Home 9 Why Spanish Matters

Spanish is one of the world’s most important languages

Spanish is one of the world’s most widely spoken languages, used across Europe, Latin America and many international industries. For young learners, studying Spanish can provide far more than language skills alone. It can support future study opportunities, international mobility and access to universities and careers across the Spanish-speaking world.

 

  • According to The Economist, speaking Spanish as a foreign language leads to higher salaries

  • The British Council ranked Spanish as the top ‘Language for the Future’ in a recent report;

  • 21 countries have Spanish as their official language

  • Spanish is the 4th most spoken language in the world with 600 million speakers (after English, Mandarin and Hindi)

  • The use of Spanish online has risen by 800% in recent years

  • Spanish is the third most popular language on the internet after Mandarin and English

  • One in every five employers look for Spanish speakers

  • 79% of recruiters cited Spanish as the additional language most in demand by employers in international business

Spanish has value wherever their future takes them

Young people inevitably begin making important choices about their future as they progress through education, but those choices rarely determine the course of their entire working lives. A student may choose A levels with a particular degree in mind and later graduate in Engineering, Geography or Economics, only to build a career in banking, law, accountancy, technology or international business.

Spanish has enduring value because it is not tied to one degree, one profession or one destination. As a young person’s ambitions develop, their career changes direction and new opportunities emerge, the language travels with them — opening possibilities across different sectors, countries and stages of their life.

 

Interested in studying in Spain? Learn more about our university pathways opportunities.