Let’s talk about why you should learn Spanish.
Yes, it is spoken in 21 countries and yes Spain and Latin America are culturally diverse!!! We’ve heard this a million times over. Who cares, right? How does it matter that so many countries speak it and why should you subscribe to all the hullabaloo?
Turns out, learning Spanish is a window to an incredible new world filled with opportunity. And when I say opportunity, I mean new business, new careers and yes, more money! In an ideal world, it would be great to learn any language we want and explore as much culture as we want but we aren’t in that world and the time invested has to bring back something. Well, Spanish does, as much as any other ‘trending’ language. How? Let’s find out.
1. Eco-Initiatives in Latin America and the potential for clean-energy businesses
Latin America is racing ahead with eco-initiatives at breakneck speed! If you are into a business that invests in clean energy, Latin America is for you. The entire continent is committed to going green and 505 of their energy comes from renewable sources. A major move in this area was to create, develop and maintain eco-friendly transportation systems. All this is when a majority of Latin American countries are still developing.
Many countries in South America have allocated a large part of their budget to reforestation, wildlife protection, solar energy and ocean farming. Despite a history of unstable governments, countries like Colombia have turned former guerrilla fighters and ex-FARC soldiers into forest guardians, halting wildlife trafficking and illegal logging. Costa Rica continues to be in the top 20 when it comes to the globe’s greenest countries. Chile has seen huge solar power installations in the Atacama.
Visionary companies like Sea6 Energy Limited are surging ahead with collaborations and business in Peru, Chile, Mexico and Spain. There is huge potential for businesses with a focus on going green. And everything green is going to be our motto going forward so this is a massive market. Not enough reason to learn Spanish? Read on for more.
Check out some articles about the steps LatAm is taking towards sustainable growth.
Colombia: Leading the Path to Sustainability in Latin America (worldbank.org)
Accelerating Green Innovation in Latin America (wipo.int)
2. Business and Trade with Latin America
Trade between Latin America and India is on the rise. Exports from Latin America to India could touch about $70 billion soon while India’s own exports to LatAm are placed at about $265 billion. LatAm’s exports to India include crude oil, copper, gold, and vegetable oil. Given India’s propensity for consumer goods, we are looking at huge trade in machinery, rapidly moving consumer goods and agricultural products.
The number of people employed by India’s information technology companies in Latin America has increased by around 3800 people every two years, according to data. The Motherson Samvardhana Group, an Indian automobile parts firm, has invested in more than 25,000 employees in Latin America. 27 pharmaceutical companies operate 13 manufacturing units in LatAm. This is particularly important because it raises the number of generic drugs that fight cancer and HIV/AIDS and are also affordable in Latin America. In addition to employing more people and boosting local production, India’s inexpensive, high-quality drugs also help cut down on the cost of public health care in Latin America. There is so much more that can be written about in terms of trade and Business between India and LatAm that I’ll cover separately.
It is important for India to leverage opportunities with a part of the world with which it has no conflict and that is happening – quickly! If you’re a business that you want to scale and expand overseas, look at LatAm as a potential partner. There is huge untapped potential there and the best way to tap it is to learn Spanish.
Check out this article about trade agreements between India and Latin America.
India, Latin America in talks to expand preferential trade agreement | Mint (livemint.com)
3. Tourist Guide for Latin Americans and Spaniards
In recent years India has been on the radar for visits from tourists from Latin America. Besides the trade relations between these countries, a similarity in culture, and societal structure and India’s increasing awareness of the importance of foreign languages make it an attractive destination for Latin Americans. 2018-20 saw a rise in tourist arrivals from Argentina, Mexico and Brazil. Many South Americans are fond of Bollywood and Shah Rukh Khan and are avid followers of his work on OTT platforms and other channels where Indian movies are available.
What is interesting is the new phenomenon that has emerged among tourists. Tourists no longer want to be taken on standard routes through the city they are visiting. A new trend has emerged where tourists partner up with locals from a city or town, via various service websites or apps and want to visit obscure, lesser-known places that are off the map and known only to residents. That way they feel the “vibe’ or pulse of a place and gain an authentic travel experience.
Why is this good news for you? Interpretation. If you learn Spanish, you can take such tourists around town to your favourite eatery, shopping street, park, beach, hangout and more. Most LatAm tourists are excited about Indian food and would love to sample local flavours, since food in LatAm is a huge deal, almost always associated with memories, recipes and deep love for one’s country.
I’ve taken a couple of tourists around from Costa Rica, Spain, Nicaragua and Argentina and it has been a brilliant experience. It was an informal interpretation event going back and forth between Kannada, English and Spanish. We visited a lot of stores, meditation centres, eateries all over Bangalore, malls(ha-ha, I don’t get it either) and other fun stuff on their itinerary. This was one the best assignments I’ve ever had with Spanish!
4. Sports Management
Spain is among the top countries in the world for Sports Management. Sports management is the business of sport and recreation. A sports manager can plan, organize, direct, budget, control, evaluate or lead an organization or business in sports. Sports managers often work for professional teams like Football leagues, Basketball Associations, Hockey leagues and more. Spain has great sports management programs. More about sports management here.
You could get by with just English but to truly thrive in Spain, it is best you learn Spanish – to visit smaller places, enjoy local flavours and traditions, access less touristy parts of the country and generally immerse yourself in the culture.
Check this article out for the top countries in the world for sports management.
Top 5 G20 Countries for Sports Management Courses |Leverage Edu
Best 28 Sports Management Master’s Degrees in Spain 2023 – Mastersportal.com
5. Business Management and Administration programs
Spain has some of the best business management schools in the world according to a report by the Economic Times. The Universities in Spain offer a number of programs followed by internships at various multinational companies. Check out some schools offering business management programs here. This is definitely worth checking out if you are looking at getting into business management in the future, both for experienced working professionals and students who haven’t yet started their careers. Again, you can get by with English at these programs, but it is always a good idea to learn the local language for better communication and interaction on and off campus.
Check this article out on five reasons you should head to Spain for Business management programs.
5 Reasons You Should Study Business in Spain (mbastudies.com)
14 MBA programs in Spain – Best Masters in Business Administration (MBA) Programs in Business Management in Spain 2023 (mbastudies.com)
Those were five sparkling reasons to learn Spanish! And if that’s not enough, check out two reasons more.
6. Jobs with Spanish
You could become an interpreter or translator and work with Spanish and English and your native language with the Businesses are being taken overseas to LatAm. As a Spanish language expert, you have some great opportunities your way once you hit the B2 level. The payoff is pretty great too – enough to make a full-time self-employed career. You can translate a bunch of documents from birth and marriage certificates to bank statements, Degree certificates, legal documents, medical clearance and more.
If translation isn’t your thing, think of teaching Spanish to learners or English to Spanish natives. Teaching is one of the most rewarding career paths I’ve seen and you could get a job at a private institute, International school, corporates looking to train their companies, 1-1 private tutoring from freelance sites and more. The pay is getting very competitive and schools and companies pay experts well to train their students and employees.
7. Culture, Culture, Culture!
LatAm and Continental Spanish cultures are fascinating. If you’re learning a language, culture isn’t far behind. You have to know what a country is about to understand certain language references, to understand beliefs and traditions. Latin American and Spanish culture is fascinating. Each country has a different set of beliefs, different foods, dances, music, pop culture, politics, economy, policies, slang, colloquialisms, proverbs, references and more. To truly learn a language, you need to immerse yourself in the culture.
These are some pretty great reasons to learn Spanish. The prospect is bright and the learning is fun. Hop on!
