Sparks Commentary: Why I’m glad that I learned Spanish

“Se habla español.” (“We speak Spanish.”)

– A phrase used by businesses in parts of the United States (including here in the Southwest)

Anecdote about immersing myself in Hispanic culture (which I can’t do with ancient cultures)

This might seem a strange way to begin a blog post about Spanish – but I’ve been learning Biblical Hebrew and Greek for some years now. Because of this, I’ve actually been able to read some parts of the Bible in the original Hebrew. I’ve sometimes wished that I could get off the plane, and step into the cultures of both Biblical Hebrew and Greek. For example, I’ve sometimes wished that I could have a conversation in one (or even both) of these two dead languages. Of course, I’ve never actually been able to do so, because I live in the twenty-first century. There are such languages as modern Hebrew and Greek, but the ancient forms of these languages died out many centuries ago. However, I do have some modern languages alongside of the ancient ones. And one of these modern languages, as it turns out, is Spanish. I live in the Southwestern United States, so Hispanic culture is all around me here. It can be found in things from the local Spanish place names, to the remarkable Mexican food that so many of us eat here. Indeed, this is one of the few cultures that I can actually step into while staying here in my Arizona hometown. This is one of the reasons that I’ve long been glad that I learned some Spanish. I wouldn’t even need to purchase a plane ticket, to be able to put this language into practice. I can do so right here at home, without even having to leave town. With Spanish, I got my wish, and was actually able to get some firsthand experience of the culture for myself.

Great image of a carne asada burrito from Wikipedia

Does knowing Spanish help you to better understand English? (To some degree, it does)

If you’ve studied both English and Spanish, you may have noticed some similarities between them. In past centuries, English has borrowed many words from Latin and French. And, as you may know, Latin is the mother language of Spanish, while French is a sister language of Spanish. This explains, at least in part, why so much of our vocabulary is similar to that of Spanish. It also turns out that Germanic languages (such as English) and Romance languages (such as Spanish) are part of the Indo-European language family. This, too, explains some of the similarities between English and Spanish. If you’re interested in English word origins, you’d probably be better off learning Latin or French. And, as it turns out, Old English is also quite relevant to the origins of Modern English words. Nonetheless, knowing Spanish can certainly help you to understand some English words. In recent times, English and Spanish have also borrowed many words from each other. This is particularly true in North America, where there is considerable contact between American English and Mexican Spanish. There is also considerable contact between American English and Caribbean Spanish, such as that of Cuba or Puerto Rico. This kind of borrowing goes both ways. For example, English has borrowed words like “ranch” (from Spanish “rancho”), or “buckeroo” (from Spanish “vaquero”). The latter word means “cowboy,” and comes from the Spanish word “vaca” (meaning “cow”). But Spanish has also borrowed words like “troca” (“truck”), or “carro” (“car”) – a Spanish word that previously meant “chariot.” In some contexts, it still does mean “chariot” today. But, if you hear this word in North America, it’s far more likely to mean “car.” Thus, you can certainly see the influence of both languages upon each other, particularly when a specific dialect from one language is placed next to a specific dialect from the other.

Iconic image of Pancho Villa in Ojinaga – Mexico, 1914

Using my Spanish for holy purposes, just as I do when studying the Biblical languages

I’ve also used my Spanish at church, both in missionary work and in ordinances like the sacrament. That is, I have actually blessed the sacrament in Spanish. Thus, in many ways, I see my experience with Spanish as being something holy and sacred. Indeed, I consider it to be every bit as holy as my experiences with Biblical Hebrew and Greek. Specifically, I have long considered Spanish to be something like my “mission language.” This is why my readings with the language have often been directly related to my faith. For example, I’ve read the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and the Pearl of Great Price in Spanish. I have also read James E. Talmage’s “Jesus the Christ” in Spanish. I’ve even read some portions of “Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days” in Spanish as well. To be sure, some of my Spanish readings have no direct connection to my faith. This includes my study of a textbook about Spanish linguistics, and another about the history of the Spanish language. These improved my Spanish, but their content otherwise had little to do with my faith. Nonetheless, the majority of the works that I’ve read in Spanish … really have been directly related to my faith. This is another reason that I’ve long been glad that I learned some Spanish. And I likewise enjoyed my aforementioned study of Spanish linguistics, and the history of the Spanish language, as well.

