 Perceptions and Facts ● Spanish is easy Is it hard? Spanish is extremely accessible. It's easy to pronounce and, unlike the …., the Spanish have no hang-ups about importing English words. Clare Rudebeck, The Independent 27 February 2003

 Perceptions and Facts ● Spanish is cool Jennifer López, Raul, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, A. Banderas, Ricky Martin, Reyes, Ronaldo, Casillas, Penélope Cruz, Morientes, Fernando Alonso, Ronaldinho, Cesc Fábregas fiesta – siesta - paella – sangría – tortilla – amigo - salsa – tapas – flamenco – playa - agua – por favor

 Perceptions and Facts ● Spanish is cool Which is the best country to spend a holiday with friends or family? 1 2 ● SPAIN ● FRANCE ● GERMANY ● ITALY ● CHINA ● UK 5 3 4 6

 Perceptions and Facts ● Spanish is cool Which country you think you will visit in the next five years? 1 ● SPAIN ● FRANCE ● GERMANY ● ITALY ● CHINA ● None 3 5 2 4 6

 Perceptions and Facts ● Spanish is necessary Some 47,000 Britons, equivalent to the entire population of a town the size of Kettering or Hereford, signed on as new residents at Spanish town halls last year. That brought the registered British population in Spain to 274,000 - equivalent to a city the size of Bradford or Leicester. But experts estimate that up to three times as many Britons, about 750,000 people, spend a significant part of the year living in Spain Giles Tremlett in Madrid. Thursday July 27, 2006 The Guardian

 Perceptions and Facts *Spanish for ‘Where is the beach?’ Even a little Spanish can make a lot of difference.

 Perceptions and Facts ● Spanish is relevant Nearly 17 million British tourists visited Spain last year and the number is increasing 40% of the students in the survey said that either friends or family (or both) own propierty in Spain. International passenger traffic between Spain and UK: 34.5 million in 2005 only More low cost flights are opened every year

 Perceptions and Facts ● Spanish is worthwhile Which of the products below appear in the top five positions in the ranking of imports from Spain into the UK? ● CITRUS ● SHOES ● WINE 8 ● MEDICINES ● CARS ● TOMATOES 3 1 12 7 9