you when you get there, and also it will keep your motivation to make the trip happen!

One American friend of mine in Mexico who speaks almost no Spanish had taken a night class in the US before traveling to Mexico. She felt that the class had been worthless. From my perspective, she just hadn’t gotten comfortable enough about speaking to be able to draw upon what she learned. It all fits together eventually.

But this is also an example of why my top recommendations are the programs designed for actually learning the Spanish you’ll use when traveling and speaking!

If you own a business (or work for one, or want to) that could work with other businesses in Spanish-speaking countries, then the more Spanish you know, the better.

If you would like to make friends with Mexicans or other Spanish-speakers in your community in the US or Canada, that’s another time when it’s important to learn at least a little Spanish. You might have a job where some Spanish is useful, or do volunteer work. After I helped some Mexicans in the community library I worked at in Colorado, my co-workers and I joked that we should put a sign out front, “Se habla español, mas o menos.”

Mas o menos, more or less. Less becomes more before you know it! (One of my favorite resources is Rocket Spanish, listed in the top of the right sidebar.)