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, […]
Spanish
Academic standards
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 […]
Discipline and institutions
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 […]
Learnability
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 […]
World Spanish speaking countries
Please click on the image for a larger version World Spanish speaking countries This map of Spanish Speaking Countries is called Mapamundi in Spanish Países donde el español es la lengua oficial o co-oficial Countries where Spanish is the official language or co-official Zonas donde el español es hablado por una parte de la población […]
Demography
Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. According to the Nationalencyklopedin (NE), Spanish is now the second world language by number of native speakers, making up 6.15 % of the planet’s population.1 Rank Language Native speakers (millions) % of world population 1 Mandarin 官話/官话 955 14.4 % 2 Spanish Español/Castellano 470 6.15 % […]
Skilled multilingual workforce – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
With nearly one quarter of its population born overseas, Australia is easily the most multicultural country in the Asia-Pacific. With substantial representation from European, Asian and Middle Eastern countries, Australia offers a workforce solution vastly experienced in multilingual and multicultural sensitivities. In 2011, 81 % of Australians aged 5 years and over, spoke only English […]
Developing language skills as an investment for Australia – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
Developing language skills was recognised in the 1989 National Goals for Schooling, and re-affirmed in the 1999 National Goals, where the Languages Other Than English (LOTE) learning area was identified as one of the eight key learning areas, and one in which all learners are expected to attain high standards of knowledge, skills and understandings. The National […]
Spanish is the official language of many countries – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
Location: Southern part of North America and Northern part of Central America. Borders with the USA Guatemala and Belize, coasts to the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Capital: Mexico City Area: 1,964,372 sq Km 117 million speakers (as of 2006)1 Spain Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean […]
Trade – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
Spanish is a language of international trade. It provides access to the most important free trade zones in the world: through Spain to the European Economic Community (EEC), through Mexico to North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and through Latin America to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The Latin American region is the second fastest growing economy in the […]
International language – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
Spanish is one of the few truly international world languages, ie a language spoken in and recognized by a large number of countries, adopted by a significant number of international organizations, and taught/learnt in virtually every country in the world. Spanish is one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, the […]
Australian-Hispanic economic relations: Spain – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
In 2012, Spain was Australia’s 23rd largest merchandise trading partner. Trade in 2012 reached A$3.51 billion. Australian merchandise exports to Spain were around A$625 million, including coal, zinc ores and concentrates. Australian imports from Spain in 2012 stood at around A$2.8 billion, with the biggest import items being ships, boats and goods vehicles.1 Bilateral relations […]
November 2014 – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
Prepared by Professor 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 this website offers up to date facts and figures to promote a better understanding of the Spanish language in Australian schools. There are many sections to explore, including the… […]
The University of Melbourne – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
Prepared by Professor 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 this website offers up to date facts and figures to promote a better understanding of the Spanish language in Australian schools. There are many sections to explore, including the… […]