1. To pick up members of the opposite sex To get into college To keep people from eavesdropping on what you’re saying To eavesdrop on what other people are saying To get a good job To fully enjoy the tawdry lyrical stylings of such artists as Pit Bull and Daddy Yankee To improve your English vocabulary To get an elective credit To confuse and amaze friends and family To travel the world TOP 10 REASONS TO LEARN SPANISH according to a survey of…well, of Mrs. Huertero

2. To get an elective credit You and I both know you are not leaving this institution with a piece of paper unless you have a certain number of credits, and a certain number of those credits must be electives. Why not use a few to learn a new language? Furthermore, if you are on the 4-year college track, you HAVE to have these credits to get that piece of paper. (back)

3. To confuse and amaze friends and family Let’s face it. You could say the dumbest sentence imaginable based on a few weeks of Spanish instruction, and your friends and family will just look at you dumbfounded. You can chuckle inwardly to yourself when you amaze them by saying such thing as “Tengo un gato en mis pantalones.” They will think you’re so smart! (back)

4. To fully enjoy the tawdry lyrical stylings of such artists as Pit Bull and Daddy Yankee You KNOW they’re saying something incredibly raunchy and sexual, just by the way the song sounds. Before you get yourself in trouble, it might be nice to know what exactly they’re talking about. Of course there are other, tamer artists whose music is highly enjoyable for other reasons. A whole world of music, movies, and literature can be opened up to you when you learn a new language! (back)

5. To travel the world While it’s true that people around the world do learn English, it is not all of them. Imagine yourself stranded on a corner in downtown Mexico City or Barcelona or Buenos Aires. Think of all of the culture and excitement you can take in! Then it hits you: you have to go to the bathroom, and you have no idea where to find one. This, my friends, is but one of many situations in which knowledge of the Spanish language comes in handy. (back)

6. To improve your English vocabulary You may not realize it, but English is a Germanic language. Spanish, on the other hand, is Latin-based, a romance language. Think about it: those $5 words that make you sound brilliant and prepare you for the SAT…they don’t sound like German, do they? That is because most of them are Latin-based. Through cognates and roots in Spanish, you can prepare yourself for the SAT and for showing off that bulbous brain of yours. (back)

7. To keep people from eavesdropping on what you’re saying Sometimes you just have to say something to your friend, but it would be dangerous for the person next to you to hear what you are talking about—either because you’re dealing with top secret information…or it’s about the person next to you. Spanish can be like a secret code that you share with your friends! You can relay messages, and the person next to you won’t have a CLUE! Why? The person sitting next to you was not as clever as you and did NOT take Spanish. (back)

8. To eavesdrop on what other people are saying Most people won’t know that you speak Spanish, too, so they might be letting fly with some of their deepest secrets, or saying salacious things about someone. You could get in on some of the juiciest gossip! And I know some of you are paranoid. Even though Spanish speaking strangers are USUALLY not talking about you, it’s comforting to be able to verify that now and then. (back)

9. To get into college My four-year college track people? There’s a reason that this is required as an elective for you. Colleges these days don’t want anything to do with monolingual peons. Get the edge on the competition and get into the best colleges with your extra linguistic knowledge. They are looking for someone like you, someone who challenges themselves and can think in different ways! Oh, and see reason # 5. It doesn’t hurt to up that verbal score on the SAT either when you’re aiming for State, Duke, or Carolina. (back)

10. To get a good job Of course Spanish helps you get into college, and a college degree helps you get a good job. But do you realize how our culture is changing these days? More and more Spanish speakers are looking for businesses that speak their language, and if you are someone who can offer that luxury to them, you’ve got their business. Employers LOVE having bilingual employees. Bilingual employers also have a wider clientele. (back)

11. To pick up members of the opposite sex and, really, the same sex, too Okay, now this might just be a Mrs. Huertero thing. But think, if she did not have those Spanish speaking skills, how could she have snagged Mr. Huertero on her trip to Puerto Vallarta? Also, think of all of the friends you can make who you might never know if you do not learn their language! The world is your oyster! Crack it open and dig in! (back)