The church where I attended some Spanish services

The practical benefits of knowing Spanish, both internationally and in the United States

When I was job-hunting here in Arizona, many online job postings mentioned that they preferred applicants with some fluency in Spanish. This certainly increased my desire to learn some Spanish for myself. (More about that here.) In many ways, Spanish can thus be quite useful in the business world. Americans use it for many professions, ranging from marketing and healthcare to government and law enforcement. Thus, in the past, I have sometimes been able to use my Spanish on the job. I’m a math tutor by profession. Thus, I have sometimes used my Spanish to tutor my Hispanic students with their math, when they are native Spanish speakers. At times, it seems to have greatly helped them to hear explanations of these mathematical concepts in their own tongue. At the time that I write this, the world has more than 400 million native speakers of Spanish. This means that the language is surpassed only by Mandarin Chinese, in its number of native speakers. And, in the United States, perhaps 13% of the nation’s households are Spanish-speaking. Thus, perhaps 40 million Americans are speaking Spanish at home. The numbers are, of course, even higher in Arizona – even in Northern Arizona, which is where I currently live.

A bilingual bus information sign in Manhattan – New York City, United States

Increased American trade with Mexico, especially in certain states where Spanish is big

Moreover, Mexico is one of only two nations to share a border with the United States. This explains why one of our nation’s top three trading partners is Mexico. And, of course, Mexico accounts for a much greater portion of the specific international trade involving border states like my own. That is, a much higher portion of Arizona’s international trade (compared with, say, Alaska’s international trade) is with nearby Mexico. This is simply because Arizona is a border state. This continues to be true, even when the State Department has issued warnings about traveling in Mexico. It’s possible that these official warnings may have (somewhat) reduced the legal international trade between our two countries. Nonetheless, it continues to be carried on despite this, even after the repeal of the “North American Free Trade Agreement” (or NAFTA) in 2020. Incidentally, this was the first time that free trade had been enacted between First World nations (specifically, the United States and Canada) and a Third World nation like Mexico. NAFTA certainly had its critics in all three countries, but it also had a fair number of supporters in all of them. And, whatever one’s opinion about NAFTA, it certainly increased the flow of legal imports and exports across our southern border. Even after its repeal, Spanish continues to be a language of much international importance for the United States, particularly in certain areas. And, again, it also has much internal importance within the United States. This includes many border states – such as California, New Mexico, and Texas. It includes the Cuban American population in Florida. And it includes the Puerto Rican population in New York State, including (most famously) in New York City. Thus, knowledge of Spanish can certainly confer some practical benefits. Indeed, I admit that this was my biggest reason for learning Spanish in the first place.

U.S.-Mexican border

Conclusion: For many reasons, I’m thus glad that I undertook to learn some Spanish

Thus, for many reasons, I continue to be glad that I’ve learned some Spanish. It still helps me to immerse myself in another culture. It has helped me to understand many English words. It has come in handy for my missionary work, and for other church service in Spanish. And it has greatly blessed my career, as I’ve been working here in the United States. I’m also been glad that I learned some French, and I’m likewise glad that I learned some Biblical Hebrew and Greek. But, if I had any kids, I would probably prefer to teach them some Spanish, rather than some other foreign language. It can certainly come in handy internationally, as one is traveling to Spain or Latin America. And it can come in handy right here in the United States, which is practically a Spanish-speaking country itself.

Footnote to this blog post:

In America, we know this language as “español” (“Spanish”). But it is also known as “castellano” (“Castilian”). This comes from the Castile region of Spain. Thus, it might be a bit like referring to “English” as “Anglo-Saxon.” The main difference is that the term “castellano” (“Castilian”) is far more commonly used. Some Latin American countries declare their official language to be “español” (“Spanish”), while others declare their official language to be “castellano” (“Castilian”). The connotation may be slightly different, since Spanish speakers sometimes use the phrase “hable castellano” to mean something like “speak properly.” Nonetheless, the words mean basically the same thing in most contexts.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

My interest in modern languages

My experience with French

My experience with French (Part 2)

Why I’m glad that I learned French

My experience with Spanish

My experience with Spanish (Part 2)

Going to church in a foreign language

Learning Spanish from doing missionary work

Reflections on learning about Spanish linguistics

A review of Rafael Lapesa’s “Historia de la lengua española”

Part of a series about