With 500 million speakers, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world. It is also the third most studied language in schools, after English and French, and the third most used language on the Internet, after English and Chinese.
Spanish is becoming increasingly popular, and researchers estimate that Spanish speakers will account for as much as 7.5% of the world’s population by 2030.
As Spanish is the official language of 21 countries, its usefulness in the world of work is undeniable. It is expanding rapidly, particularly in the United States, where it is estimated that 30% of the population will be Spanish-speaking by 2050.
But if the Spanish language has many aficionados, it is also because of the culture with which it is associated. Since the 15th century colonization of American territories, Spanish has expanded far beyond Europe, and remains dominant in much of South America.
Spain has made it a priority to promote its cultural heritage among Spanish-speaking countries. This rich, troubling past, pivotal to the changes in Europe and the post-medieval world, still attracts a great deal of interest.
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