What does it mean to be bilingual?

A bilingual person is someone who completely masters two languages at the same time, but these languages must meet the same level of knowledge.

My parents have always insisted on the importance of being bilingual. They talked about all the benefits and opportunities that I  would get if I knew more than one language. My mom being from Colombia and my dad from El Salvador spoke Spanish to me from an early age. They always wanted me to speak their native language and that’s why they started to teach me from an early age. Knowing  more than one language is of great importance today. Being bilingual is very important as it opens many doors in life. Spanish is one of the most spoken languages around the world. There are too many reasons and advantages as to why a person should learn Spanish. Here are a few reasons on why I believe people should learn Spanish…

1.A universal language 

(Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world)

Spanish is spoken by 400 million people; it is currently one of the most spoken languages. Here in the United States there are about 53 million people who speak Spanish. Most of these people are Native Spanish speakers, and the others are Bilingual Spanish speakers.

2. Social relations 

(Speaking in Spanish will allow you to create international friendship relationships)

By learning a new language, a new world of people opens up with whom you can now speak and with whom you could not communicate before. Speaking in Spanish is an excellent opportunity to learn from other cultures and make friends for life.

3. Professional boost

(Learning languages will add weight to your professional career)

Knowledge of a foreign language can open the doors to new job opportunities. There are many jobs that require a knowledge of a second language. Nowadays, it is very important to be able to communicate in other languages; it can improve your worth as an employee. You can even increase your salary if you know how to speak Spanish.

Since I’m also majoring in Public Health, I thought that adding Spanish as my second major will be a great idea. There is always room for improvement, and I still have lots to learn about the language. There are millions of Hispanics in America, that don’t know English. Just like when my grandparents, who moved from Central America to the United States, life was harder because they didn’t know the language. They were afraid to go to the hospital and see a doctor because they feared that no one would understand them. This is a big part of why I chose to major in public health and Spanish. I definitely see myself working in the future in Spanish-speaking communities because I know how hard it could be for them to go somewhere where they can’t really express how they feel about their health solely because they don’t speak English. When working in the medical field it will be perfect to be able to speak the patient’s native language. By speaking to them in Spanish I will be able to provide a more comfortable experience and a better quality of care because they will be able to fully understand. It would not be easy to communicate with the patient but can also help their family to better understand the diagnosis and treatment options. Being fluent in Spanish and English will help me in the near future to better understand and determine the patient’s needs.

Reading, speaking or understanding other languages has ceased to be a luxury to become a necessity. Expensive? Possibly, but beneficial, without a doubt