The partnership between Australia and Mexico is strong and growing. Both countries work closely together in multilateral forums such as APEC, the G20, the World Trade Organization, the International Whaling Commission and within the United Nations. There is also a comprehensive framework of bilateral agreements which supports increased cooperation, including a bilateral Plan of Action […]
Spanish ceased to be an official language of the Philippines in 1987. In this country most native languages are part of the Philippine branch of the Malayo-Polynesian languages, which is itself a branch of the Austronesian language family. The only non-Austronesian Spanish-Asiatic language indigenous to the Philippines is Chavacano (Chabacano), a Spanish-based creole which developed in […]
Spanish is an important language for world travelers. It is the language of some of the world’s favorite tourist and business destinations. According to statistics from World Tourism Organisation UNWTO 2013, one Hispanic country is among the first 10 tourist recipients. Spain is in third place after France and the United States of America. In dollars revenue, Spain is […]
“Apply yourself to the study of the Spanish language with all the assiduity you can. It and the English covering nearly the whole face of America, they should be well known to every inhabitant, who means to look beyond the limits of his farm.” Thomas Jefferson, “Letter to Peter Carr” (1788) Spanish is America’s second language Spanish is the […]
Facts and figures to promote a better understanding of the Spanish language in Australian schools Prepared by Alfredo Martínez-Expósito, The University of Melbourne and Ana López, Honorary Consul of Spain in collaboration with the Education Office of the Embassy of Spain. All data and images are copyright free or used under Fair Use provisions for the purpose […]
In European countries other than Spain, it may be spoken by some of their Spanish-speaking immigrant communities, primarily in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom where there is a strong community in London. There has been a sharp increase in the popularity of Spanish in the UK over the last […]
Spanish is an important community language in Australia. According to the 2011 Census, 117,493 Australian residents speak Spanish at home. That would make Spanish the eighth most widely used language in the country, apart from English. Question: Does the person speak a language other than English at home? Answer: In the Australia, 18% of people spoke a language other than […]
In Britain, the independent Nuffield Languages Inquiry was launched in 1998, to review the UK’s capability in languages. A committee chaired by Sir Trevor McDonald and Sir John Boyd was asked to consider the following questions and to make recommendations: What capability in languages will the UK need in the next twenty years if it is to […]
Despite the increasing use of English as a global lingua franca, the reasons for learning languages are more compelling than ever – especially for the kind of study that goes beyond ‘survival’ language skills and provides a deeper knowledge and appreciation of other cultures and societies. Language skills have become the mark of an educated, […]
As part of the demands of globalisation, the Australian Government is perfectly aware that society must move towards multilingualism. A clear indicator of this awareness is the educational national policy statement National Statement and Plan for Languages Education in Australian Schools 2005-2008 (150kb pdf), approved by the Education Ministers of all the states in March 2005. This policy is to assist […]
Spanish is easy to learn for English speakers. Because of their Latin origin, English and Spanish share many common words; there are dozens of English words in the Spanish language and vice-versa (vista, patio, mosquito, fiesta are all Spanish words). No other major language has sounds that are as easy to learn as those of […]
Unlike many languages, Spanish is a well established academic discipline that has been part of educational programs of most western countries for nearly two centuries. The enormous popularity of Spanish in the last three decades has resulted in unusually large enrolments of students learning Spanish, particularly in English-speaking countries. As a result, the textbook publishing […]
Date of ratification of the Convention: Tuesday, May 4, 1982 Cultural Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada (1984) Rising above the modern lower town, the Alhambra and the Albaycín, situated on two adjacent hills, form the medieval part of Granada. To the east of the Alhambra fortress and residence are the magnificent gardens of the Generalife, […]
Today’s globalised world increasingly requires a workforce with highly portable skills. A working knowledge of a truly international language such as Spanish might become, for many, the only indisputably portable skill – one that will work in any country, in any discipline/area, under different working conditions. Spanish is one of the languages most in demand […]