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 […]
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 % […]
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 […]
Australian-Hispanic economic relations: Argentina – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
Australia and Argentina have a mutually beneficial relationship based on many shared interests. They are both large Southern Hemisphere nations with relatively small populations and strong resource bases. Australia and Argentina agreed in principle to exchange diplomatic missions in December 1959, with Argentina opening its first embassy in Sydney in 1962 (moving to Canberra in 1963) […]
How learning languages changes brain anatomy – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
Being bilingual produces changes in the brain’s anatomy, scientists said in a finding that could explain why children are so much better than adults at mastering a second language. They found that people who speak two languages have more grey matter in the language region of the brain. The earlier they learned the language, the […]
Demand for Spanish in Europe – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
The 2012 edition of the European Commission document Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe1 contains a statistical snapshot and an analysis of the situation of foreign languages teaching in the continent referred mainly to the academic year 2011-2012. The report provides a complete picture of the language teaching systems in place in […]
Some Australian Companies with Operations in Latin America – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
From two dozen in 1999, there are now over 260 Australian companies in Latin America, including 51 ASX200 companies. Most began in Chile, before expanding to Brazil and Peru. Australian Companies Operating in Latin America – 2014 Footnote 1 Some Australian companies operating in Latin America Admiralty Resources AGL Chile Andean Resources Ashburton Minerals Ausenco […]
Welcome to the new 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish website! – 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 […]
Australian universities forging links with Latin America – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
“It is time to widen the focus of international education in Australia. The Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee (AVCC) has recognised this and, in its 2004 policy paper Achieving the vision for Australia’s universities, set the target for 20% of Australian students to include international study as part of their degrees by 2020,” according to AVCC’s president Professor […]
Hispanic culture – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
Spanish is the language of the Hispanic civilization, one of the greatest cultural groups in the world. Originating in northern Spain after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Spanish or Castilian language rapidly spread through the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Spanish imperial expansion in the 16th and 17th centuries caused the Spanish […]
Australian-Hispanic economic relations: Peru – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
Australia and Peru celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2013. As resource-rich countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, Australia and Peru share membership of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC). Australia and Peru have growing commercial, investment and people-to-people links and also engage in a wide range of multilateral bodies, particularly the United Nations and the World […]
Australian-Hispanic economic relations: Venezuela – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
In spite the severe economic and financial troubles the country has suffered during the last decade, Venezuela continues to be one of the foremost economic leaders of the region, with a very solid democratic system of government and a dynamic market representing a truly guarantee for national and foreign investments. Bilateral trade is modest, although […]
Agreements between Australian and Hispanic universities – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
Recent reports from Universities Australia illustrate that over the past two decades there has been a steady increase in the number of formal agreements between Australian universities and international institutions. The peak body representing the university sector in Australia has been tracking the international linkages of Australian universities on a regular basis since 1991. In June of this […]
Australian-Hispanic economic relations: Chile – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish
Relations between Australia and Chile are strong and based on many shared interests. Both countries are major southern hemisphere mining and agricultural economies, and share an Asia-Pacific trade focus. A free trade agreement, double taxation agreement and social security agreement underpin a growing trade and investment relationship. As members of The Cairns Group, Australia and […]